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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

When Jesus met a woman at the well on a dusty day, he told her that he could give her living water. … The kind of drinking that Jesus invites us to is not the polite, sipping from our teacups with pinkies extended kind of drinking. It’s a drinking that drenches us, that causes rivers of living water to flow out of our hearts. The cost of this drinking—the cost of giving ourselves to the flow—is that we can’t control where it goes.

—Jan L. Richardson, In the Sanctuary of Women: A Companion for Reflection and Prayer (Upper Room Books, 2010)

Today’s Question

How have the “rivers of living water” led to places or people you didn’t expect? Join the conversation.

Today’s Scripture

Jesus responded, “If you recognized God’s gift and who is saying to you, ‘Give me some water to drink,’ you would be asking him and he would give you living water.”
—John 4:10 (CEB)

Prayer for the Week

Lord, guide me to reflect on—and learn from—the decisions I made yesterday so that they might reshape the longings I have for tomorrow.
Submit your prayer to The Upper Room.

Something More

The featured book this week, In the Sanctuary of Women, highlights six women from around the world and across the centuries, inviting us to discover what their lives tell us about God. Come spend some time in the sanctuary of women, an often-ignored space in Jewish and Christian history. Read more.

Lectionary Readings

(Courtesy of Vanderbilt Divinity Library)

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

Save 45% on the regular and enlarged-print editions of Disciplines 2021 with the promo code DISC45. Offer good while supplies last.

4 Comments

  • Jill Posted July 31, 2021 6:24 am

    Good morning.
    The place I didn’t expect to land in several years ago, was volunteering with the young moms program in my community. God did so many unexpected things during that time, I still shake my head in wander about it. I think about how those young moms impacted me! I also know being among such devoted, selfless volunteers was incredibly meaningful also.
    Summer school wrapped up yesterday. It was great to be with the new students and it will be so pleasant to know their names when they enter my classroom in 4 weeks. I have such a hard time learning names, but I will have about 10 under my belt.
    My colleague had agreed to join dad and I to golf yesterday. I told him dad was ill, but he said he would still like to golf. I had never played this course – and it was very nice. I played very well. Just makes me realize how uptight I was playing with dad on Tuesday – and how that just completely ruined my concentration, and thus – my game.
    Today should be a lovely day for our golf outing. And then my sister and I are attending an outdoor concert this evening. Makes for a full day, but an enjoyable one. My sister and I have made it a tradition of ours to go to this concert venue whenever James Taylor is in town. My sister has always enjoyed his music, and I have too. He puts on an incredible concert – he has so many songs! It is so relaxing to sit on the lawn in our beach chairs, as darkness begins to fall and just relax to his mellow music.
    Dad seems to be doing sufficiently. He is behaving himself (I think). We are scheduled to play the most beautiful course in our area on Tuesday – so I think he is trying to really behave so he feels well to play it Tuesday.

  • Julie Posted July 31, 2021 8:43 am

    I think of coming back to a church that I never would have thought I would visit again. I was not very active before and never felt much faith while I was attending. Now my faith is deeper and the church service resonates with me in a way the church near my house never did even after my faith had grown. I felt connected to God immediately and afterward at fellowship I felt welcomed and a part of the congregation as well.
    Prayers for Larry’s finally taking it easy, may he continue to do so. Prayers that Jill had an enjoyable day without worry regarding Larry. Prayers for Ally as she continues to suffer from GI issues and fatigue and looks for a job. Prayers for David’s health also. Prayers for Lou and her family. Prayers for Robert and his sister, may they enjoy their time together today and may she be safe as she travels to join him. Prayers for Marti and her staff. Thank you for your prayers and may God bless all who visit here.

  • April Posted July 31, 2021 9:58 am

    The themes of late have encouraged us to look back and see the decisions we made in relation to plans for the future. I have had a hunger to read lately. I am at Song of Solomon in the Bibl-a-day book and find his thoughts and quest for wisdom lead me to think deeper. Many mystery books from around the world with childhood/youth memories of the characters influenced their actions as the mystery unfolds. I ask myself, why am I drawn to these and what would Jesus have me learn? I am discerning that God wants me to learn more, to think, to question, to not accept the past, but to learn from it and then to change…yes, change the way He wants me to. One of the core ingredients for me to do so…being able to read!! So many teachers teaching me different ways of reading, and thinking…so that I am able to make decisions about my choices because I have had the opportunity of education!! And because of this, I can choose to continue as I have been or change.
    One of the days we were invited to think about changes we have made and how we felt about it. I asked my husband of many years whether he would have rather stayed in the city where he grew up to live all his life rather than the several other cities we have lived in. I think his answer is reflective of their high school class holding a reunion this weekend and he immediately said no….he is so glad we moved. I am too. I believe God led us away from there to new opportunities and experiences. None of our children have returned either. Not saying that everyone should move on, but it was the best decision we made as we are happy and content here.
    I hold you all in my thoughts and prayers, wherever you go and whatever your situations. Blessings.

  • robert moeller Posted July 31, 2021 4:15 pm

    Am being taken by my son toward a possible separation come this spring, thankful that is a ways off and hope it can be be done in a positive way. Lots of anger never resolved, it’s a complicated story.
    A great visit with my sister who helped Willa and Oona with clay projects after a nice lunch. Movie night tonight using the newly prepared drywall movie screen. Have missed Bible study, worship, and breakfast with the pastor, as well as Saturday lunches with friends. Sadly, God is not a part of my daughter’s family life.
    Thankful for news from Jill about school, golf, Larry, and Becky. May all go well in the days ahead. Prayers too for Ally & David, Marcy, Julie and Megan, the NEM /UR staff, and all who come here.
    Thank You, Lord for the blessings of the day.

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