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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

My soul’s house is cramped. Expand it, so that you may enter in. It is in ruins. Restore it. It must offend your eyes. I confess and know it, but who will cleanse it? To whom shall I cry but to you? Clear me from hidden faults, O Lord, and keep back your servant also from those of others. I believe, and therefore I speak. Lord, you know. Did I not confess my transgressions to you, O my God? You forgave the guilt of my heart.

Upper Room Spiritual Classics: Writings of Augustine, Edited by Keith Beasley-Topliffe (Upper Room Books, 2017)

Today’s Question

What spiritual practices help you confess and then receive forgiveness? Join the conversation.

Today’s Scripture

For I will be merciful toward their iniquities,
and I will remember their sins no more.”

—Hebrews 8:12 (NRSV)

Prayer for the Week

Try this suggested prayer practice this week:
1. Sit comfortably, close your eyes, and remember that God loves you and you are in God’s presence.
2. Imagine God calling you by name, asking “(Your name), what do you want?”
3. Answer God honestly with whatever word or phrase comes from deep within you.
4. Call God by name, a name you frequently use for God.
5. Combine your name for God with your word or phrase to form a brief prayer that flows smoothly.
Submit your prayer to The Upper Room.

Something More

Join The Upper Room in prayer for the U.S. Election. Visit The Upper Room Facebook page on today, November 3rd at 11 a.m. (CST) for guided prayer. Regardless of any divisions we have over perspective or politics, let us join together and pray. Save the date, and save the link: facebook.com/UpperRoomCenter

Lectionary Readings

(Courtesy of Vanderbilt Divinity Library)

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

3 Comments

  • Jill Posted November 3, 2020 5:03 am

    These verses from Psalm 19 were a mantra of mine for a while…”Clear me from hidden faults. Keep back Your servant also from the insolent [thoughts], do not let them have dominion over me. Then I shall be blameless and innocent of great transgression. Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable to You, O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer.”
    My thoughts used to be a mess, unbridled, always negative. God has done a mighty work, indeed this is much of the reason why I now have such peace. The two are so diametrically opposed.
    Father in Heaven – thank You for this grace.
    I must recognize when I am inclined to fall into an old, familiar thought pattern. I must immediately call out to Him, confess the wrongness of the thought and my willingness to wallow in it. I ask His assistance and continued transformation. I thank Him for the awareness of the wrongfulness of the thought and the desire to be changed.

  • Julie Posted November 3, 2020 9:04 am

    I just read a good practice in the extra writing by today’s UR Devotional author. She prays David’s prayer from Psalm 51, “create in me a clean heart and a right spirit.” This seems like a succiinct manner of recognizing that we need God to help us get past our sin and wrong thinking and toward Him.
    Just as I was about to start this comment my mom called. She had an appointment with her surgeon. The good news is that she is thrilled with mom’s progress and her diligence in doing her excercises. The bad news is that the doctor wants to put a pin in mom’s other leg because it has lost bone mass and is bulging out where a break would occur. It may be before Christmas but pain and rehab should be minor.
    Prayers for Jill and the peace she has found.
    Prayers for Robert and his continued finding solutions to his model problems.
    Prayers for Ally and David, may they both have good news at their doctor’s appointments.

  • robert moeller Posted November 4, 2020 8:46 am

    Early morning trip to get allergy medicine and then ZOOM Bible Study, delayed my posting until Wednesday. A deluge of prayers for health issues from the UR family for self, family members, and others. Thank You, Lord for being able to handle all of these along with the other prayers from all over the world. Lord, You truly are an awesome God. Thank You, Lord.

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