Daily Prayers for August 3
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 “Servant Song”
Help us to serve in our weakness, Lord : and to see your power come down.
Psalm 18:6 – 11
I called upon the Lord in my distress : and cried out to my God for help.
He heard my voice from his heavenly dwelling : my cry of anguish came to his ears.
The earth reeled and rocked : the roots of the mountains shook; they reeled because of his anger.
Smoke rose from his nostrils and a consuming fire out of his mouth : hot burning coals blazed forth from him.
He parted the heavens and came down : with a storm cloud under his feet.
He mounted on cherubim and flew : he swooped on the wings of the wind.
Help us to serve in our weakness, Lord : and to see your power come down.
1 Sam-uel 13:5 – 18 Matthew 25:31 – 46
Help us to serve in our weakness, Lord : and to see your power come down.
In his book From Brokenness to Community, Jean Vanier writes, “Those with whom -Jesus identifies himself are regarded by society as misfits. And yet -Jesus is that person who is hungry; -Jesus is that woman who is confused and naked. Wouldn’t it be extraordinary if we all discovered that? The face of the world would be changed. We would then no longer want to compete in going up the ladder to meet God in the light, in the sun and in beauty, to be honored because of our theological knowledge. Or if we did want knowledge, it would be because we believe that our knowledge and theology are important only so long as they are used to serve and honor the poor.”
Prayers for Others
Our Father
O God of the poor and meek, form us into -people who do not conform to the patterns of this world but rather conform to the norms of your upside-down kingdom. Give us eyes to see you in those who suffer. Move us to the margins of this world, and help us to find you there, in your most distressing disguises. 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.
Daily Prayers for August 2
Basil the Blessed (1464 – 1552)
Basil was born to a peasant family near Moscow in the late 1400s. He left home at age sixteen to devote himself to a life of asceticism. He did not have a permanent home but instead walked around barefoot and in rags, exhibiting extraordinary humility in the face of punishment, ridicule, and derision. Like an Old Testament prophet, Basil challenged those in power about their treatment of the poor, marginalized, and afflicted. He foretold misfortunes and preached the gospel to all who would listen, including the Tsar, Ivan the Terrible, who respected and feared Basil’s gift of prophecy. Once, when Basil offered the Tsar a piece of raw meat during the lenten season, the Tsar rejected it. Basil then boldly and truthfully asked him, “Then why do you drink the blood of men?” noting the Tsar’s violent behavior toward innocent -people.
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 “Poor Wayfaring Stranger”
If we are fools in this world, Lord : may we be fools for Christ.
Psalm 13:3 – 6
Look upon me and answer me, O Lord my God : give light to my eyes, lest I sleep in death;
lest my enemy say, “I have prevailed over him,” : and my foes rejoice that I have fallen.
But I put my trust in your mercy : my heart is joyful because of your saving help.
I will sing to the Lord, for he has dealt with me richly : I will praise the name of the Lord Most High.
If we are fools in this world, Lord : may we be fools for Christ.
1 Sam-uel 12:1 – 6, 16 – 25 Matthew 25:14 – 30
If we are fools in this world, Lord : may we be fools for Christ.
British preacher and radical John Wesley wrote in a letter to his sister, “Money never stays with me. It would burn me if it did. I throw it out of my hands as soon as possible, lest it should find its way into my heart.” Wesley committed his life to living in poverty, insisting that if he were to die with more than a few pounds to his name, he would be a liar and a thief.
Prayers for Others
Our Father
God our provider, all good gifts come from you. Make us so thankful for your gifts that we cannot help but share them with others. Own us as your fools as we abandon the stuff of this world for the treasures of your kingdom. 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.
Daily Prayers for August 1
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, Thou Fount”
Listen, Lord, in your mercy : not to our words but to our hearts.
Psalm 5:1 – 4
Give ear to my words, O Lord : consider my meditation.
Hearken to my cry for help, my King and my God : for I make my prayer to you.
In the morning, Lord, you hear my voice : early in the morning I make my appeal and watch for you.
For you are not a God who takes pleasure in wickedness : and evil cannot dwell with you.
Listen, Lord, in your mercy : not to our words but to our hearts.
1 Sam-uel 11:1 – 15 Matthew 25:1 – 13
Listen, Lord, in your mercy : not to our words but to our hearts.
Irish monk Columbanus wrote, “Blessed is the time of waiting, when we stay awake for the Lord, the Creator of the universe, who fills all things and transcends all things. How I wish he would awaken me, his humble servant, from the sleep of slothfulness, even though I am of little worth. How I wish he would enkindle me with that fire of divine love. The flames of his love burn beyond the stars; the longing for his overwhelming delights and the divine fire ever burns within me!”
Prayers for Others
Our Father
Lord, you are coming in glory to bring the fullness of peace, healing, and justice. Teach us to wait when you would have us wait. And teach us to act when you would have us act. Fill us up with so much expectation for your coming kingdom that we cannot help but enact it now. 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.
Daily Prayers for July 31
Ignatius of Loyola (1491 – 1556)
Ignatius was born to a noble Spanish family. As a young man, he joined the military, but a war injury ended his military career. While recuperating, Ignatius became bored and asked for novels about knights and battles. But all that could be found in the castle where he stayed were books on the life of Christ and the saints of the church. Legend has it that Ignatius read these stories in a competitive manner, imagining how he could beat the various saints at practicing the spiritual disciplines. He soon found that his thoughts on the saints left him with more peaceful and satisfied feelings than his daydreams about the noble life he had known before his injury. After his illness, Ignatius began practicing his competitive notions of rivaling the saints, and wrote about his experiences of Christian disciplines. His scribblings became the spiritual classic The Spiritual Exercises of Saint Ignatius, used by Christians for centuries in the practice of discernment. He eventually founded the Society of -Jesus, an order still known widely for a commitment to foreign missions and religious education.
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 “Ubi Caritas”
Teach us to give : and not to count the cost.
Psalm 145:5 – 9
I will ponder the glorious splendor of your majesty : and all your marvelous works.
They shall speak of the might of your wondrous acts : and I will tell of your greatness.
They shall publish the remembrance of your great goodness : they shall sing of your righteous deeds.
The Lord is gracious and full of compassion : slow to anger and of great kindness.
The Lord is loving to everyone : and his compassion is over all his works.
Teach us to give : and not to count the cost.
1 Sam-uel 10:17 – 27 Acts 28:17 – 31
Teach us to give : and not to count the cost.
These are the words of Ignatius of Loyola, founder of the Jesuits: “Consider that the blessed life we so long for consists in an intimate and true love of God, our Creator and Lord, which binds and obliges us all to a sincere love.”
Prayers for Others
Our Father
-Jesus, it is enough to tell others of your works of mercy, of your resurrection, of your imminent return. It is enough to praise you in the sanctuary, to kneel before you, to wait in silence for you. Lord, it is enough to be named as one of your children, to be bound in eternal love and freedom to give up our lives for you. 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.
Becoming the Answer to Our Prayers: A Few Ideas
1. Begin a scholarship fund so that for every one of your own children you send to college, you can create a scholarship for an at-risk youth. Get to know their families and learn from each other.
2. Visit a worship ser-vice in which you will be a minority. Invite someone to a meal after the ser-vice.
3. Confess something you have done wrong to someone you have wronged or or offended and ask forgiveness.
4. Serve in a homeless shelter. For extra credit, go back to that shelter and eat or sleep there and allow yourself to be served.
5. Go through a local thrift store and drop dollar bills in the pockets of clothing in the store.
Daily Prayers for July 30
William Wilberforce (1759 – 1833)
William Wilberforce, an evangelical Christian in eighteenth-century England, dedicated his life to abolishing slavery. In 1780, Wilberforce was elected to Parliament. After an experience of spiritual rebirth, Wilberforce began to see his life’s purpose: to use his political life in the ser-vice of God. He believed that there was no evil greater than the institution of slavery. “Let the consequences be what they would,” he wrote. “I from this time determined that I would never rest until I had effected its abolition.” In 1798, he began his campaign: speaking, circulating flyers and petitions, and introducing bills in Parliament. In 1806, Wilberforce managed to get a bill in Parliament passed that prohibited slavery in all British colonies. By the time Wilberforce died in 1833, Parliament had finally passed a bill that would free all slaves throughout the British Empire.
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 “Amazing Grace”
Give us holy boldness, Lord : to struggle for justice until we die.
Psalm 144:9 – 12
O God, I will sing to you a new song : I will play to you on a ten-stringed lyre.
You give victory to kings : and have rescued David your servant.
Rescue me from the hurtful sword : and deliver me from the hand of foreign -peoples,
whose mouths speak deceitfully : and whose right hand is raised in falsehood.
Give us holy boldness, Lord : to struggle for justice until we die.
1 Sam-uel 10:1 – 16 Acts 28:1 – 16
Give us holy boldness, Lord : to struggle for justice until we die.
A few words from William Wilberforce: “Never, never will we desist till we have wiped away this scandal that is slavery from the load of guilt under which we at present labor, and until we have extinguished every trace of this bloody traffic which our posterity will scarcely believe had been suffered to exist so long, a disgrace and dishonor to our country.”
Prayers for Others
Our Father
Stir our hearts that we might have the holy boldness to struggle for justice until we die. Give us visions larger than those we create for ourselves. And root us in humility, Lord, that we might climb toward your heights through ser-vice. 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.
Daily Prayers for July 29
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 “Were You There?”
When our spirits fail, you know our paths : guide us, O Lord, as we stumble.
Psalm 142:1 – 2, 5 – 7
I cry to the Lord with my voice : to the Lord I make loud supplication.
I pour out my complaint before him : and tell him all my trouble.
I cry out to you, O Lord : I say, “You are my refuge, my portion in the land of the living.”
Listen to my cry for help, for I have been brought very low : save me from those who pursue me, for they are too strong for me.
Bring me out of prison, that I may give thanks to your name : when you have dealt bountifully with me, the righteous will gather around me.
When our spirits fail, you know our paths : guide us, O Lord, as we stumble.
1 Sam-uel 9:15 – 10:1 Acts 27:27 – 44
When our spirits fail, you know our paths : guide us, O Lord, as we stumble.
Listen to these words of Martin Luther King Jr.: “Truth crushed to earth will rise again. How long? Not long! Because no lie can live forever. How long? Not long! Truth forever on the scaffold, wrong forever on the throne. Yet that scaffold sways the future and behind the dim unknown standeth God within the shadow, keeping watch over his own. How long? Not long! Because the arc of the mortal universe is long but it bends toward justice.”
Prayers for Others
Our Father
Lord, raise us up as servants who are willing to bear one another’s burdens. Surround us with others who will help make the burdens lighter. And help us rest in the assurance that you will not put more on our shoulders than we are able to carry. We ask this through Christ -Jesus, our Lord, who both told us to take up our cross and had help carrying his own. 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.
Daily Prayers for July 28
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 “Woke Up This Mornin’ ”
Give me neither poverty nor riches, Lord : but bread for today, hope for tomorrow.
Psalm 135:1 – 2, 15 – 18
Hallelujah! Praise the name of the Lord : give praise, you servants of the Lord,
you who stand in the house of the Lord : in the courts of the house of our God.
The idols of the heathen are silver and gold : the work of human hands.
They have mouths, but they cannot speak : eyes have they, but they cannot see.
They have ears, but they cannot hear : neither is there any breath in their mouth.
Those who make them are like them : and so are all who put their trust in them.
Give me neither poverty nor riches, Lord : but bread for today, hope for tomorrow.
1 Sam-uel 9:1 – 14 Acts 27:9 – 26
Give me neither poverty nor riches, Lord : but bread for today, hope for tomorrow.
In the second century, church father Justin Martyr described the Christian community like this: “We who formerly treasured money and possessions more than anything else now hand over everything we have to a treasury for all and share it with everyone who needs it. We who formerly hated and murdered one another . . . now live together and share the same table. Now we pray for our enemies and try to win those who hate us.”
Prayers for Others
Our Father
Lord, it takes humility to acknowledge that our ways are not your ways. Surround us with your subtle and hidden prophets, that we might have help to overcome self-deception and face the truth that sets us free. 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.
Daily Prayers for July 27
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 “Lamb of God”
We look to you alone, O Lord : we look to you for help.
Psalm 123
To you I lift up my eyes : to you enthroned in the heavens.
As the eyes of servants look to the hand of their masters : and the eyes of a maid to the hand of her mistress,
so our eyes look to the Lord our God : until he shows us his mercy.
Have mercy upon us, O Lord, have mercy : for we have had more than enough of contempt,
too much of the scorn of the indolent rich : and of the derision of the proud.
We look to you alone, O Lord : we look to you for help.
1 Sam-uel 3:1 – 12 Acts 26:24 – 27:8
We look to you alone, O Lord : we look to you for help.
Egyptian monk Macarius said this in the fourth century: “There is no need at all to make long discourses; it is enough to stretch out one’s hands and say, ‘Lord, as you will, and as you know, have mercy.’ And if the conflict grows fiercer say, ‘Lord, help!’ He knows very well what we need and he shows us his mercy.”
Prayers for Others
Our Father
Holy One, so often we claim to see but prefer our blindness. Send us teachers and saints whose lives speak loudly of faith and perseverance to guide us when we unknowingly stray from wisdom’s course. Help us to find the Way, the Truth, and the Life in this world of shortcuts, deception, and death. 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.
Daily Prayers for July 26
On July 26, 1990, US President George Bush signed the world’s first civil rights law for -people with disabilities. Since its signing in 1990, the Americans with Disabilities Act has served as legal protection for equal opportunity in all aspects of life, independent living, and economic self-sufficiency for -people with disabilities.
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 “Freedom Train”
Make us one with your poor, O Lord : that we might see the salvation of our God.
Psalm 119:121 – 25
I have done what is just and right : do not deliver me to my oppressors.
Be surety for your servant’s good : let not the proud oppress me.
My eyes have failed from watching for your salvation : and for your righteous promise.
Deal with your servant according to your loving-kindness : and teach me your statutes.
I am your servant; grant me understanding : that I may know your decrees.
Make us one with your poor, O Lord : that we might see the salvation of our God.
1 Sam-uel 2:27 – 36 Acts 26:1 – 23
Make us one with your poor, O Lord : that we might see the salvation of our God.
Hear these words of L’Arche founder Jean Vanier: -“People may come to our communities because they want to serve the poor; they will only stay once they have discovered that they themselves are the poor.”
Prayers for Others
Our Father
Lord, thank you for using the foolish to confound the wise and the weak ones to shame the strong. Help us live with the shrewdness of serpents and the innocence of doves. Keep our feet from fatigue, our spirits from despair, and our hands from failing to rise in praise to you. 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.
Daily Prayers for July 25
In 1898, United States troops invaded Puerto Rico, recolonizing its -people after their struggle for independence under Spanish rule. US citizenship was given to Puerto Ricans, but in the 1930s, a nationalist movement gained popularity and US assimilation was opposed. A struggle still exists in Puerto Rico between gaining independence and remaining a colony of the United States.
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 “The Kingdom of God”
Give justice to your -people, God : and set the captives free.
Psalm 119:53 – 56
I am filled with a burning rage : because of the wicked who forsake your law.
Your statutes have been like songs to me : wherever I have lived as a stranger.
I remember your name in the night, O Lord : and dwell upon your law.
This is how it has been with me : because I have kept your commandments.
Give justice to your -people, God : and set the captives free.
1 Sam-uel 2:12 – 26 Acts 25:13 – 27
Give justice to your -people, God : and set the captives free.
Jesuit leader and Latino theologian Pedro Arrupe said, “Today our prime educational objective must be to form men-for-others; men who will live not for themselves but for God and his Christ — for the God-man who lived and died for all the world; men who cannot even conceive of love of God which does not include love for the least of their neighbors; men completely convinced that love of God which does not issue in justice for men is a farce.”
Prayers for Others
Our Father
Almighty God, thank you for the cloud of witnesses who have gone before us. Surround us with living saints who remind us of the sort of -people we are trying to become. When we fall short of who we want to be, catch us in the arms of your grace. We ask this through Christ our Lord. 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.
