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New every morning is your love, great God of light, and all day long you are working for good in the world. Stir up in us desire to serve you, to live peacefully with our neighbors and all your creation, and to devote each day to your Son, our Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.

"A Liturgy for Morning Prayer," Upper Room Worshipbook

Used by permission from the Book of Common Worship, © 2018 Westminster John Knox Press. All rights reserved. This prayer appears in “A Liturgy for Morning Prayer” in Upper Room Worshipbook.

 

Today’s Reflection

Another [person] gladly takes a coin out of his purse and gives it to the poor, but he cannot extract kindness from his heart and forgive his enemies. Another forgives [her] enemies but never pays [her] creditors unless compelled to do so by force of law. All these [people) are usually considered to be devout, but they are by no means such. Saul’s servants searched for David in his house but Michal had put a statue on his bed, covered it with David’s clothes, and thus led them to think that it was David himself lying there sick and sleeping. In the same manner, many persons clothe themselves with certain outward actions connected with holy devotion and the world believes that they are truly devout and spiritual whereas they are in fact nothing but copies and phantoms of devotion.

—From Introduction to the Devout Life by St. Francis de Sales, in A Guide to Prayer for All God’s People by Rueben P. Job and Norman Shawchuck (Upper Room Books, 1990)

Today’s Question

What does a truly devout life look like? Join the conversation.

Today’s Scripture

“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which on the outside look beautiful, but inside they are full of the bones of the dead and of all kinds of filth. So you also on the outside look righteous to others, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.”
—Matthew 23:27-28 (NRSV)

Prayer for the Week

Dear God, I am humbled to hear the good news that you love me and will never let me go. Guide me this day to share this good news with those around me. Amen.
Submit your prayer to The Upper Room.

Something More

The featured book this week, A Guide to Prayer for All God’s People, is part of The Upper Room Guide to Prayer Series. You can find this book as well as A Guide to Prayer for All Who Walk with God, A Guide to Prayer for All Who Seek God, and A Guide to Prayer for Ministers and Other Servants on The Upper Room Online Store.

Lectionary Readings

(Courtesy of Vanderbilt Divinity Library)

Looking for lectionary-based resources? Learn more about The Upper Room Disciplines.

5 Comments

  • robert moeller Posted April 29, 2021 7:01 am

    We would have to be Jesus-like to be truly devout. There are people we hold up believing they are devout, and while they may be more so than us, no one approaches the example of Jesus. Thank You, Lord for being our Lord and Savior,

  • robert moeller Posted April 29, 2021 7:25 am

    Glad to read posts from Sunday to today and know how Julie, Jill, Lou, April, Ally & David, and Marcy are doing. Wish there were messages from everyone, but news of them is uplifting. Health, jobs and financial well being are always a concern, so too our families, friends, and churches,. Prayers for continued progress at school and with your Dad – Jill, the legal proceedings and Megan -Julie, travel to see children – Lou, Blessings and prayers for sustenance for all of you. Thank you for your prayers for Erich and I, the pastoral transition at church, and my well being. For all of this and much more, I thank You, Lord,. Amen

    • Ally Posted April 29, 2021 10:38 am

      Good morning, all. I have missed you. Technical issues have kept me from posting. Thank you for the prayers and for thinking of me. We also had a death in my family. My dear Uncle Mike passed away unexpectedly, so we were away from home for several days and had busy days. I must say it was good to be with family, even though the occasion was sad. Please pray for my aunt. She is in early stages of dementia and is devastated by the loss of Uncle Mike. Please pray for their children and grandchildren as well. David graduated from therapy yesterday. He will miss the PTs coming by. Pray for me also, bouts of depression getting me down. I’m ok and it truly lifts my heart that y’all have prayed for me. Not sure true “devoutness” can be reached in this life. Perhaps what we strive for is for our insides and our outsides to represent the presence of Christ a little more closely. Lifting all your concerns and needs to the Lord. Be blessed, everyone!

  • Julie Posted April 29, 2021 8:47 am

    I agree, no mere human can be truly devout. The closest were the disciples who selflessly spread the Good News and died for their faith. Mother Teresa as well was close to being like Jesus. I am woefully lacking.
    Prayers for Robert and his family as they continue to stay in touch despite strained relationships.
    Prayers for Jill, her fellow teachers and all their students, may God guide all together in the teaching and learning process.
    Prayers for Ally and David as I add my concerns to Jill’s at the sudden absence of Ally’s posts.
    Prayers for Lou and her children, may all be together again soon.
    Megan and I have appointments and errands to run tomorrow, so there will be no post from me. May all be well with the NEW crew as we go about our lives in far flung locations. Prayers for the UR.

  • Jill Posted April 29, 2021 5:54 pm

    I think our attempts at being devout can be measured by…are we increasingly becoming more and more like Jesus. There needs to be a steady progression, I would like to say consistent – but surely there are peaks and valleys. But increasingly more so – I think that is a fair measure. A sober reading of it – and surely it stings me in certain areas. God has brought about significant change and there is still so much room to grow. I know He will stay at it, and I must stay engaged, in tune, in step.
    Rainy, gray, yukky day here. I met my doubles partner at our tennis club to hit after school. Playoffs are tomorrow evening and we just wanted to hit some. I treated myself to a drive in burger joint and a neighboring ice cream place – so feeling stuffed, and sleepy. Have some laundry in – but will be heading to bed soon. Another night of not unzipping my school bag. Ho-hum.
    Dad is trying to decide if he should buy a truck or not. His SUV – the one mom insisted they get – is around 10 years old and he has a hankering for a truck. He sees his nephew’s, his brother-in-law’s, his grandson’s truck – and I know he wants one. He is wrestling back and forth with the payment amount – but I think he is going to sign on the dotted line tomorrow. The place he is getting it is near my house, so I should get a look at it after school tomorrow. This has been occupying his time the past week or so – a good thing. My sister will be home in about a week – and they are building a new house. It won’t be ready for a few more weeks – so they are going to move in with dad for a few weeks. Another good thing – good for him to have company.
    Tomorrow is Friday and the last day of April. So hard to believe, but this too, is another good thing.

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