Daily Prayers for December 19

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 sing to the Lord : let us shout for joy to the Rock of our salvation.

Song “We Are Marching in the Light of God”

May your justice be a light to guide us : and your mercy a help on the way.

Psalm 101:1 – 4

I will sing of mercy and justice : to you, O Lord, will I sing praises.

I will strive to follow a blameless course; oh, when will you come to me? : I will walk with sincerity of heart within my house.

I will set no worthless thing before my eyes : I hate the doers of evil deeds; they shall not remain with me.

A crooked heart shall be far from me : I will not know evil.

May your justice be a light to guide us : and your mercy a help on the way.

Isaiah 10:5 – 19 Luke 1:5 – 25

May your justice be a light to guide us : and your mercy a help on the way.

Desmond Tutu, a South African bishop and leader in the movement to end apartheid, said, “I don’t preach a social gospel; I preach the gospel, period. The gospel of our Lord -Jesus Christ is concerned for the whole person. When -people were hungry, -Jesus didn’t say, ‘Now is that political or social?’ He said, ‘I feed you.’ Because the good news to a hungry person is bread.”

Prayers for Others

Our Father

Lord, we pray that rather than picking apart your gospel to suit ourselves, we would pick apart the twisted assumption that bread is only for the fortunate, water only for the lucky, and freedom only for the strong. 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.