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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 our prayers focus only on human need and shortcomings, we lose our sense of awe and wonder at what God is doing in the world. Paul’s letters follow a pattern: offering thanksgiving to God, addressing certain circumstances or issues in the church, and then closing with a doxology, a praise of God. Paul’s letters became a pattern for my own prayer life: thanksgiving, intercession, confession, and praise. Paul’s pattern of beginning and ending with attention on God helped me reframe my petitions for myself and others in light of who we are in God.

—Max O. Vincent, Because of This I Rejoice: Reading Philippians During Lent (Upper Room Books, 2018)

Today’s Question

How do prayers in the Bible bring new insight to your own prayer habits? Join the conversation.

Today’s Scripture

And my God will fully satisfy every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus. To our God and Father be glory forever and ever. Amen.
—Philippians 4:19-20 (NRSV)

Prayer for the Week

God, I give thanks for all you have done, are doing, and will do. Because of this, I rejoice.
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 from The Upper Room’s Lent 101 resource.

Lectionary Readings

(Courtesy of Vanderbilt Divinity Library)

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

2 Comments

  • Julie Posted February 19, 2021 8:14 am

    I like to pray using the concepts in David’s psalms, which are of course his prayers to the Lord. But this author’s insights give me a new manner of prayer to emulate. It is fitting to begin and end a pray with praise to our Lord. I will try to incorpaorate this model into the prayers I currrently lift daily to the Lord.
    Prayers for Ally and David, I pray all is well with both of them as they grapple with the storm, David’s injuries and continued struggles and Ally’s eyesight and job search. I pray Lord, hold them and comfort them both.
    Prayers for April, Lou and Marcy and their families as they all deal with the unprecented weather. May all be safe, warm, and have electricity and safe water.
    Prayers for Jill and Larry, may they be safe and able to receive their second vaccine shots despite the weather delays in shipments.
    Prayers for Robert, may he be safe and warm and have electricity as we continue to await his comments and insights and news of his daily life.
    The weather here is cold and snowy, but nothing like the other areas of the country. I am thankful to the Lord. I have received the information regarding the day and time of the hearing, status hearing and h’s deposition. I am very nervous. I should soon find out about my own deposition.

  • Jill Posted February 19, 2021 12:46 pm

    I try to keep my prayers from being rote, and have basically told myself not to follow a “system” (ACTS) of prayer. I think my prayers have very much been formed by the authenticity of the Psalms. Additionally, following many different readings on lament – I try to make sure that even my cries for help or out of anguish in prayer ultimately finish with acknowledging the sovereignty of God and His faithfulness in the past. I believe there is only one such Psalm (is it 88?) where it is completely lament with no acknowledgement of God and His faithfulness.
    It’s been a relatively easy week of school. Next week is going to be intense and long with many meetings scheduled, plus the stress of inching closer to being back in person. We are to find out next week how many of our students are “opting back in” and how many will remain remote for the remainder of the year.
    Tennis tonight. Will call dad here in a bit – see how he is feeling, as he received his second dose this morning. Hopefully any side effects he has will be mild.

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