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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

During a season of profound depression and discouragement, Luther wrote his most famous hymn, “A Mighty Fortress Is Our God,” which picks up on themes in Psalm 46. It’s not that God makes everything smooth and easy. But God is “a bulwark . . . our helper amid the flood of mortal ills prevailing.” . . .

We don’t defeat evil by trying hard or thinking right thoughts. “Did we in our own strength confide, our striving would be losing.” And why can we be bold and confident? We have “the right man on our side . . . Dost ask who that may be? Christ Jesus, it is he . . . He must win the battle.” Ours is to follow, join, and be caught up in the wake of what he is doing.

—James C. Howell, Unrevealed Until Its Season: A Lenten Journey with Hymns (Upper Room Books, 2021)

Today’s Question

What hymn or scripture helps you get through tough times? Join the conversation.

Today’s Scripture

God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.
—Psalm 46:1 (NRSV)

Prayer for the Week

O God, we give you thanks for hymn writers of the past and present. Help us to always have a song of praise on our lips and in our hearts, especially in times of trouble. Amen.
Submit your prayer to The Upper Room.

Something More

What is Lent? When is Lent? Why do we set it apart? Learn more about this special season by reading Lent 101.

Lectionary Readings

(Courtesy of Vanderbilt Divinity Library)

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

4 Comments

  • robert moeller Posted March 4, 2022 5:25 am

    Glad tobe able to post today ,for two days message404 appeared. Amazing Grace, How Great Thou Art, A Mighty Fortress, Christ the Lord is Risen Today, Love Divine All Loves Excelling, Silent Night and many others all lift me up, keep me going, This is a very special Lent with these 40 days of hymns. Thank you Upper Room, New Every Morning, Rev. Dr. Howell with ultimate thanks to You, O’Lord.

  • robert moeller Posted March 4, 2022 5:53 am

    Prayers for Julie’s health , Larry’s move, the prayer meetings at Jill’s school, Lou’s house construction project, Ally&David’s health and welfare, sad there is no access to your Mom’s home Ally, and beloved pets Jeremy, Scout, and Roger, I most certainly am not able to imagine what heaven is like, your comments were helpful, instructive. Thank you all for your prayers for our move, there was a job possibility in East Stroudsburg many years ago, it didn’t materialize, have visited ski areas and waterfalls there, but it has been quite a while. We all have a lot going on and most certainly need God. Thank You, Lord for Your ever presence.

  • Julie Posted March 4, 2022 8:39 am

    Be strong and couragous, for I, your God, am with you. Be strong and couragous for I, your God will be with you. I can do all things through him who strengthens me. For I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you, not harm you. Plans to give you a future with hope. For the Lord has not given us a spirit of fear but of strength, love and sound thinking.
    I second your observation Robert about the error message and the welcome absence of it this morning. Prayers for Robert and his safe travels and finding a new home. Prayers for Ally, David, Jeremy and Scout, may all their health improve. Prayers for Jill, Larry, and Becky as they pack up his condo. Prayers for Roger’s health. Prayers for Lou’s construction project , may it come to an end soon. Prayers for all who visit here.

  • Jill Posted March 4, 2022 4:26 pm

    Lamentations 3 – where Jeremiah laments and laments and laments…and then…”But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope. The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, His mercies never come to an end. They are new every morning. Great is Thy faithfulness. ‘The Lord is my portion’ I say, therefore I will hope in Him.” I shared this passage this morning with the few who gathered in my room. I also had an reading of Psalm 27 from a podcast that was slow, deliberate and meaningful. It was good that our principal joined us and shared a prayer.
    Glad the week is over. Thought I was finishing the week with a quiet dinner with a friend after school. But my sister texted me and said dad wanted to speak with us this evening. So I am home now to feed Roger, give him his shot and then head over to dad’s Quite honestly – I am ready to hit the recliner and shortly thereafter to bed. But, alas…not this evening.
    A few days of warm weather ahead of us, and the sun out today is getting us in the mood. Finished the school week with a wonderful class…I wish we weren’t masked as many emotions were shared and good learning took place. Grateful to end the week on a positive note.
    Maybe just one further comment. This morning while with the teacher who is in need of great support – she said both she and her husband have the “peace which passeth understanding” in the midst of this huge trial. It doesn’t make the circumstances less hard, but it sustains us through them. She said she doesn’t know how people who don’t know the Lord and experience His peace get through vast trials. Nor do I. Grateful to know that will never be the case.
    May His peace be yours as well.

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