A Prayer for Tuesday, December 31, 2013

Seventh Day of Christmas

O God,

Thank you for adopting us as your children; thank you that your Son Jesus is our brother and that you are our Father.

Thank you that all who are your children are our sisters and brothers.  Bind us together with your grace, your love, and your Spirit.

Help us all to increase in our resemblance to you our Father and to Jesus our brother.

Amen.

A Prayer for Monday, December 30, 2013

Sixth Day of Christmas

O God,

Let the joy of Christmas—the joy that comes from knowing that you love us enough to send your own Son into this world to live and die and rise again—permeate our being not just at this time of year but at all times.

Let the joy of Christmas—not happiness that depends on our circumstances but confidence that you are working your purposes out and that we are ultimately safe in you—be so prevalent in our lives that it flows out onto other people.

Let the joy of Christmas—the joy of cherishing giving over getting, forgiveness over vengeance, and love over apathy—come increasingly to be at the core of our lives so that nothing will keep us from growing in it.

Amen.

A Prayer for Sunday, December 29, 2013

First Sunday after Christmas (Fifth Day of Christmas)

O God,

We want to worship you for who you are; we don’t want to be self-centered in our motivation so that we worship you only because of what you do for us.

The fact is, though, that we need you desperately; we need your grace, your love, your forgiveness, your peace, and your strength.

We especially need you in times of loss and grief, times that come all too often and all too regularly.

Thank you that the fact of who you are intersects with the fact of our need; thank you that your Son came to us as Immanuel, that he came to us to be “God with us.” As we cope with the realities of life, help us never to forget the reality that stands over, under, and around all our reality: that you are in fact with us in everything we encounter.

We worship you today for who you are; we praise you that who you are is the God who is with us to help us, to strengthen us, to give us faith, and to guide us.

Amen.

A Prayer for Saturday, December 28, 2013

Fourth Day of Christmas

O God,

Thank you that your Son taught us that whenever we show love by giving help to those who are in need, we are showing our love to him.

Remind us today—and all days—to see Jesus in people who are hurting; then, having seen them, lead us to help in whatever ways we can.

Amen.

A Prayer for Friday, December 27, 2013

Third Day of Christmas

O God,

We thank you that you are always there; help us always to keep our eyes on you.

When it is dark all around us, help us to keep our eyes focused on you because in the dark you are still so close to us that we can see you if we will but look.

When it is light all around us, help us to keep our eyes focused on you because in the light we are easily distracted by everything that we can see.

When it is both light and dark all around us, help us to keep our eyes focused on you because in the shadows lurk dangers and blessings that we will need your help to avoid, to accept, and to appropriate.

We thank you that you are always there; help us always to keep our eyes on you.

Amen.

A Prayer for Thursday, December 26, 2013

Second Day of Christmas

O God,

On this second day of Christmas, give us the lift we need to overcome the down feeling that often accompanies the day after Christmas Day.

Remind us that the Christmas Season continues for a few more days but remind us even more that your presence with us that we celebrate at Christmas endures forever.

Help us to develop a relationship with you that is so strong that we experience your presence on the day after Christmas—or on some random Tuesday in August—just as much as we do on Christmas Day.

Amen.

A Prayer for Wednesday, December 25, 2013

Christmas Day

O God,

Thank you for the privilege of receiving and giving gifts at Christmas.

Let our gift-receiving and gift-giving make us mindful of the great gifts that you give to us and of the great privilege of sharing your gifts with others.

Thank you that as we grow older it means more to us to give than it does to receive; help us to grow in our faith and discipleship so that our lives will be more about giving than about receiving.

Amen.

A Prayer for Tuesday, December 24, 2013

Christmas Eve

O God Who Comes,

There is perhaps no day on which we find ourselves with a greater sense of living on the edge than we do on this day. It is the Eve of Christmas; tomorrow we will celebrate the birth of Jesus and we can hardly wait.

We couldn’t handle this level of intensity all the time; still, help us to remember that Christ comes to us every day and so we can look with anticipation every day for his coming. Help us always to live on the edge of what is coming to us even as we live fully in what has already come to us. Help us always to remember that life is always about both anticipation and fulfillment.

Soon, this day of anticipation will give way to the day of fulfillment.

Soon, this time of anticipation will give way to the time of fulfillment.

Even so, come, Lord Jesus!

Amen.

A Prayer for Monday, December 23, 2013

Twenty-Third Day of Advent

O God Who Comes,

We praise you that in your coming to us you give yourself to us; we praise you for the love, grace, and mercy that you give to us in your coming to us.

We thank you that because you are present with us we are able to be your presence with other people. Help us always to come to them ready to give ourselves away for their sake and ready to give them the same love, grace, and mercy that you give us.

Let our presence with other people be a constant offering of ourselves to them for your glory, for their sake, and for our good.

Even so, come, Lord Jesus!

Amen.

A Prayer for Sunday, December 22, 2013

Fourth Sunday of Advent

O God Who Comes,

We praise you that in Christ Jesus you came to us personally; we praise you that through your Holy Spirit you continue to come to us personally. We praise you for the always-present possibility and for the sometimes-present reality—the difference mainly depending on our willingness and awareness—of an ever-deepening and maturing relationship with you.

Form us into people who are always open to your direction. Make us open to the nudgings and to the shovings of your Spirit. Help us always to be growing into people all of whose thoughts, words, and actions are a reflection of your love and grace.

Even so, come, Lord Jesus!

Amen.

A Prayer for Saturday, December 21, 2013

Twenty-First Day of Advent

O God Who Comes,

Because you are there all the time, help us to turn toward you all the time; let our awareness of and attention to your presence become as perpetual as your presence.

Perhaps it is understandable that we would become more aware of your presence in a time of crisis but help us to grow into the kind of faith that doesn’t require a crisis to cause us to turn toward you.

Even so, come, Lord Jesus!

Amen.

A Prayer for Friday, December 20, 2013

Twentieth Day of Advent

O God Who Comes,

We thank you that Jesus was born into this world at a time of tumult and tension; we thank you that he comes to us here and now when we live under similar circumstances. We acknowledge that every era has its tumult and tensions and we thank you that Jesus comes to every era. But, given that this is the one in which we live, we especially thank you that he comes to us now.

Make and keep us aware of his presence. Let his presence in and among us cause us to care about and to do something about the things that are most important; let his presence in and among us inspire us to live out of a radical obedience to you that leads us to practice radical love, grace, mercy, and forgiveness.

We thank you that Jesus came as the solution to our problems; help us as his body in the world to contribute to the solution and not to be part of the problem.

Even so, come, Lord Jesus!

Amen.

A Prayer for Thursday, December 19, 2013

Nineteenth Day of Advent

O God Who Comes,

Give us character and faith like those of Joseph, the one entrusted by you with the care of your Son Jesus and his mother Mary.

Joseph knew what the law said should happen to Mary; help us, like Joseph, to know what the Bible teaches so that we can try to do the right thing.

Joseph wanted to apply the law in as decent a way as possible; help us, like Joseph, to have love and compassion so that we can try to do the right thing in the right way.

Joseph, when he realized the option of exercising a trust so radical that it went beyond the kindness that was in his character and way beyond strict adherence to what was in his law, chose to trust and acted in light of that trust; help us, like Joseph, to exercise great trust so that we can do the rightest thing of all.

Even so, come, Lord Jesus!

Amen.

A Prayer for Wednesday, December 18, 2013

Eighteenth Day of Advent

O God Who Comes,

Thank you that we don’t have to be good enough—or even good—for you to come to us. Thank you that you come to us even though we are sinners and even when we have been greedy, vengeful, and arrogant.

Thank you that while we were yet sinners, Christ came to us and died for us. Thank you that he comes to us now to forgive us for and to rescue us from our sins.

Help us who have experienced and who are experiencing your gracious presence to be the presence of Christ to others who are reeling, hurting, and wandering. Help us to offer your forgiveness and your grace through our attitudes and our actions.

Amen.

A Prayer for Tuesday, December 17, 2013

Seventeenth Day of Advent

O God Who Comes,

Thank you that in his first coming your Son Jesus was fully human; thank you that he at all times was who he was so that everything he did and said was done with complete integrity.

By his presence with us—by your Spirit, grace, and love—help us today and every day to grow toward having integrity; help us to grow toward being people who always do the right things in the right ways for the right reasons.

Even so, come, Lord Jesus.

Amen.

A Prayer for Monday, December 16, 2013

Sixteenth Day of Advent

O God Who Comes,

Sometimes we struggle over decisions that have to be made; sometimes it is hard for us to know the right thing to do. There are so many gray areas; there are so many close calls.

Come to us in those times; speak your wisdom to us and communicate your guidance to us.

In all the decisions and choices that we make, let your love and grace be our determining factors; let every decision we make be grounded in our commitment to love you with all we are and to love our neighbors as ourselves.

Even so, come, Lord Jesus!

Amen.

A Prayer for Sunday, December 15, 2013

Third Sunday of Advent

O God Who Comes,

Thank you that in coming to us you bring joy to us. Help us to stay aware of your presence so that we can experience your joy. Remind us that your joy is dependent not on our circumstances but rather on the relationship we have with you and on the assurance that you are in all things working your great and grand purposes out.

Still, it is in and through our circumstances—it is in and through the facts of our lives—that we either will or won’t experience your joy. So in all things and in all moments give us perspective, give us trust, and give us hope. Give us eyes that see, give us minds that know, and give us hearts that trust that one day our joy will be complete so that we can know your joy more and more each day.

And give us lives that are dedicated to sharing your love and grace with all, knowing that it is as others come to live in your joy that our joy grows more toward fullness.

Even so, come, Lord Jesus!

Amen.

A Prayer for Saturday, December 14, 2013

Fourteenth Day of Advent

O God Who Comes,

It is to these lives of ours that you come. What great grace you show in coming to us!

Thank you for the presence of your Spirit in and with us; thank you that because God the Spirit is with us, God the Father and God the Son are with us, too. Thank you that you in your fullness make your home with us.

Thank you that since you come to these lives of ours, we can by your grace always be becoming a fuller version of who you made us to be. Make us willing to be formed and shaped by you.

Even so, come, Lord Jesus!

Amen.

A Prayer for Friday, December 13, 2013

Thirteenth Day of Advent

O God Who Comes,

Thank you that you come to us and are here with us all the time; help us to cultivate a continuous sense of your presence. Help us continually to practice your continuous presence by constantly thinking of you and by habitually conversing with you.

When we forget, help us to repent, to reject the paralysis of guilt, and to pick up where we left off.

Thank you that you are there whether we know it or not but help us to grow in our awareness of and in our knowledge of you.

Amen.

(With thanks to Brother Lawrence)

A Prayer for Thursday, December 12, 2013

Twelfth Day of Advent

O God Who Comes,

Thank you for coming to us in the challenges and crises of life. Thank you for the opportunity that such experiences give us to grow in our knowledge of you, of your grace, and of your ways.

When challenges arise and crises confront us, let our daily practice in developing a greater awareness of your presence result in an ability to turn immediately toward you and not away from you. Help us to engage in such a day-to-day—indeed, in a moment-to-moment—practice of cultivating an awareness of your presence so that when a crisis comes, we will turn naturally and confidently to you.

If a crisis or challenge comes because we have intentionally tried to live a sacrificial and service-oriented life—because we have intentionally tried to join Christ in his sufferings—then we thank you for the privileges of sharing in his sufferings and of knowing that he walks with us.

Even if the challenge or crisis comes to us randomly and not because of our intentionality, help us to be intentional in dealing with it as followers of the one who came not to be served but to serve.

Amen.

A Prayer for Wednesday, December 11, 2013

Eleventh Day of Advent

O God Who Comes,

Thank you for coming to us in the challenges that we face.

It can be hard for us when we are faced with tragedy and loss to detect your presence; remind us during such times of what we have learned from experience about your faithfulness to us.

Even when we wonder if you are there, help us to know that you are.

Thank you for how you transform times of tragedy into moments of grace; thank you for how the holes and breaks in our lives become channels through which we experience your love.

Even so, come, Lord Jesus!

Amen.

A Prayer for Tuesday, December 10, 2013

Tenth Day of Advent

O God Who Comes,

Thank you that you come to us in all the stages of life.

Thank you that you come to us in

the wonder and dependence of childhood,
the excitement and bewilderment of youth,
the dreams and adventures of young adulthood,
the stability and searching of middle age, and
the wisdom and anticipation of senior adulthood.

In whatever stage we are, help us to be open to the situation and to the changes; help us to listen to what you are saying to us and showing us through and in them.

Amen.

A Prayer for Monday, December 9, 2013

Ninth Day of Advent

O God Who Comes,

Thank you that you come to us to bring light to our darkness; thank you that your light shines into every corner of our existence.

Help us to learn what great grace there is in your ability and willingness to shine your light into our darkness. Help us to celebrate and to live out the reality that

your light of acceptance drives away the darkness of our denial,
your light of mercy drives away the darkness of our guilt,
your light of forgiveness drives away the darkness of our unforgiveness,
your light of wholeness drives away the darkness of our brokenness,
your light of challenge drives away the darkness of our complacency,
your light of compassion drives away the darkness of our apathy,
your light of love drives away the darkness of our prejudice, and
your light of generosity drives away the darkness of our greed.

Even so, come, Lord Jesus!

Amen.

A Prayer for Sunday, December 8, 2013

Second Sunday of Advent

O God Who Comes,

By your Spirit, help us to turn our attention fully toward you in worship today. Through that experience of worship, help us to learn to turn our attention fully toward you all the time.

Help us to learn to watch for your coming again and for your coming to us in challenging and in comforting ways here and now.

Remind us that you are. Remind us that you are here. Remind us that you are coming.

Even so, come, Lord Jesus!

Amen.

A Prayer for Saturday, December 7, 2013

Seventh Day of Advent

O God Who Comes,

Thank you that you come to us in order to correct us.

Keep us always aware of the ways we are thinking, talking, and acting; keep us always aware of how you would have us become more mature in all those areas of our life.

Lead us to repent—by your grace to turn around and go the other way—when you show us by your Book, by your Spirit, and by our conscience that we need to do so.

Even so, come, Lord Jesus!

Amen.

A Prayer for Friday, December 6, 2013

Sixth Day of Advent

O God Who Comes,

Since prayer is one of the means—maybe the main means—by which you make yourself known to us, form us by your grace and by our practice into people of prayer.

Show us and help us to learn how to open our lives up to you in prayer; show us and help us to learn how to spend dedicated time in prayer so that we learn to spend every moment of our lives in prayer.

As we grow in our knowledge of you in prayer, make us more able to recognize you in all the other ways you choose to make yourself known to us.

Even so, come, Lord Jesus!

Amen.

A Prayer for Thursday, December 5, 2013

Fifth Day of Advent

O God Who Comes,

Thank you that you come to us to challenge us; help us to listen when you challenge

our presuppositions,
our prejudices,
our assumptions,
our attitudes,
our beliefs,
our thoughts,
our words,
our actions, or
our inaction.

When you come to us to challenge us, help us to hear so as to change.

Amen.

A Prayer for Wednesday, December 4, 2013

Fourth Day of Advent

O God Who Comes,

Thank you that you come to us when we need to be comforted—and there are lots of times when we need to be comforted!

We experience so much loss in the course of living this life—the loss of innocence, the loss of security, the loss of beloved people, the loss of beloved pets, the loss of a job, and the loss of youth, for examples.

Thank you that when we experience loss you come to us and put your mighty loving arms around us and hold us tight.

We experience so much pain in the course of living this life—the pain of hurting someone we love, the pain of being hurt by someone we love, the pain of illness, the pain of injury, the pain of failure, the pain of success, and the pain of letting you down, for examples.

Thank you that when we experience pain you come to us and put your mighty loving arms around us and hold us tight.

Thank you that you come to us when we need to be comforted. Help us, when we are needed, to be the instruments of your comforting presence in the lives of others.

Amen.

A Prayer for Tuesday, December 3, 2013

Third Day of Advent

O God,

Perhaps it seems easy to us to believe that Jesus came all those years ago and that he will come again sometime in the future.

Perhaps it is not so easy for us to believe that Jesus comes to us in this very moment, that he comes to us right here and right now.

Lord, we believe; help our unbelief.

As we move toward the season of celebrating the coming of Jesus to our world two millennia ago and as we move through these days when we anticipate his coming again someday, grant us the assurance that Jesus comes to us in every second that we live.

Help us to keep our eyes and our hearts open for him.

Even so, come, Lord Jesus!

Amen.

A Prayer for Monday, December 2, 2013

2nd Day of Advent

O God Who Comes,

Thank you that you are there—that you are here—all the time.

Pardon our too regular way of stifling our awareness of your presence whether through indifference or avoidance.

Help us to grow in caring that you are there and in awareness that you are there; help us to engage in ongoing communion and communication with you. Let our love and grace increase in the light of our increasing awareness of and exposure to your love and grace.

Even so, come, Lord Jesus!

Amen.

Sunday, December 1, 2013

First Sunday of Advent

O God Who Comes,

We praise you for all the ways in which you make yourself known to us.

We praise you for how you make yourself known in creation and in history; we praise you for how you make yourself know in obvious ways and in subtle ways; we praise you for how you make yourself known in expected ways and in unexpected ways.

Keep us awake and alert; keep us always watching for the coming of Christ in the glorious future and for the coming of Christ in the mundane present. Keep us watching for Christ in the eastern sky; keep us watching for Christ in the stranger in front of us in the checkout line, in the child who doesn’t have enough to eat, and in the refugee on the other side of the world.

We praise you for all the ways in which you make yourself known to us; keep us awake and alert to all of them.

Even so, come, Lord Jesus!

Amen!