Day by day, dear Lord of you
Three things I pray:
To see you more clearly,
To love you more dearly,
To follow you more nearly,
Day by day.
St. Richard of Chichester

7 The law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul.
The statutes of the LORD are trustworthy, making wise the simple.
8 The precepts of the LORD are right, giving joy to the heart.
The commands of the LORD are radiant, giving light to the eyes.
9 The fear of the LORD is pure, enduring forever.
The ordinances of the LORD are sure and altogether righteous.
10 They are more precious than gold, than much pure gold;
they are sweeter than honey, than honey from the comb.
11 By them is your servant warned;
in keeping them there is great reward.
14 May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
be pleasing in your sight,
O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer.
Psalm 19 New International Version

Readings for today from the Daily Lectionary
(click on underlined link to go directly to the reading):
1 Kings 18:20-40 – Philippians 3:1-16 – Matthew 3:1-12

Heavenly Father, in whom we live and move and have our being: We humbly pray you so to guide and govern us by your Holy Spirit, that in all the cares and occupations of our life we may not forget you, but may remember that we are ever walking in your sight; through Jesus Christ our Lord.
The Gelasian Sacramentary

1 Blessed are all who fear the LORD,
who walk in his ways.
2 You will eat the fruit of your labor;
blessings and prosperity will be yours.
3 Your wife will be like a fruitful vine
within your house;
your sons will be like olive shoots
around your table.
4 Thus is the man blessed
who fears the LORD.
5 May the LORD bless you from Zion
all the days of your life;
may you see the prosperity of Jerusalem,
6 and may you live to see your children's children.
Psalm 128 New International Version

Readings for today from the Daily Lectionary
(click on underlined link to go directly to the reading):
1 Kings 18:1-19 – Philippians 2:12-30 – Matthew 2:13-23

O God of Peace, you have taught us that in returning and rest we shall be saved, in quietness and confidence shall be our strength: By the might of your Spirit lift us, we pray, to your presence, where we may be still and know that you are God; through Jesus Christ our Lord.
William Bright

1 How long, O LORD ? Will you forget me forever?
How long will you hide your face from me?
2 How long must I wrestle with my thoughts
and every day have sorrow in my heart?
How long will my enemy triumph over me?
3 Look on me and answer, O LORD my God.
Give light to my eyes, or I will sleep in death;
4 my enemy will say, "I have overcome him,"
and my foes will rejoice when I fall.
5 But I trust in your unfailing love;
my heart rejoices in your salvation.
6 I will sing to the LORD,
for he has been good to me.
Psalm 13 New International Version

Readings for today from the Daily Lectionary
(click on underlined link to go directly to the reading):
1 Kings 17:1-24 – Philippians 2:1-11 – Matthew 2:1-12

September 25, 2007

Disturb us, Lord, when we are too pleased with ourselves; when our dreams have come true because we dreamed too little; when we have arrived safely because we sailed too close to the shore....
Disturb us, Lord, to dare more boldly, to venture on wider seas, where storms will show your mastery; where losing sight of the land, we shall find the stars."
Sir Francis Drake

1 I lift up my eyes to you,
to you whose throne is in heaven.
2 As the eyes of slaves look to the hand of their master,
as the eyes of a maid look to the hand of her mistress,
so our eyes look to the LORD our God,
till he shows us his mercy.
3 Have mercy on us, O LORD, have mercy on us,
for we have endured much contempt.
4 We have endured much ridicule from the proud,
much contempt from the arrogant.
Psalm 123 New International Version

Readings for today from the Daily Lectionary
(click on underlined link to go directly to the reading):
1 Kings 16:23-34 – Philippians 1:12-30 - Mark 16:1-20

We beseech thee, Master, to be our helper and protector.
Save the afflicted among us; have mercy on the lowly;
raise up the fallen; appear to the needy; heal the ungodly;
restore the wanderers of thy people;
feed the hungry; ransom our prisoners;
raise up the sick; comfort the faint-hearted.
Clement of Rome

8 Hear my prayer, O LORD God Almighty;
listen to me, O God of Jacob.
9 Look upon our shield, [c] O God;
look with favor on your anointed one.
10 Better is one day in your courts
than a thousand elsewhere;
I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God
than dwell in the tents of the wicked.
11 For the LORD God is a sun and shield;
the LORD bestows favor and honor;
no good thing does he withhold
from those whose walk is blameless.
12 O LORD Almighty,
blessed is the man who trusts in you.
Psalm 84 New International Version

Readings for today from the Daily Lectionary
(click on underlined link to go directly to the reading):
1 Kings 13:1-10 – Philippians 1:1-11 - Mark 15:40-47

O Lord, support us all the day long of this troublous life, until the shadows lengthen, and the busy world is hushed, the fever of life is over, and our work done. Then O Lord, in your mercy, grant us safe lodging, a holy rest and peace at the last; through Jesus Christ our Lord
John Henry Newman

9 If you make the Most High your dwelling—
even the LORD, who is my refuge-
10 then no harm will befall you,
no disaster will come near your tent.
11 For he will command his angels concerning you
to guard you in all your ways;
12 they will lift you up in their hands,
so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.
13 You will tread upon the lion and the cobra;
you will trample the great lion and the serpent.
14 "Because he loves me," says the LORD, "I will rescue him;
I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.
Psalm 91 New International Version

Readings for today from the Daily Lectionary
(click on underlined link to go directly to the reading):
1 Kings 11:26-43 – James 4:13-5:6 - Mark 15:22-32

Eternal God,
The light of the minds that you know,
The joy of the hearts that love you,
The strength of the wills that serve you:
Help us to know you that we may truly love you,
So to love you that we may gladly serve you,
In the glory of you holy Name
St Augustine

1 God is our refuge and strength,
an ever-present help in trouble.
2 Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way
and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,
3 though its waters roar and foam
and the mountains quake with their surging.
4 There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,
the holy place where the Most High dwells.
5 God is within her, she will not fall;
God will help her at break of day.
Psalm 46 New International Version

Readings for today from the Daily Lectionary
(click on underlined link to go directly to the reading):
1 Kings 8:65-9:9 – James 2:14-26 - Mark 14:66-72

O God, the author of peace and lover of concord, to know you is eternal life and to serve you is perfect freedom: Defend us, your humble servants, in all assaults of our enemies; that we, surely trusting in your defense, may not fear the power of any adversaries; through the might of Jesus Christ our Lord.
The Gelasian Sacramentary

1 Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth.
2 Worship the LORD with gladness;
come before him with joyful songs.
3 Know that the LORD is God.
It is he who made us, and we are his [a] ;
we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.
4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving
and his courts with praise;
give thanks to him and praise his name.
5 For the LORD is good and his love endures forever;
his faithfulness continues through all generations.
Psalm 10o New International Version

Readings for today from the Daily Lectionary
(click on underlined link to go directly to the reading):
2 Chronicles 6:32-7:7 – James 2:1-13 - Mark 14:53-65

Lord, You have brought us together, sons and daughters all, and made us into one family, teaching every one of us to love our brothers and sisters in Christ. We are Your Church. We are different in many ways: rich and poor, black and white, male and female. Some of us lead and some follow, each according to the talents You have given us and the needs of the community. In many ways we are more different than we are alike, yet Your love for us knows no human boundaries. We are family. We are Your Church. Amen.
(From "Prayers & Promises")

9 Let my enemies be destroyed
by the very evil they have planned for me.
10 Let burning coals fall down on their heads.
Let them be thrown into the fire
or into watery pits from which they can’t escape.
11 Don’t let liars prosper here in our land.
Cause great disasters to fall on the violent.
12 But I know the Lord will help those they persecute;
he will give justice to the poor.
13 Surely righteous people are praising your name;
the godly will live in your presence.
Psalm 140 New Living Translation

Readings for today from the Daily Lectionary
(click on underlined link to go directly to the reading):
1 Kings 5:1-6:1 – Acts 28:1-16 - Mark 14:27-42

Father,
You are my Source of faith.
Lord, I am trying to believe -- help my unbelief! Help me to take hold of the provision You made for me on the cross when You took on Yourself all my sicknesses and diseases. You carried them so that I could be healed and live a life of health and wholeness. I know what You have done for me, but I need to know it with my heart. Quicken my spirit, Lord, that I might receive Your gracious provision. Amen.
(From "Everyday Prayers for Everyday Cares")

7 Hear my voice when I call, O LORD; be merciful to me and answer me.
8 My heart says of you, "Seek his [b] face!" Your face, LORD, I will seek.
9 Do not hide your face from me, do not turn your servant away in anger; you have been my helper. Do not reject me or forsake me, O God my Savior.
10 Though my father and mother forsake me, the LORD will receive me.
Psalm 27 New International Version

Readings for today from the Daily Lectionary
(click on underlined link to go directly to the reading):
1 Kings 3:16-28 – Acts 27:27-44 - Mark 14:12-26

When someone says words that hurt, I usually want to cause pain in return. But Your Word tells me that's not the right response, even if it is my first thought. My harsh anger does not benefit me or the other person. Instead, we'll end up in a circle of wrath that will last as long as our hard words and painful memories remain.
I don't want to live that way, Lord. Instead I'd like to have Your peace in every corner of my life. So when that harsh answer leaps to my mind, help me bite my tongue. Please give me soft, appealing words that will ease the situation instead of escalating it. Amen.
(From "Light for My Path - Prayers & Promises")

12 For the sins of their mouths,
for the words of their lips,
let them be caught in their pride.
For the curses and lies they utter,
15 They wander about for food
and howl if not satisfied.
16 But I will sing of your strength,
in the morning I will sing of your love;
for you are my fortress,
my refuge in times of trouble.
17 O my Strength, I sing praise to you;
you, O God, are my fortress, my loving God.
Psalm 59 New International Version

Readings for today from the Daily Lectionary
(click on underlined link to go directly to the reading):
1 Kings 3:1-15 – Acts 27:9-26 - Mark 14:1-11

We pray to you, O God, the lover of all,for those whom we have named our enemies.Deliver us from the hardness of heartthat keeps us locked in confrontation.Deliver us from the hatred that binds us in old ways.Grant unto all people the blessing of your love.And grant unto us such transformation of our livesthat we may make peace with our enemies,and that together we might make this worlda safer place for all.Amen.
- Vienna Cobb Anderson

1 Hear, O LORD, and answer me,
for I am poor and needy.
2 Guard my life, for I am devoted to you.
You are my God; save your servant
who trusts in you.
3 Have mercy on me, O Lord,
for I call to you all day long.
4 Bring joy to your servant,
for to you, O Lord,
I lift up my soul.
5 You are forgiving and good, O Lord,
abounding in love to all who call to you.
Psalm 86 New International Version

Readings for today from the Daily Lectionary
(click on underlined link to go directly to the reading):
1 Kings 1:32-2:4 – Acts 26:24-27:8 - Mark 13:28-37

For each new morning with its light,
For rest and shelter of the night,
For health and food,
For love and friends,
For everything Thy goodness sends.
Father in heaven,
We thank thee.
- Ralph Waldo Emerson

1 I cry aloud to the LORD;
I lift up my voice to the LORD for mercy.
2 I pour out my complaint before him;
before him I tell my trouble.
3 When my spirit grows faint within me, it is you who know my way.
In the path where I walk men have hidden a snare for me.
4 Look to my right and see; no one is concerned for me.
I have no refuge; no one cares for my life.
5 I cry to you, O LORD; I say, "You are my refuge,
my portion in the land of the living."
6 Listen to my cry, for I am in desperate need;
rescue me from those who pursue me, for they are too strong for me.
7 Set me free from my prison, that I may praise your name.
Then the righteous will gather about me because of your goodness to me.
Psalm 142 New International Version

Readings for today from the Daily Lectionary
(click on underlined link to go directly to the reading):
2 Samuel 19:24-43 – Acts 24:24-25:12 – Mark 12:35-44

Dear Heavenly Father,
Thank You for all the good things You have given us. Lord, we want to be like You, so help us do those things that bless You. May our thoughts and deeds be pleasing to You. Deliver us from the evil temptations that would cause us to fall from Your grace. Lord, set us free from all pride, greed and fear. Let us be like You and treat all men around us, fairly and justly. Keep us from manipulation, so that we obey You, no matter what the cost to us personally. Help me to always do the right thing and may the meditations of my heart be pleasing to You. I ask this in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

1 You have rejected us, O God, and burst forth upon us;
you have been angry-now restore us!
2 You have shaken the land and torn it open;
mend its fractures, for it is quaking.
3 You have shown your people desperate times;
you have given us wine that makes us stagger.
4 But for those who fear you, you have raised a banner
to be unfurled against the bow.
5 Save us and help us with your right hand,
that those you love may be delivered.
Psalm 60 New International Version

Readings for today from the Daily Lectionary
(click on underlined link to go directly to the reading):
2 Samuel 19:1-23 – Acts 24:1-23 – Mark 12:28-34

It is hard for me not to take matters into my own hands, Lord, especially when things are going wrong for me and I can see no sign of Your direction. I believe I know my own needs; I think I know what must be done, so I race ahead of You, only to find I have taken the wrong path and I'm in even deeper trouble than ever.
Teach me to rely on You, not on my own understanding. I trust You totally. You are the only map I need if I will just be patient and wait for Your direction. Lead me, Lord. Amen.
(From "Light for My Path - Prayers & Promises")

12 Be not far from me, O God;
come quickly, O my God, to help me.
13 May my accusers perish in shame;
may those who want to harm me
be covered with scorn and disgrace.
14 But as for me, I will always have hope;
I will praise you more and more.
15 My mouth will tell of your righteousness,
of your salvation all day long,
though I know not its measure.
16 I will come and proclaim your mighty acts, O Sovereign LORD;
I will proclaim your righteousness, yours alone.
17 Since my youth, O God, you have taught me,
and to this day I declare your marvelous deeds.
Psalm 112 New International Version

Readings for today from the Daily Lectionary
(click on underlined link to go directly to the reading):
2 Samuel 18:9-18 – Acts 23:12-24 – Mark 11:27-12:12