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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

Your children can always take more than you can give and will always need more than you have, so know when to wave the white flag and ask for help. Each person’s “tells” are unique. Ask for time for yourself before you are at the end of your rope. Only we know what diminishes the divine spark we carry within us.

—Lauren Burdette, This Life That Is Ours: Motherhood as Spiritual Practice (Upper Room Books, 2019)

Today’s Question

What are your simple, life-giving, practices that tend your divine spark? [question from This Life That Is Ours] Join the conversation.

Today’s Scripture

Generous persons will prosper;
those who refresh others will themselves be refreshed.
—Proverbs 11:25 (CEB)

Prayer for the Week

Dear God, may I see my moments of strength and my moments of weakness as invitations to draw more closely to you. Amen. [prayer adapted from from This Life That Is Ours]
Submit your prayer to The Upper Room.

Something More

While personal reflection is the most popular use of The Upper Room daily devotional, did you know there are many other ways to use it in your ministry? Here are eight of our favorite ways to encourage daily life with God in your congregation (and beyond) with The Upper Room. Read more here.

Lectionary Readings

(Courtesy of Vanderbilt Divinity Library)

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

3 Comments

  • robert moeller Posted May 7, 2024 5:10 am

    Daily early morning reflection, prayer, Bible/book study, and Sunday worship. tend the spark . Thank You, Lord. Forgiveness by Adam Hamilton today. The Upper Room has a ticket to check “awaiting moderation”. Hope it is resolved.

  • Jill Posted May 7, 2024 1:56 pm

    I find getting into the nitty-gritty hard with another who is willing to be transparent and authentic – to be where a most holy space is found. In this liminal space, I feel close to God, as well as the other person. These nourish my soul, in some unexplainable way. I come away energized spiritually and emotionally, but can be sapped physically and mentally. But, upon reflection, very rarely do I consider it wasted time.
    Time in the morning with God and His Word is a consistent source to prepare me for these moments.
    My school’s baseball team plays for the league championship today after school – at our town’s minor league stadium. I have a few students on the team. Going to head home after school to change, grab a quick bite – and make it to the 5:00 start. Should be a pleasant evening. I think the rain will hold off long enough.
    I am returning to physical therapy tomorrow – to see what my therapist thinks. It has been since before spring break that I saw her. I see my rheumatologist Friday – maybe some bloodwork will be ordered.
    The moderate early mornings are pleasant to run in, especially now that dawn is breaking while I am out. This morning’s sunrise was pretty spectacular.

  • Rusty Posted May 7, 2024 4:56 pm

    For me it is actually my daily Bible reading. I do it (psalm or proverb, New Testament and Old Testament, with commentary by Nicky and Pippa Gumbel) in the evening before bed or sometimes in the middle of the night when I wake up. God always seems to give me a nugget that helps me through the night.

    Sorry I’ve been so sporadic, folks, with my posts lately. Our child care responsibilities have had me pretty worn out lately. But they are a blessing.

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