God Thoughts

I reach into my soul and tell what’s there,
though God already knows--which strikes me odd,
and telling it, I realize, is a prayer,
whatever--I just like to talk to God.

Does anyone want to listen to my soul?
Could anyone else just even understand?
Who watches when my thoughts are on patrol?
Alone Who welds them well to what He’s planned?

God makes my thoughts, and then helps me to think,
this mix of physical and spiritual
He pours into my thirsty soul to drink,
His deep gift to my human miracle,

From deepest me I feel this to be true,
so, Lord, I love to tell my thoughts to You.

         -- by Pete Voelz       4/30/13

Heartfelt Touch

As You reach out, O God, and touch my heart,
so You want me to touch the ones who cry
to help me see, though we may live apart,
still there but for the grace of God go I.

How can I tell if my touched heart is true?
Perhaps to do Augustine’s strategy--
to “pray as if it all depends on You,
but work as if it all depends on me.”

You once ascended bodily above,
and left us here to be Your hands and feet,
so we with whom You share Your infinite love,
can share it too with everyone we meet.

I trust, O Lord, You’re asking not too much
for me to pass along Your heartfelt touch.

                 -- by Pete Voelz       4/25/13

Telepathy Prayer

God reads my mind, there is telepathy,
He sees and hears what I say in my prayer,
then in my conscience He talks back to me,
we have a conversation everywhere.

There is no mystery to prayer--it works,
God wants us to depend on Him for aid,
just as in nature, in our mind He lurks,
so trust in Me, He says, be not afraid.

Prayer’s definition is--talking to God,
He answers us with words, but also deeds,
we needn’t say much--just give Him a nod,
He’s done so much for us, He’ll fill our needs.

God's generous, so patient, gentle, kind,
He’s listening now, so please keep Him in mind.

                           -- by Pete Voelz       4/28/13

Prayer War

O God, I pray You hard, I pray You strong,
I shoot at You my puny shells of prayer,
and I persist, O Lord, I pray You long,
shoot back at me, my target soul laid bare.

"Thy will be done" ends every prayer I pray,
yet I pray hard because I want this bad,
You won't give stones for bread, I saw You say,
but if You tell me no, I won't be mad.

And now, O God, You see me on my knees,
I don't just kneel and pray, You see me cry,
I beg You for what You can give with ease,
I fire prayer bomblets and let bullets fly.

God, I surrender what I'm praying for,
before we even fight this long prayer war.

                    -- by Pete Voelz       9/09

Weak Is Strong

My weakness crushes me, God makes me strong,
another riddle from God’s foolishness;
that first sin left our wills weak all along,
 Christ came along to give us strong redress.

My strength’s from God, Who made the earth and heaven,
Creation old and broken He made new;
Christ, killed by sin, leaves all our sins forgiven,
His death defeated death, my weakness too.

To demonstrate His strength, God picks the weak
to show it is His strength that gives them power;
the Spirit makes St. Peter boldly speak,
from then on the Apostles never cower.

Gaze on Blest Mother Theresa’s wrinkled face,
left old and weak, yet strong by God’s good grace.

                              -- by Pete Voelz       4/26/13

The Gs of Grace

(Inspired by my friend Stewart Arp,
musician and cantor.)

I played a gig and made X dollar Ds,
the Ds are paid to me as just reward;
in church my gig is paid in grace-filled Gs,
invisible to all except the Lord.

To meet my needs, the Ds I quickly spend,
my Gs are saved where grapes of wrath are stored,
which one will I take with me in the end
is something only counted by the Lord.

The Ds--the root of evil--pull me down,
then cut down by His terrible swift sword;
the Gs of grace will grace my golden crown,
as gracefully I bow before You, Lord.

I hope I stand, O God, before Your face
and offer You my priceless Gs of grace.

               -- by Pete Voelz       4/25/13

God Rector

God hears me even when I do not talk,
He listens even when I am asleep,
He joins me when I'm on a lonely walk,
He puts His arm around me when I weep.
 
God helps me up when I have fallen down,
He comforts me when I am feeling pain,
He rescues me when I'm about to drown,
He somehow turns my losses into gain.

God stirs the stars then stoops to stir my soul,
He gives me all from His infinity,
He makes me run when I just want to stroll,
together we produce the person me.

O God, You are the rector of my being,
may I see You when I’m not even seeing.

                       -- by Pete Voelz         4/09