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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

In my experience, discovering wholeness has required practicing the means of grace. Means of grace are those intentional practices that put us squarely in the flow of grace—practices such as prayer, silence, solitude, confession, journaling, physical exercise, small groups, worship, and practicing the presence of God, to name a few. I’ve had to intentionally create habits and rhythms that keep me close to Jesus in order to maintain any lasting sense of wholeness.

—Junius B. Dotson, Soul Reset: Breakdown, Breakthrough, and the Journey to Wholeness (Upper Room Books, 2019)

Today’s Question

What habits could you create to maintain connection with Jesus for the sake of lasting wholeness? Join the conversation.

Today’s Scripture

I am the vine, you are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing.
—John 15:5, NRSV

Prayer for the Week

God of new beginnings, help us to reset and reorder our lives around your love, grace, and goodness. Amen.
Submit your prayer to The Upper Room.

Something More

Join us for the next online Academy Day Apart retreat, Praying the Psalms in Lent and Beyond: Shaping a Justice Imagination, with Gabby Cudjoe-Wilkes and Andrew Wilkes. On March 18, 2023, we will focus on the spiritual practices of silence and contemplation as we journey intentionally through this Lenten season. Learn more and register here.

Lectionary Readings

(Courtesy of Vanderbilt Divinity Library)

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

4 Comments

  • Ally Posted January 31, 2023 9:02 am

    Consistency with spiritual disciplines in order to maintain connectedness to Jesus is crucial for me, for any believer. Praying the Psalms, meditating, reading scripture, and ministry to others are practices that bring me closer to Jesus.
    I’m at vet’s with our Lucy. She hasn’t felt well since Sunday. Lucy was David’s kitty and now she is ours. She’s a sweetheart and we love her very much. Please pray for our girl.

  • Julie Posted January 31, 2023 9:20 am

    Prayer, reading the Bible and devotionals, and Bible study are some of the practices I use to remain a fruit producing branch.
    Prayers for Ally and Lucy. I take h to a new neurologist this afternoon.

  • robert moeller Posted January 31, 2023 3:28 pm

    Prayers for Ally and Lucy, Julie, h, and a new neurologist. Persistent patient hopeful prayer will help us move to the Poconos. We are saving to enable improvements we feel are necessary to enable a New Hampshire condo sale. A tax refund will help greatly. Thank You, Lord. Continued prayers, Bible-book study, worship , walks in the woods, and fellowship are my ways to stay connected with the Triune God who makes all things possible.

  • Jill Posted January 31, 2023 4:44 pm

    I wish I had the discipline to be more cognizant of practicing the presence of God. Every now and then I am able to have the awareness to maintain it as a thought – for maybe a day. Pretty pitiful. But, I guess it is a start, and each new day provides new opportunities to be at it more often, for longer stretches of time. While being in His presence, I imagine there would be prayer and recitation of memorized Scripture.
    School was busy again today. Not necessarily a bad thing. Now that I have paused following dinner – I am feeling tired. I went to bed early last night, but the kittens were active. Will try again tonight- maybe they will be more cooperative.
    The remainder of my week – evenings are jam packed. So – will take advantage of this early evening to bed. Tomorrow I have physical therapy after school and then small group.
    Julie – praying for some solutions from the neurologist – to help settle “h” and to help you manage the circumstances better. Prayers, too, for Lucy.

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