Fifth Day of Easter
O God,
Fill us with the hope
of resurrection.
So many things threaten
to drain the life from us.
So many things make
us feel like we’re dying.
Help us live in light of
the fact that you bring
life out of death,
victory out of defeat, and
hope out of hopelessness.
Fill us with the reality
of resurrection. Let us
live the resurrected life.
Amen.
Thursday, March 31, 2016
Wednesday, March 30, 2016
A Prayer for Wednesday, March 30, 2016
Fourth Day of Easter
O God,
Your Son said,
“This is eternal life,
that they may know you,
the only true God, and
Jesus Christ whom you
have sent” (Jn 17:3).
Help us grow in our knowledge of you.
Let us come to know you a little better every day.
Help us live
in constant awareness of your presence,
in constant conversation with your Spirit, and
in constant sensitivity to your guidance.
Let our ever-maturing and ever-progressing
relationship with you open us up more and
more to living life as you mean for us to live it.
Amen.
O God,
Your Son said,
“This is eternal life,
that they may know you,
the only true God, and
Jesus Christ whom you
have sent” (Jn 17:3).
Help us grow in our knowledge of you.
Let us come to know you a little better every day.
Help us live
in constant awareness of your presence,
in constant conversation with your Spirit, and
in constant sensitivity to your guidance.
Let our ever-maturing and ever-progressing
relationship with you open us up more and
more to living life as you mean for us to live it.
Amen.
Tuesday, March 29, 2016
A Prayer for Tuesday, March 29, 2016
Third Day of Easter
O God,
When we have to choose between
the things that make for life and
the things that make for death,
help us always choose life.
Help us always choose
what draws us to you over
what moves us away from you,
what builds people up over
what tears them down,
what inspires us to look to you over
what compels us to look to ourselves,
what leads us to generosity over
what leads us to selfishness,
what leads us to self-sacrifice over
what leads us to self-protection, and
what contributes to peace over
what contributes to conflict.
Amen.
O God,
When we have to choose between
the things that make for life and
the things that make for death,
help us always choose life.
Help us always choose
what draws us to you over
what moves us away from you,
what builds people up over
what tears them down,
what inspires us to look to you over
what compels us to look to ourselves,
what leads us to generosity over
what leads us to selfishness,
what leads us to self-sacrifice over
what leads us to self-protection, and
what contributes to peace over
what contributes to conflict.
Amen.
Monday, March 28, 2016
A Prayer for Monday, March 28, 2016
Second Day of Easter
O God,
For life,
for real life,
for eternal life, and
for abundant life,
we thank you.
Make us constantly aware
of the life we have in and
through our resurrected Lord.
Help us live it
for all it’s worth.
Amen.
O God,
For life,
for real life,
for eternal life, and
for abundant life,
we thank you.
Make us constantly aware
of the life we have in and
through our resurrected Lord.
Help us live it
for all it’s worth.
Amen.
Sunday, March 27, 2016
A Prayer for Sunday, March 27, 2016
Easter Sunday
O God,
For life out of death,
for hope out of despair,
for victory out of defeat,
we praise you, O God!
Let our every
thought,
motive,
attitude,
word,
perspective,
decision,
relationship, and
action
express our praise.
Amen.
O God,
For life out of death,
for hope out of despair,
for victory out of defeat,
we praise you, O God!
Let our every
thought,
motive,
attitude,
word,
perspective,
decision,
relationship, and
action
express our praise.
Amen.
Saturday, March 26, 2016
A Prayer for Saturday, March 26, 2016
Fortieth Day of Lent/Holy Saturday
O God,
When it seems to us
that all hope is lost,
help us realize
that with you,
it never is.
Amen.
O God,
When it seems to us
that all hope is lost,
help us realize
that with you,
it never is.
Amen.
Friday, March 25, 2016
A Prayer for Friday, March 25, 2016
Thirty-Ninth Day of Lent/Good Friday
O God,
Today we remember that Jesus was
crucified. We commemorate his death.
Every day help us remember that we are
crucified with Jesus. We participate in his death.
We praise you for the grace and
love that led Jesus to die for us.
We praise you for the grace and
love that enable us to die with him.
Thank you that Jesus laid down his life for us.
Help us lay down our lives for others.
Amen.
O God,
Today we remember that Jesus was
crucified. We commemorate his death.
Every day help us remember that we are
crucified with Jesus. We participate in his death.
We praise you for the grace and
love that led Jesus to die for us.
We praise you for the grace and
love that enable us to die with him.
Thank you that Jesus laid down his life for us.
Help us lay down our lives for others.
Amen.
Thursday, March 24, 2016
A Prayer for Thursday, March 24, 2016
Thirty-Eighth Day of Lent/Maundy Thursday
O God,
Jesus told us to love each other.
He said the world would know we follow
him by the way we love one another.
The evidence indicates
that we need help doing that.
Our love is not enough.
We need to be full of your love if we
are going to show love to each other.
So please fill us with your love.
Fill us with your love that Jesus
demonstrated in his life and death.
But your love is costly—
it gives itself away.
Your love is painful—
it takes on hurt for
the sake of others.
Your love is radical—it loves unreasonably,
extravagantly, and scandalously.
So as you fill us with your love,
fill us also with the humility
and courage we need to use it.
Amen.
O God,
Jesus told us to love each other.
He said the world would know we follow
him by the way we love one another.
The evidence indicates
that we need help doing that.
Our love is not enough.
We need to be full of your love if we
are going to show love to each other.
So please fill us with your love.
Fill us with your love that Jesus
demonstrated in his life and death.
But your love is costly—
it gives itself away.
Your love is painful—
it takes on hurt for
the sake of others.
Your love is radical—it loves unreasonably,
extravagantly, and scandalously.
So as you fill us with your love,
fill us also with the humility
and courage we need to use it.
Amen.
Wednesday, March 23, 2016
A Prayer for Wednesday, March 23, 2016
Thirty-Seventh Day of Lent
O God,
Fill us with your love.
Fill us with your love as
we see and experience it
in Jesus Christ our Lord.
Fill us with your love
that puts others ahead of self,
that puts giving ahead of receiving,
that puts forgiving ahead of vengeance, and
that puts serving ahead of being served.
Fill us with your love, O God.
Fill us with your love as
we see and experience it
in Jesus Christ our Lord.
Help us always to remember
that they’ll know we are
Christians by our love.
And so will we . . .
Amen.
O God,
Fill us with your love.
Fill us with your love as
we see and experience it
in Jesus Christ our Lord.
Fill us with your love
that puts others ahead of self,
that puts giving ahead of receiving,
that puts forgiving ahead of vengeance, and
that puts serving ahead of being served.
Fill us with your love, O God.
Fill us with your love as
we see and experience it
in Jesus Christ our Lord.
Help us always to remember
that they’ll know we are
Christians by our love.
And so will we . . .
Amen.
Tuesday, March 22, 2016
A Prayer for Tuesday, March 22, 2016
Thirty-Sixth Day of Lent
O God,
We are shocked at the evil that exists
in some people’s hearts that leads them
to hurt and even to kill other people.
Their actions make their evil obvious.
We may be less aware of and
thus less shocked by the evil
that exists in our own hearts.
Perhaps we reveal it more in our
attitudes, perspectives, thoughts,
and words than we do in our actions.
Reveal any evil that lurks within us.
Help us to recognize it and
to ask you to eradicate it.
Give us grace and strength to turn
away from it and toward what is good.
Amen.
O God,
We are shocked at the evil that exists
in some people’s hearts that leads them
to hurt and even to kill other people.
Their actions make their evil obvious.
We may be less aware of and
thus less shocked by the evil
that exists in our own hearts.
Perhaps we reveal it more in our
attitudes, perspectives, thoughts,
and words than we do in our actions.
Reveal any evil that lurks within us.
Help us to recognize it and
to ask you to eradicate it.
Give us grace and strength to turn
away from it and toward what is good.
Amen.
Monday, March 21, 2016
A Prayer for Monday, March 21, 2016
Thirty-Fifth Day of Lent
O God,
Make us ready for
what’s coming.
Make us ready for the
betrayal, arrest, trial, torture,
and crucifixion of Jesus.
Make us ready for the ways
in which we are called
to share in his suffering.
Make us ready to take up
our cross and follow him.
Make us ready for his cross.
Make us ready for our cross.
Amen.
O God,
Make us ready for
what’s coming.
Make us ready for the
betrayal, arrest, trial, torture,
and crucifixion of Jesus.
Make us ready for the ways
in which we are called
to share in his suffering.
Make us ready to take up
our cross and follow him.
Make us ready for his cross.
Make us ready for our cross.
Amen.
Sunday, March 20, 2016
A Prayer for Sunday, March 20, 2016
Palm Sunday
O God,
Let us praise Jesus
wisely and well.
Let us praise him for
all that he has done,
is doing, and will do
in history,
in the world,
in others, and
in us.
Let us praise him as his disciples
who are constantly growing in our
understanding of what it means to
praise him as the Prince of Peace.
Let us praise him with our lives
as well as with our words.
Let us praise him
by loving as he loved,
by giving as he gave,
by forgiving as he forgave,
by helping as he helped, and
by serving as he served.
Amen.
O God,
Let us praise Jesus
wisely and well.
Let us praise him for
all that he has done,
is doing, and will do
in history,
in the world,
in others, and
in us.
Let us praise him as his disciples
who are constantly growing in our
understanding of what it means to
praise him as the Prince of Peace.
Let us praise him with our lives
as well as with our words.
Let us praise him
by loving as he loved,
by giving as he gave,
by forgiving as he forgave,
by helping as he helped, and
by serving as he served.
Amen.
Saturday, March 19, 2016
A Prayer for Saturday, March 19, 2016
Thirty-Fourth Day of Lent
O God,
By your grace,
lift us up so we
can rise above
our sins,
our failures, and
our fears
so we can see who
we really are—
your beloved children who
have your great future
stretched out ahead of us.
Then help us walk
boldly into that future . . .
Amen.
O God,
By your grace,
lift us up so we
can rise above
our sins,
our failures, and
our fears
so we can see who
we really are—
your beloved children who
have your great future
stretched out ahead of us.
Then help us walk
boldly into that future . . .
Amen.
Friday, March 18, 2016
A Prayer for Friday, March 18, 2016
Thirty-Third Day of Lent
O God,
You have blessed us
with your forgiveness.
Help us forgive others
with your forgiveness.
Let us move beyond forgiving
others as we are able to do.
Let us move toward forgiving
others as your grace and your
Spirit empower us to do.
Amen.
O God,
You have blessed us
with your forgiveness.
Help us forgive others
with your forgiveness.
Let us move beyond forgiving
others as we are able to do.
Let us move toward forgiving
others as your grace and your
Spirit empower us to do.
Amen.
Thursday, March 17, 2016
A Prayer for Thursday, March 17, 2016
Thirty-Second Day of Lent
O God,
Let my ways always be growing
toward being your ways.
Let my selfishness always be growing toward selflessness,
my pride toward humility,
my anger toward forgiveness,
my despair toward hope,
my apathy toward love,
my grasping toward sacrifice, and
my fear toward faith.
Let my ways always be growing
toward being your ways.
Amen.
O God,
Let my ways always be growing
toward being your ways.
Let my selfishness always be growing toward selflessness,
my pride toward humility,
my anger toward forgiveness,
my despair toward hope,
my apathy toward love,
my grasping toward sacrifice, and
my fear toward faith.
Let my ways always be growing
toward being your ways.
Amen.
Wednesday, March 16, 2016
A Prayer for Wednesday, March 16, 2016
Thirty-First Day of Lent
O God,
We thank you for second chances.
We also thank you for third, fourth, fifth, sixth, and seventh chances.
Whichever one we’re on, help us take good advantage of it.
Amen.
O God,
We thank you for second chances.
We also thank you for third, fourth, fifth, sixth, and seventh chances.
Whichever one we’re on, help us take good advantage of it.
Amen.
Tuesday, March 15, 2016
A Prayer for Tuesday, March 15, 2016
Thirtieth Day of Lent
O God,
Turn our thoughts constantly toward you.
Keep us always aware of your presence.
Help us listen to your voice and
heed the nudgings of your Spirit.
Help us act on what we sense you saying to us
and move as we sense your Spirit leading us.
Turn our attention constantly toward you.
Amen.
O God,
Turn our thoughts constantly toward you.
Keep us always aware of your presence.
Help us listen to your voice and
heed the nudgings of your Spirit.
Help us act on what we sense you saying to us
and move as we sense your Spirit leading us.
Turn our attention constantly toward you.
Amen.
Monday, March 14, 2016
A Prayer for Monday, March 14, 2016
Twenty-Ninth Day of Lent
O God,
Make
love our motivation,
hope our mindset, and
trust our attitude.
Amen.
O God,
Make
love our motivation,
hope our mindset, and
trust our attitude.
Amen.
Sunday, March 13, 2016
A Prayer for Sunday, March 13, 2016
Fifth Sunday in Lent
O God,
As we turn aside to worship you,
help us to turn away from those
attitudes, motives, and perspectives
that would cause us not to know and
serve you as well as we can and should.
Amen.
O God,
As we turn aside to worship you,
help us to turn away from those
attitudes, motives, and perspectives
that would cause us not to know and
serve you as well as we can and should.
Amen.
Saturday, March 12, 2016
A Prayer for Saturday, March 12, 2016
Twenty-Eighth Day of Lent
O God,
Help us live and learn.
Help us live.
Don’t let us settle for existing or surviving.
Help us receive this life as the blessing it is.
Help us live it for all it’s worth.
As we live, help us learn
from our successes and our failures,
from our victories and our defeats, and
from our progress and our regress.
Help us learn what we need to
know to live full and free lives.
Amen.
O God,
Help us live and learn.
Help us live.
Don’t let us settle for existing or surviving.
Help us receive this life as the blessing it is.
Help us live it for all it’s worth.
As we live, help us learn
from our successes and our failures,
from our victories and our defeats, and
from our progress and our regress.
Help us learn what we need to
know to live full and free lives.
Amen.
Friday, March 11, 2016
A Prayer for Friday, March 11, 2016
Twenty-Seventh Day of Lent
O God,
Bring us into better alignment.
Align our hearts, minds, and actions.
Align our motives, words, and deeds.
Align our desires, pursuits, and methods.
Bring us into better alignment
so that we simultaneously are
what we think,
what we feel,
what we say, and
what we do.
And let love be what lines us up . . .
Amen.
O God,
Bring us into better alignment.
Align our hearts, minds, and actions.
Align our motives, words, and deeds.
Align our desires, pursuits, and methods.
Bring us into better alignment
so that we simultaneously are
what we think,
what we feel,
what we say, and
what we do.
And let love be what lines us up . . .
Amen.
Thursday, March 10, 2016
A Prayer for Thursday, March 10, 2016
Twenty-Sixth Day of Lent
O God,
Make us righteous.
Don’t let us be self-righteous.
Don’t let us think we’re
better than anyone else.
Certainly don’t let us think we’re
better than everyone else.
Make us righteous.
By your grace, keep us in right
relationship with you and with people.
As we grow in grace, help us also grow
in humility—help us grow in our awareness
that you love us like you love everyone else and
that we need you as much as everyone else does.
Make us righteous.
Let our righteousness
show itself in humility.
And protect us from being
proud of our humility . . .
Amen.
O God,
Make us righteous.
Don’t let us be self-righteous.
Don’t let us think we’re
better than anyone else.
Certainly don’t let us think we’re
better than everyone else.
Make us righteous.
By your grace, keep us in right
relationship with you and with people.
As we grow in grace, help us also grow
in humility—help us grow in our awareness
that you love us like you love everyone else and
that we need you as much as everyone else does.
Make us righteous.
Let our righteousness
show itself in humility.
And protect us from being
proud of our humility . . .
Amen.
Wednesday, March 9, 2016
A Prayer for Wednesday, March 9, 2016
Twenty-Fifth Day of Lent
O God,
Show us what it
means to die to self.
Help us learn how to be led
less by ego and more by love.
Give us
the life that comes
only through dying,
the gain that comes
only through loss, and
the strength that comes
only through weakness.
Amen.
O God,
Show us what it
means to die to self.
Help us learn how to be led
less by ego and more by love.
Give us
the life that comes
only through dying,
the gain that comes
only through loss, and
the strength that comes
only through weakness.
Amen.
Tuesday, March 8, 2016
A Prayer for Tuesday, March 8, 2016
Twenty-Fourth Day of Lent
O God,
Thank you for forgiving us.
Forgive us when we fail to let
your forgiveness have its full effect.
Forgive us when we
fail to forgive ourselves.
Forgive us when we
fail to forgive others.
Help us to repent
of such failures.
Help us to turn around
and go the other way.
Let your forgiveness so
permeate us that we can
do no other than forgive
ourselves and others.
Amen.
O God,
Thank you for forgiving us.
Forgive us when we fail to let
your forgiveness have its full effect.
Forgive us when we
fail to forgive ourselves.
Forgive us when we
fail to forgive others.
Help us to repent
of such failures.
Help us to turn around
and go the other way.
Let your forgiveness so
permeate us that we can
do no other than forgive
ourselves and others.
Amen.
Monday, March 7, 2016
A Prayer for Monday, March 7, 2016
Twenty-Third Day of Lent
O God,
Let us accept others as you accept us.
Let us embrace others as you embrace us.
Let us love others as you love us.
Let us forgive others as you forgive us.
Amen.
O God,
Let us accept others as you accept us.
Let us embrace others as you embrace us.
Let us love others as you love us.
Let us forgive others as you forgive us.
Amen.
Sunday, March 6, 2016
A Prayer for Sunday, March 6, 2016
Fourth Sunday in Lent
O God,
We praise you for your grace
that embraces and accepts us.
Help us embrace and accept your
grace that embraces and accepts us.
Let your grace cause us to embrace
and accept others who need to
accept and embrace your grace.
Amen.
O God,
We praise you for your grace
that embraces and accepts us.
Help us embrace and accept your
grace that embraces and accepts us.
Let your grace cause us to embrace
and accept others who need to
accept and embrace your grace.
Amen.
Saturday, March 5, 2016
A Prayer for Saturday, March 5, 2016
Twenty-Second Day of Lent
O God,
Forgive us for the ways we
sometimes react and respond.
Forgive us for when we respond
to evil with evil,
to hate with hate, and
to hurt with hurt.
Forgive us for when we react as if
we’ve never even heard of Jesus,
much less listened to his teachings and
been aware of his presence in our lives.
Help us to grow in our awareness of Jesus
and in our appropriation of his teachings so
that our knee-jerk reaction is to respond
to evil with good,
to hate with love, and
to hurt with forgiveness.
Help us to react and respond
as followers of Jesus Christ.
Amen.
O God,
Forgive us for the ways we
sometimes react and respond.
Forgive us for when we respond
to evil with evil,
to hate with hate, and
to hurt with hurt.
Forgive us for when we react as if
we’ve never even heard of Jesus,
much less listened to his teachings and
been aware of his presence in our lives.
Help us to grow in our awareness of Jesus
and in our appropriation of his teachings so
that our knee-jerk reaction is to respond
to evil with good,
to hate with love, and
to hurt with forgiveness.
Help us to react and respond
as followers of Jesus Christ.
Amen.
Friday, March 4, 2016
A Prayer for Friday, March 4, 2016
Twenty-First Day of Lent
O God,
Don’t let us settle for repenting of
things we do that we shouldn’t do or
of not doing things that we should do.
Help us repent of the reasons
we do what we shouldn’t do or
don’t do what we should.
Help us repent of the motives
behind why we do what we shouldn’t
or don’t do what we should.
First, though, make us willing and able
to look deep into ourselves and to be
honest about our reasons and our motives.
Then, turn our hearts toward the
motives and reasons that should stand
behind what we do or don’t do:
grace, love, humility, trust, hope, and peace.
Amen.
O God,
Don’t let us settle for repenting of
things we do that we shouldn’t do or
of not doing things that we should do.
Help us repent of the reasons
we do what we shouldn’t do or
don’t do what we should.
Help us repent of the motives
behind why we do what we shouldn’t
or don’t do what we should.
First, though, make us willing and able
to look deep into ourselves and to be
honest about our reasons and our motives.
Then, turn our hearts toward the
motives and reasons that should stand
behind what we do or don’t do:
grace, love, humility, trust, hope, and peace.
Amen.
Thursday, March 3, 2016
A Prayer for Thursday, March 3, 2016
Twentieth Day of Lent
O God,
Repentance can be motivated by many things.
It can be motivated by sorrow, by guilt, or by shame.
Insofar as our repentance is motivated by those realities,
let them be genuine so that our repentance will be genuine.
It can also be motivated by fear.
Don’t let it be, since fear of judgment or punishment
can hardly lead to genuine repentance. Once the perceived
threat has passed, the repentance will pass, too.
Let our repentance be motivated by love.
Let it be motivated by our love for you and by our love for others.
Let us want to give ourselves—including the worst parts of ourselves—
up for you. Make us willing to give up our pride for the sake of others.
Help us to repent not so much because we feel sorry, guilty,
or ashamed—even though those may be legitimate feelings.
Help us to repent not at all because we are afraid.
Help us rather to repent because we love you and we love others,
and so are willing to change for your sake and for their sake.
Amen.
O God,
Repentance can be motivated by many things.
It can be motivated by sorrow, by guilt, or by shame.
Insofar as our repentance is motivated by those realities,
let them be genuine so that our repentance will be genuine.
It can also be motivated by fear.
Don’t let it be, since fear of judgment or punishment
can hardly lead to genuine repentance. Once the perceived
threat has passed, the repentance will pass, too.
Let our repentance be motivated by love.
Let it be motivated by our love for you and by our love for others.
Let us want to give ourselves—including the worst parts of ourselves—
up for you. Make us willing to give up our pride for the sake of others.
Help us to repent not so much because we feel sorry, guilty,
or ashamed—even though those may be legitimate feelings.
Help us to repent not at all because we are afraid.
Help us rather to repent because we love you and we love others,
and so are willing to change for your sake and for their sake.
Amen.
Wednesday, March 2, 2016
A Prayer for Wednesday, March 2, 2016
Nineteenth Day of Lent
O God,
Jesus told us that he is the life.
Help us remember that life is to be lived.
Help us remember that we are to keep
living it for as long as we are alive.
Let our lives be lived out of the
reality of the presence of Christ in us.
If we are living—if we are thinking, feeling,
speaking, and acting—in ways that don’t
reflect the presence of Christ in us,
help us repent.
Help us live differently.
As we are living—as we are thinking,
feeling, speaking, and acting—in ways
that reflect the presence of Christ in us,
help us continue.
Help us live consistently.
Thank you for the life we have to live.
Thank you for Christ in us.
Help us by your grace to live
the fullest lives we can live.
Amen.
O God,
Jesus told us that he is the life.
Help us remember that life is to be lived.
Help us remember that we are to keep
living it for as long as we are alive.
Let our lives be lived out of the
reality of the presence of Christ in us.
If we are living—if we are thinking, feeling,
speaking, and acting—in ways that don’t
reflect the presence of Christ in us,
help us repent.
Help us live differently.
As we are living—as we are thinking,
feeling, speaking, and acting—in ways
that reflect the presence of Christ in us,
help us continue.
Help us live consistently.
Thank you for the life we have to live.
Thank you for Christ in us.
Help us by your grace to live
the fullest lives we can live.
Amen.
Tuesday, March 1, 2016
A Prayer for Tuesday, March 1, 2016
Eighteenth Day of Lent
O God,
Jesus told us that he is the truth.
Remind us that the truth is to be pursued.
Let our lives be an ongoing pursuit of the truth.
Help us pursue
the truth about you,
the truth about us,
the truth about the world,
the truth about others,
the truth about love,
the truth about grace,
the truth about hope, and
the truth about life.
Thank you for progress we make in grasping the truth.
Never let us think that we have arrived at it.
Help us keep pursuing it and growing in it.
And let us see it all in light of Jesus, who is the truth.
Amen.
O God,
Jesus told us that he is the truth.
Remind us that the truth is to be pursued.
Let our lives be an ongoing pursuit of the truth.
Help us pursue
the truth about you,
the truth about us,
the truth about the world,
the truth about others,
the truth about love,
the truth about grace,
the truth about hope, and
the truth about life.
Thank you for progress we make in grasping the truth.
Never let us think that we have arrived at it.
Help us keep pursuing it and growing in it.
And let us see it all in light of Jesus, who is the truth.
Amen.
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