Daily Prayers for April 20

O Lord, let my soul rise up to meet you

as the day rises to meet the sun.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit,

as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.

Come, let us bow down and bend the knee : let us kneel before the Lord our Maker.

Song “Come, Ye Sinners”

Lord, you have the words of life : you have the words of eternal life.

Psalm 102:1 – 4

Lord, hear my prayer, and let my cry come before you : hide not your face from me in the day of my trouble.

Incline your ear to me : when I call, make haste to answer me,

for my days drift away like smoke : and my bones are hot as burning coals.

My heart is smitten like grass and withered : so that I forget to eat my bread.

Lord, you have the words of life : you have the words of eternal life.

Exodus 34:1 – 17 1 Thes-salo-nians 5:12 – 28

Lord, you have the words of life : you have the words of eternal life.

A theologian and poet of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, François Fenelon wrote, “We must have faith during the period of our grief. We think that our afflictions will be greater than we can bear, but we do not know the strength of our own hearts, nor the power of God. He knows all. He knows every folding of the heart and also the extent of the sorrow that he inflicts. What we think will overwhelm us entirely only subdues and conquers our pride. Our renewed spirit rises from its subjugation with a celestial strength and consolation.”

Prayers for Others

Our Father

Lord, some of us are never far from tears, and some of us have forced ourselves not to cry. Direct our tears that they might flow with yours and cease when you smile upon us. Amen.

May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you : wherever he may send you;

may he guide you through the wilderness : protect you through the storm;

may he bring you home rejoicing : at the wonders he has shown you;

may he bring you home rejoicing : once again into our doors.