Today’s Reflection
EVERY MORNING, I give thanks for all God has given me — for my bed, my breakfast, my cup of tea from my leaf-shaped teapot. But as I pray, I know that beyond my home, beyond my country where freedom and peace are taken for granted, beyond all the blessings of my life lie poverty, slavery, and corruption.
So every day, I close my eyes and pray, not only out of gratitude but also from a burden that’s too big for me. I pray that God’s righteousness will come like a flood, that the hopeless will know hope. … I pray, knowing that I have not begun to touch the world’s need, that I am privileged and sheltered from suffering. I also know that Christ was neither privileged nor immune from suffering but died bearing the world’s burden.
When I finish my prayers and enter the business of the day, I do so trusting that his arms are spread wide over us, that he still carries the burden, and that he hears our prayers.
—Rachel Starr Thomson
– devozine (this excerpt is from July-August 2010 issue)
From page 36 of devozine, the devotional lifestyle magazine for teens, July-August 2010. Copyright © 2010 by The Upper Room. All rights reserved. Used by permission. http://bookstore.upperroom.org/ Learn more about or purchase this book.
Today’s Question
What is your prayer today? Share your thoughts.
Today’s Scripture
As we have heard, so have we seen in the city of the LORD of hosts, in the city of our God, which God establishes forever. Selah
Psalm 48:8, NRSV
This Week: pray an increase of love of neighbor. Submit your prayer to The Upper Room Living Prayer Center or share it in the comment section.
Did You Know?
In need of prayer? The Upper Room Living Prayer Center is a 7-day-a-week intercessory prayer ministry staffed by trained volunteers. Call 1-800-251-2468 or visit The Living Prayer Center website.
This week we remember: Thomas (July 3).
Lectionary Readings
(Courtesy of Vanderbilt Divinity Library)
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24 Comments
My prayer this moment begins with gratitude for Julie’s positive meeting with her lawyer. Thank You, Father.
Also in my prayers this morning, I will be meditating on the fruit of the Spirit. This morning, mom and I will be spending some time together in the kitchen. We will be preparing a fruit salad and lemon coffee cake in hopes of visiting my mom’s friend who is in the latter stages of Parkinson’s. Mom has not seen her since before her surgery in February. If her friend is not up to seeing us, we will just drop it by her house. I am hoping that during our time together in preparation, I will be able to demonstrate the fruit of the Spirit and be an encouragement to my mom.
Grateful for a solid soaking of rain for about an hour last night, in the midst of this oppressive heat wave. We surely needed it.
Jill, you are such a blessing to your mother,m as well as to your father and sister. I pray you and your family have a good summer. God bless you.
My prayer is that I will be the parent Erich needs. I’m thankful for counseling that has identified an issue I need to work on, now I need to do it.
Thankful Julie has a better lawyer and positive news, Anneliese has a new air-conditioner, it is in place and working, the garden is producing and we are enjoying it, Marcy took her medicine and is breathing better. Prayers for Gloria, Jill, and Gloria’s friend with Parkinson’s and the possible visit today;
for Mary’s sore throat, new colleague, and the tasks to do at school; for Andrea and her daughter, Page and Chloe, Connie and Robin, Rusty and K;
for the needs of the UR family, the country, the world. Lord, only You are able to help us through this life, may we stay close to You. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Thank you, Robert.
I can’t imagine a better parent for Erich. Prayers for you and him, and for your counseling. I too am in counseling, that is, grief therapy, which I started a year after my mother died. Now I mostly talk about my daughter. I am thankful for my wise, seasoned therapist, whom I have been seeing for over three years, although less frequently now.
God bless you, Robert, God’s faithful serveny, and Erich and Anneliese..
Thankful for my bed and my house with all of its issues…
Thankful for the posts and prayers- thankful for Julie’s good news and prayers for the health concerns of Julie and Marcy- prayers for Robert and the good direction of his counselor -and thankful for the reminder that the Lord is the only one who can help us through this life…
Prayers that Jill has a good day working with her mom – loving and giving to someone else.
Prayers for Andrea and all of the loving support she offers here.
Prayers for all who come here today –
Prayers for my middle
Daughter – apart from my family – teaching summer school in Boston and alone on this day. I miss her.
Love to the URfamily
Thank you, Lou. I am glad to read that you are settling into this new chapter in your life. Prayers for you and your children, may there be many good family times ahead. May your middle daughter have support and friendship to fill any loneliness she feels in Boston. God bless you and your children.
Today I am thankful that my great grandparents lived in the time that they did. If they lived now their parents would have been prevented from emigrating, with their children, to the United States as they were coming from Syria. They were Catholic, and very devout, and their signatures live on with all the others in the logs of Ellis Island.
Prayers of thanks for Jill and her mother and their quiet joy of sharing the task of preparing food for others. What a joy to give to a friend who is ill and to share time with a loved one.
Prayers of thanks for Robert’s insightful counselor and Robert’s willingness to chaankge and grow. Prayers for Robert and Erich and their rich relationship. Prayers of thanks for Annaliesse and her comfort and for abundant harvests.
Prayers of thanks for Lou and her family. I am sure that her middle daughter is never alone because sh was raised child of God.
Prayers of thanks for Mary’s new collegue.
Prayers of thanks for Marcy’s medication that eases her breathing.
Prayers of thanks for Andrea’s grandson, the next generation.
Prayers of thanks for all posters Connie, Gail, and those absent for some time. Prayers for all who visit aand read.
Prayers of thanks for good lawyers, positive words, and hope. Prayers of thanks for good and supportive friends.
Thank you, Julie. My grandson is the joy of my life and I am so grateful for him, a great blessing from God.
I give thanks that you had a positive meeting with your new lawyer. I pray all the legal back-and-forth communication between your lawyer and your husband’s lawyer is handled capably and professionally by your lawyer, with good communication with you, so as to spare you as much stress as possible. I pray too for your health, that God will heal your hands and feet. Trust that God has a plan for you, a plan for good. God bless you, your daughter, and “the husband.”
Thank you for Ms. Thomson’s comments. She nailed it as far insofar as this Independence Day. Our country needs revival! May the Lord bless us and keep us! Thank you for all the posts and good reports. You are all an inspiration to me.
“They were repulsed by him and fell into sin.” Mark 6:3, a very recent translation
Jesus faced the scorn of his hometown. Human nature has not changed. We should not be surprised when our efforts are rebuffed.
Jesus is a model for us to follow in any and all circumstances. But Jesus is a most difficult difficult model to conform ouselves to. When we are weak, may God give us insight into ourselves and help us have the strength and will to be more like Jesus.
My prayer for today:
“America, America, God mend thine every flaw”
I echo that, Connie. I heard the Mormon Tabernacle Choir saming all the verses of “America, the Beautiful” on the radio this morning. The verse with “America, America, God mend thine every flaw, Confirm thy soul with self- control, thy liberty in law” stood out for me, too. There is nothing wrong with admitting our country has flaws that need mending. May God bridge the political chasm here, may discourse become civil, respectful, and issue-oriented, and may win-win solutions emerge.
God bless you and your husband, Connie, and may God ease the difficulties you have and bear you on eagles’ wings.
Thanks, Andrea- Eagle Wings sound great.
You hit on a “key” word….self-control!
And “May all success be nobleness and every gain divine”
Love it. America the Beautiful has such beautiful lyrics that express so much, and a beautiful melody, too.
Thank you everyone for your prayers.
Grateful for parents interested in putting their children at our centre.
Grateful for today’s work, 3 tuition classes back to back and 4 chinese spelling classes. Hopefully, tomorrow will be better.
Blessings to all
Prayers for you to be well and strong, Mary, and for your teaching duties to be within a reasonable limit so you are able to focus on your students’ needs God bless you and God bless your parents, family members, and colleagues. May your new colleague learn quickly and lighten your load significantly.
Thanks so much Andrea for your prayers!
May you, your daughter and grandson have many more happy and fun times together!
Blessings!
I am praying in thankfulness and gratitude for the faithful, unfailing and steadfast Love of our Almighty God and His One and only Son, Jesus Christ, our Savior. Abba, Father, I Love You, now and forever! I pray that His all-encompassing Love would be welcomed into every heart, the world round. I pray I can emulate this Love, if only a fraction of the great Love our Triune God pours out on us!
Thank you, my beloved UR friends and siblings for your support, Spirit-filled prayers of encouragement and for the Love we have for one another as children of God, heirs along with Jesus Christ Himself!
I keep in my prayers, Jill and her Mom, Gloria and Gloria’s friend with Parkinson’s; Robert and his son, Erich; Annaliese; Lou and her children, especially her daughter in Boston, as Lou is missing her today; Julie and her daughter, and for Julie’s health and well-being; Gail and her family; Connie and her husband; our sweet sister Mary and her parents, students and co-workers; Andrea and her daughter and dear grandson; April; Betsy; Francesca; Pamela; Rusty and K; and all those posting, whose names are in my prayers notebook, reading and visiting.
Praises for Jill and Gloria’s plans for today; Robert’s quality time with Erich; Lou and her home; Julie’s new lawyer and the truth of her words on how our ancestors came from all over world to America; Gail’s gracious comment and scripture; Connie’s prayer for today in song; Mary’s commitment to her students and working so hard; Andrea’s beautiful descriptive comments, filled with empathy and compassion; and the many comments of others, who have contributed to our UR family.
I hope you all have a great day spent with family and friends, this Independence Day and maybe enjoy some fireworks, if so inclined.
And these three remain: Faith, Hope and Love, and the greatest of these is LOVE!
Sending Love and Light!
Thank you Marcy for all your prayers!
May you have many sweet hours of prayer snd joy in God’s presence every day!
Thank you, Marcy. We had rain, thunder and lightning today, with a charcoal sky, nearly black, to the west (what a beautiful, sharp contrast it was when a striking white great egret flew across the dark cloud mass). One big crack of thunder was so deafening and close that I sniffed the air for smoke to make sure our house wasn’t struck.
I keep you in prayer – for ease in breathing, good vision, physical and emotional comfort, and exceptional medical care. May you steadily improve and regain good health. God bless you, Marcy.
I am thankful for a delightful afternoon yesterday babysitting my grandson with my husband while my daughter and SIL celebrated their fifth anniversary. My daughter and I had a good exchange of light-hearted conversation. My son-in-law is a good man and father. Thank you for your prayers, which I am sure are lifting me up. Blessings, and Happy Fourth of July, to all who stop by.
May we all grow in love for our neighbor – the neighbor we know as well as the stranger.
Correction: Thank you for your prayers, which I am sure are lifting *us* up.
Oh yes, Andrea! “May we all grow I love for our neighbor – the neighbor we know as well as the stranger.” Amen!
Sorry about the weather, great to hear of your delightful day yesterday with your grandson and light-hearted banter with your daughter. Praises for you and Lowell and your family!
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