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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

PART OF BEING LIGHT to the world is treating all people with respect — recognizing that all people are made by God and that God wants us to treat them kindly.

In your prayer time, ask God to help you see ways to bring light to someone in your family or someone in your school or neighborhood.


Pockets, Jan./Feb. 2018

From page 20 of Pockets, the devotional magazine for children, January/February 2018. Copyright © 2018 by The Upper Room. All rights reserved. Used by permission. http://bookstore.upperroom.org/ Learn more about or purchase this book.

Today’s Question

Who can you bring light to today? Share your thoughts.

Today’s Scripture

1:46 Nathanael said to him, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see.”

John 1:46, NRSV

This Week: Pray for new beginnings. Submit your prayer to The Upper Room Living Prayer Center or share it in the comment section.

Did You Know?

In need of prayer? The Upper Room Living Prayer Center is a 7-day-a-week intercessory prayer ministry staffed by trained volunteers. Call 1-800-251-2468 or visit The Living Prayer Center website.

This week we remember: Emily Balch (January 9).

Lectionary Readings

(Courtesy of Vanderbilt Divinity Library)

Sponsored by Upper Room Ministries ®. Copyright © 2018 | PO Box 340004 | Nashville, TN 37203-0004 | USA

19 Comments

  • Jill Posted January 13, 2018 4:55 am

    Not sure who I can bring light to today. Hoping to attend my god daughter’s basketball game…we didn’t get as much snow as predicted – so I am hoping the game is not cancelled and roads will be cleared. After her game I will be attending my local university’s women’s basketball game as this is a game for all the mentors to attend and meet with the team for a meal afterwards.
    We were released from school yesterday at lunch, about an hour before the freezing rain began. I got home safely and enjoyed a leisurely afternoon – a nice start to a 3 day weekend.
    Prayers for Julie and her hands, for Marcy and her continued recovery, Mary’s father and the need for dialysis, Robert and Erich’s relationship, Andrea’s concern with her daughter, and Betsy’s family’s girl time together. Thinking of Rusty and K as well. Father – thank You for Your Grace, Your Mercy and Your Lovingkindness.

  • robert moeller Posted January 13, 2018 5:00 am

    Hopefully I can bring God’s light to everyone I know and meet. Prayers for Mary’s Dad who needs dialysis, prayers that this is temporary. I pray for healing after hip surgery. Blessings to Mary, her Mum, and family. Prayers
    for Jill’s Dad, Mom, and sister; Marcy’s recovery, healing for Julie’s hands and knee, peace for Connie, resolution for Chloe, Andrea, and Lou, and consloation for Betsy and her sister, Grace. Prayers that there is no flood at Anneliese’s after an ice jam brought water over the banks of the brook, that she has relief from the muscle spasms, and difficult tenants leave peacefully.
    Prayers for Arnold recovering from heart surgery. Prayers that Erich’s skin rash heals quickly, he missed a day at work. Thankful for a good walk yesterday during a break in the rain and being able to drain a puddle close to the house.

    The recently built models of Central Vermont (CV) boxcars will eventually be part of a wall display showing CV trains between 1947-1957, the last decade of steam powered trains on the CV.

  • Trackback: Bring Light – College United Methodist Church
  • Mary Ng Shwu Ling Posted January 13, 2018 7:24 am

    Yes, I can bring light to the nurses and doctors by saying thank you for taking good care of my dad.

    Thanks for all your prayers. Tonight, feeding my dad is a piece of cake. He has good appetite.

    Blessings to all

  • Julie Posted January 13, 2018 7:46 am

    Prayers for Mary and her parents, why the dialysis? Might it be temporary?
    Prayers for Robert, Erich, Annaliese, Jill and her parents, Marcy, Lou and her children, Betsy and Grace, Andrea and her daughter … so much pain and need.
    Still so hard to type, so many sores on fingers and so much pain and swelling. Also pain and swelling in leg and knee.
    Thank you al for your prayers.
    Odd, how much I care about and for this group of total strangers who have become such wonderful supprters.
    Blessings and prayers all are safe

  • Mary Ng Shwu Ling Posted January 13, 2018 8:28 am

    Cause after the hip operation, kidneys are weakened and need to detox the body which is slightly swollen.

    Today he is much better.

    Thank you for your prayets

    Blessings

  • Mary Ng Shwu Ling Posted January 13, 2018 8:38 am

    Maybe you can also pray for my job cause i was told to take primary two class of 25 and i actually start to photostate their worksheets just like the rest of the teachers. However, on the first day of school, 2018, i was told to take prinary 4, 33 students. Not only that, the next door teacher who does not know mandarin keeps sending her students over to me to help them, and the disnissal messages from close to 400 students keot coming in with replies from various teachers.

    On friday, i even have a school teacher who kept coming to chase a student who have not completed her work cause he had asthma the day before and the next class teacher brought a student who was crying to me. It is totally overwheming,

    May God be my ever present help!

    • Andrea Posted January 13, 2018 1:28 pm

      I am keeping you in my prayers Mary, and your dad too. I pray God will give you strength and rest and I pray your dad’s kidneys recover and he heals well. Blessings.

      • Mary Ng Shwu Ling Posted January 13, 2018 4:50 pm

        Thanks so much Andrea!

        Blessings

    • robert moeller Posted January 14, 2018 4:45 am

      Mary, it seems you are off to a tough start at your new teaching position. Surely praying that things calm down for you, your students, other teachers, and their students. Yes, God is with you and your faith will pull you through.

      Thankful for the progress your Dad is making. Praying dialysis helps and soon will not be needed. Grateful for his good appetite. Prayers for your Mum too.
      God’s peace be with you all.

  • Julie Posted January 13, 2018 9:14 am

    Yes, prayers for you and your work situation.
    Bless you and God is watching

    • Mary Ng Shwu Ling Posted January 13, 2018 9:24 am

      Thanks so much Julie!

      Blessings

  • Andrea Posted January 13, 2018 1:47 pm

    “You hem me in, behind and before me, and lady Your hand upon me.”
    Psalm 139:5
    I love these words, especially being someone who loves to sew. I will commit them to memory.

    My daughter and I are texting. I am grateful there is some communication. I learned my grandson was at the ER last night with labored breathing and went home on a steroid and nebulizer treatments.

    Yes, respect. Kindness. It seems they are more needed now than ever.

    My prayers for Jill and her parents, Robert, Erich, Anneliese and Arnold, Mary and her parents, Julie, Marcy, Connie, Betsy, Francesca, Louise, Chloe, and all who visit here. Wishing all a blessed weekend.

    • Mary Ng Shwu Ling Posted January 13, 2018 4:53 pm

      Glad to hear that your daughter is texting you.

      May your grandson have a complete and speedy recovery!

      Blessings

  • Marcy Posted January 13, 2018 7:32 pm

    I want to thank you again, my dear UR siblings and family members for your prayers and thoughts for me as I continue to battle both illness and this rehabilitation facility. I have been in bed all day today, too sick and out of breath and weak to even get to restorative therapy. Praises to the Lord, Jesus Christ, that my new insurance has kicked in. The problem is, the facility had me sign a bunch of paperwork I was really uncomfortable with, and told me I’d have to write them a check for payment. I did not and will not do this. And it now turns out, according to my insurance, that this was actually illegal! I’ve been asking for a copy of all the paperwork that came with me from the hospital and a copy of the care plan and have received nothing. The insurance is quote upset with the rehabilitation facility, important prescriptions are not being filled and the list goes on and on. Wrong type of therapy. This is why I’m not updating, things going down instead of up!

    I’m thankful that Jill will be able to attend her god daughter’s basketball game and then attend the local university’s women’s basketball game for mentors, followed by a meal together! I’m keeping your parents in my prayers, Jill.

    I’m praying for Robert and Erich and that Erich’s skin rash heals soon so he can return to work, praying for Annaliese’s possible flood issues to be resolved, and that her pain and muscle cramps will be eased. I also pray that these difficult tenants move quietly and soon. Continued prayers for Robert’s friend from church, Arnold, recovering from heart surgery. Praises for the Central Vermont display of the last decade of the steam locomotives. My Dad had books on this, I hope I still have them in storage!

    Prayers for Mary’s Dad that the dialysis is temporary as this is somewhat common with hip surgeries. Prayers for Mary’s Mum too! Most of all, Jesus, please supply Mary with the stamina she needs to get through this unexpected barrage at work. Lord, please straighten this situation out for sweet sister, Mary.

    Julie, I’m praying so fervently for you, with the sores on your fingers multiplying and the swelling of your knee now spreading to your leg. Please consider seeing a doctor soon, Julie, we all care about you and have love for you and are concerned for you. You are such an important voice here in the UR family. When we bare our souls in pain to one another, we grow genuine feelings of love and caring for each other, becoming closer to one another through Jesus Christ, our Savior.

    Andrea, I can feel your sadness. I’m praying that your daughter graduates from texting, to talking, to seeing you again, so you can see your grandson. We are thankful for the texting for now, Jesus, but please build this relationship to reconciliation. I pray that Andrea’s daughter sees and feels the love her Mother has for her and her child, Andrea’s grandson. I pray for mental health treatment to be part of the healing if need be. Thank you, Lord, for hearing our prayer tonight. We will always love You Jesus, from now to eternity and even beyond that!

    Betsy, praying that your girls get together weekend brings joy and helps Grace in the loss of her husband last year. I pray for healing and harmony and happiness.

    Praying for new beginnings, however that turns out to look like. I trust in you, Jesus. Even if I’ve already prayed for you once, I’m praying for Andrea, Cherie, Jill, Chloe and Paige, Robert, Gerri, Lou, Mary, Louise, Connie, Betsy and Grace, Julie, Francesca, Pam, Ami, April, Jean, Rusty and K, Joan, Carol, Eileen, Dorothy, Holly M, Laurie, Tori, Stephen Walket, Edy and every one of you in the UR family and beyond. Your unspoken needs and prayers are known by God.

    • Mary Ng Shwu Ling Posted January 13, 2018 9:00 pm

      Thanks so much dear Marcy

      Blessings

  • Andrea Posted January 14, 2018 12:19 am

    Dear Marcy, my prayers for you, that this situation soon resolves. It sounds hopeful that you have insurance now. I pray you so not get discouraged. Lean on the Everlasting Arms, ever there for you to rest in.

    • Andrea Posted January 14, 2018 12:21 am

      Typo; should read “I pray you do not get discouraged….”

  • robert moeller Posted January 14, 2018 4:59 am

    Prayers that all works out well for Marcy at rehab. Hard to fathom such problems happening. Macy, the Lord most certainly is with you and with insurance the rehab should improve. Is there anyone there who can help with the paperwork, check up on treatment?

    Your prayers are amazing. You’ve “got the Spirit.”

    Had to make adjustments on the modeling. Time, space, and funds require it.

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