The Dog Lover's Prayer

By Dr. Tom C. Rakow

God, You created the canine, and gave it a bark,

Your great mercy preserved, a pair on the Ark.

But these fallen creatures, like their earthly masters are bent,

Affected by sin, their good nature now rent.

For some they are collectors of ticks, currieries of fleas,

Scavengers of filth, and spreaders of disease.

A bother, a commitment, an added expense,

Something you must let out in the morning, or keep in a fence.

But a nobler animal, one would be hard pressed to find,

A compass to the lost, and eyes for the blind.

Ears for the deaf, limbs for the lame,

Companion through loneliness, nonprescription comfort in pain.

Greeters with a warm lick, or wag of the tail,

Unconditional loyalty, to both the strong and the frail.

Shepherds, and hunters, pets for entertainment or show,

Curs that catch in mid-air, or in some dark burrow below.

Trustworthy alarms that never need wound,

A distinct whine or a yip, from palace or pound.

Protectors of junkyards - the great treasures of men,

A playmate for children, a faithful old friend.

Lord, you gave special powers to these creatures - we know,

For victims of earthquakes, great floods, and deep snow.

Discerners of scents and sounds that have faded away,

Finding the buried, the submerged, or where the injured now lay.

Jesus, thank you for the mutt, and the pooch that's pedigreed,

Thank you for giving us the different dogs that we need

Lord, please make me as useful as these friends with four feet,

May I be willing to serve - looking for needs I might meet.

Heavenly Master, may I be quick to obey,

Whether you call me to go, or command me to stay.

Jesus, use my life to retrieve souls that have strayed,

May I point them to the cross, where our debts have been paid.

Amen.

Used by Permission