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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

ALL OF LIFE is an opportunity to travel through a world that is “charged with the glory of God.” Because of God’s omnipresence, each journey has the potential to be a spiritual journey. We can catch glimmers of God’s presence “like shining from shook foil” in even the most ordinary settings — from people we meet every day and in objects that no one else would consider extraordinary.

When we take time to reflect on the journey of life, we can feel God’s presence as it “gathers to a greatness” all around us, embracing us with divine love. We are free to explore the frontiers of our lives and the world because there is no place we can travel that is bereft of God.

Our spiritual journey becomes a means of exploring our own lives as we tell the stories of those persons, places and things that have shaped us as children of God. May we journey with faith and confidence in God’s love and continuing presence with us.

– Michael E. Williams
Spoken into Being

Quoted phrases are from Gerard Manley Hopkins’s poem “God’s Grandeur.” Excerpt from page 76 of Spoken into Being: Divine Encounters Through Story by Michael E. Williams. Copyright © 2017 by Michael E. Williams. All rights reserved. Used by permission of Upper Room Books. http://bookstore.upperroom.org/ Learn more about or purchase this book.

Today’s Question

What are ways you encounter God in the ordinary? Share your thoughts.

Today’s Scripture

I have found my servant David; with my holy oil I have anointed him;
my hand shall always remain with him; my arm also shall strengthen him.

Palm 89:20-21, NRSV

This Week: pray for the peace of Christ. 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: Dorothea Dix (July 18).

Lectionary Readings

(Courtesy of Vanderbilt Divinity Library)

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

9 Comments

  • Jill Posted July 18, 2018 6:22 am

    Blessed assurance – Jesus is mine!
    And I am His – thank You, Father.
    Trying to be evermore aware of Philippians 4:8 – “Whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.” There are always many things worthy of praise.
    Time with my sister went well yesterday afternoon. It was a beautiful summer day.
    Betsy – I am confident God will lead you in how to assist with your neighbor.

  • robert moeller Posted July 18, 2018 6:44 am

    In the ordinary yesterday an unexpected trip with my son. All went well despite some rsin showers, fog, and darkness on the way home. Very thankful for that. Cooler weather today, a trip to my alma mater after a long hiatus. Have an invitation from this year’s hockey team for an alumni meet and greet.
    Anneliese has new meds, they seem to be helping with the muscle spasms, and enable a good night’s sleep. Progress translating the directions for building the Bismarck steam locomotive.. Nice weather for a walk, and my repaired car back today. My routine breakfast always tastes good. Thank You, Lord.

    Need to catch up with yesterday’s posts since the unexpected trip took up most of the day. Know that you are all in my prayers, God is omnipresent,
    and in God all will be well. Mid week blessings to all.

  • Julie Posted July 18, 2018 7:58 am

    Easy too see God in nature and such but sometimes difficult to see some people as chiildren of God. I work hard on this. I must love my enemy even when they seek to harm me. This seems counterintuitive.
    Prayers for Jill and her family. Prayers of thanks and gratitude for time spent in harmony rather than discord.
    Prayers for Robert, Erich and Anneliesse. Prayers of thanks for safe travel, new meds, and good night sleep. Prayers for safe travels yet to come and a wonderful reunion.
    Prayers for Marcy and pain and breathing relief. More about my kitties. Tonkinese were developed long ago by crossing Siamese and Burmese. They are vocal and can be pointed, natural or mink in coat designation. Several colors are recognzed and my babies are champagne.
    Prayers for Mary and her parents. I pray that the admin duties are reduced and that an administrator takes them.
    Prayers for Lou and her family, Andrea and her family, Gail and her family, Connie and her family, Ken and his sobriety and all the UR family both posters and readers.

    • Mary Ng Shwu Ling Posted July 18, 2018 8:49 am

      Thanks so much Julie for your prayers.

      Praying that you are always surround by the love and goodness of God.

      Blessings!

      • Mary Ng Shwu Ling Posted July 18, 2018 9:03 am

        I mean surrounded

        • Mary Ng Shwu Ling Posted July 18, 2018 10:51 am

          Ways i encountered God in the ordinary – meeting my neighbour early in the morning and he asked how are my parents doing. Sometimes, i need to go to a new place, God led me to kind people who showed me the way. When i needed prayers, the UR friends intetceded for me, my parents, etc.

          There are many more encounters. I will be starting a faith journal to record all these cause when i look back, i will always praise God for His faithfulness.

          Blessings!

          • Mary Ng Shwu Ling Posted July 18, 2018 5:47 pm

            I am using a journal for morning pages to God already. Thought if i have another faith journal, it will be a joy to reflect God’s goodness and faithfulness.

      • Mary Ng Shwu Ling Posted July 9, 2023 10:42 pm

        Surrounded

  • Gail Churchill Posted July 18, 2018 8:20 am

    People say or do things that are an answer to prayer, although not a specific answer that I sought. My friend agrees to sign up for the fall Disciple II Bible Study. A relative agrees to meet for dinner. Their response takes it out of the ordinary to a glimpse of heaven. Thank you Jesus.

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