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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

Wilderness times invite integrity, truth-telling, and lament. There is great suffering in the world, in communities, churches, and families. We can be honest in expressing to God our hopes and our fears, our anger and our despair. Our spiritual ancestors modeled for us the practice of lament, of expressing our deepest grief and sorrow to God. … The Holy One invites us to lay our prayers at the base of Christ’s cross and to know that God hears our cries. God is our hope.

—Beth A. Richardson, Walking in the Wilderness: Seeking God During Lent (Upper Room Books, 2020)

Today’s Question

What do you need to express to God today? Join the conversation.

Today’s Scripture

But you, O LORD, do not be far away!
O my help, come quickly to my aid!
—Psalm 22:19 (NRSV)

Prayer for the Week

O God, help me walk through the wilderness of these days remembering who I am and whose I am. Amen.
Submit your prayer to The Upper Room.

Something More

Join author Beth A. Richardson from Ash Wednesday, February 17, through Easter Sunday, April 4, 2021, for a special online retreat from The Upper Room, featuring the book Walking in the Wilderness: Seeking God During Lent. Learn more here.

Lectionary Readings

(Courtesy of Vanderbilt Divinity Library)

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

4 Comments

  • robert moeller Posted January 14, 2021 6:29 am

    Saddened by the loss of life caused by the pandemic, hopeful people will practice better CDC life saving guidance, and thankful that both vaccines are on the way and I am alive to tell about it. Prayers of thanks and concern for regular posters Jill & Larry, Julie & Megan, Ally & David, Lou, April, those who have posted – especially Marcy,, and those who visit. We all need God and are grateful for God’s everlasting presence.

  • Julie Posted January 14, 2021 8:19 am

    There is so much pain and bitterness, death and destruction in the world today. There is also so much pain and bitterness in my personal life today. I would just lay at the Lord’s feet and sob, my emotions would overtake all rational thought.
    Prayers for Robert and I add my prayers of thanks for the vaccines and his continued good health.
    Prayers of lament along with Jill. May the Lord come beside her and hold her asshe endures another blow, another round of cheating. May God guide her heart and her words and her attitude as she speaks with the students. May they be safely back in the classrooms soon.
    Prayers for those who have recently posted for the first time as well as for those we miss.

  • Ally Posted January 14, 2021 10:06 am

    Hello, Everyone. I’m sorry to have been absent for a week or so. I’ve not been sleeping well and then was without internet. It’s fixed now. My sadness over the events of the last week and fear over what will happen is a cause for true lament. Today’s meditation certainly resonates as I express sadness and anxiety over what is happening. I ask God how we arrived at such a place. I ask as the psalmist did, that God come quickly to our aid. I pray all are well. Julie, is your email julie020664@gmail.com? I looked up my sent emails and that is the one I sent info to. Let me know if that is correct. If I got it wrong, please let me know so I can send it to correct place. I just sent it again and hope you receive it this time. I’ve missed everyone. Thanks so much for your continued prayers and Blessings to all!

  • Lou Posted January 14, 2021 3:51 pm

    God hears our prayers and in Him we can have hope. I lay my prayers down every day. I am feeling the isolation following the Christmas season spent with my children. I am lonely and I lay that down. I walked with a friend at the lake early this morning but that did little to ease what I am currently feeling. I know I will be ok- but that is where I am today. I try not to feel sorry for myself – I came home from my walk and got busy with things I had to tackle and I accomplished a lot that I have been putting off. Work usually keeps me very occupied but today I have a lighter day.
    I am thankful I received the first dose of the vaccine on Monday as mental health professionals were vaccinated in my town. I pray for many more to be vaccinated and for this process to be as easy as possible especially for the older population. My elderly mother is awaiting her turn and I hope that comes quickly.
    I pray for Jill and her students, for Robert and his church, pastor, and his children. I pray for Marcy and her health, for Julie and her sadness and stressful situation. I pray for Allie and her restored computer and her health as well as her husband’s. I pray for April , Rick, Connie, and all who come here to pray and find hope. Thank you all for your prayers for me and my family.

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