Today’s Reflection
The Bible shows us again and again that God’s love is meant to be felt and lived on a daily basis. We have to find ways for our belief and faith to enter into our lives and lift the burdens of pain, stress, anxiety, and guilt. One way to do this could be writing our own psalms, through which we can interact with scripture and with God.
—Jane Herring, One Day I Wrote Back: Interacting with Scripture Through Creative Writing (Upper Room Books, 2015)
Today’s Question
If you were to write a psalm, what would it say? Join the conversation.
Today’s Scripture
All you people: Trust in him at all times!
Pour out your hearts before him!
God is our refuge!
—Psalm 62:8 (CEB)
Prayer for the Week
Creator God, I am listening. I am listening.
Submit your prayer to The Upper Room.
Something More
Come pray with us! Post—or respond to—prayer requests and praise reports on The Upper Room Prayer Wall.
Lectionary Readings
(Courtesy of Vanderbilt Divinity Library)
Looking for lectionary-based resources? Learn more about The Upper Room Disciplines.
2 Comments
A week ago in our Psalm zoom meeting, the leader took us through Psalm 136. He broke it into 3 parts and we spent a lot of time sharing our takes on it and what the psalmist was trying to share. In our last 10 minutes, the leader encouraged us to write our own Psalm 136 – making it 7 verses long, tracing God’s hand in our lives and why we extol Him. In the end a few shared their Psalm. It was quite moving. One of the attendees remarked…we may just have Psalm 151, 152 and 153 there.
When struggling to journal – turning to the Psalms is a wonderful way to get the juices flowing.
Today is officially the last day of school. We have a two hour virtual staff meeting, not sure how that is going to go. What a crazy, crazy year.
O Father – hear our prayers. May Lou sense Your presence and comfort as she entrusts each of her children and their futures to You. I join her in gratitude over the simple gesture by her youngest to hug her and comfort her. You were in that hug. For David as he has returned to the hospital. May this issue with congestive heart failure be resolved in Your timing. For continued wisdom and sustenance for Ally as she is faithfully beside David on this path. For Gail, when she doubts and experiences anxiety, may she sense the comfort of Your Spirit and fix her eyes on You. For Chai and his recovery, and the upset that it causes by his feline partner and his humans. May his appetite return. For Marcy – her discomfort and care – may she be receiving the necessary assistance. Father, also for Robert, Rick, Connie, and Andrea. Thank You for this space, for UR and the untold number of people they reach. Father, may Your will be done here and may we each be obedient in our part.
I am not good at creative writing. But it would say “Walk with me, Lord; Strengthen me , Lord; Help me in my weakness; Help me to walk in your ways; accepting your will; Heal me; Hide me with King David in the fortress and make me successful over my enemy as you did him over his; Help me, Lord.
Prayers for the topsy, turvey school year Jill and her students have endured. Alice in her looking glass had nothing on this group of sojourners in education wilderness. Prayers for Jill’s study group.
Prayers for Ally and David, may David’s heart heal with the new medication. May Ally continue to be his stength and may you, Lord, continue to be hers.
Prayers for Lou as she releases her children to the world. May she know that her parenting has prepared them for this step and that she will always be their true north. Prayers for Lou and her youngest, may they share a closeness and find solace and strength in one another.
Prayers for Marcy, may she be receiving help for her swelling and may she return to us soon. Ease her discomfort, Lord.
Prayers for Robert and Rick and Andrea, and April, may they all be well.
Megan took Chai to the vet early this morning. He is scheduled for an ultrasound. Please pray. H came to me yesterday and tried to get me to sign a pension document that would have left me with only 50% after his dealth. I insisted on 100%. He said, after several attempts to dissuade me, that he would change it. I also intend to bring up the will. Please pray that I remain strong and calm.
Prayers, thank you and good health dear UR
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