Daily Prayers for June 14
Gilbert Keith Chesterton (1874 – 1936)
A towering presence, G. K. Chesterton was an excitable and opinionated man who was also blessed with a sense of humor that has much to offer a world polarized by politics. He passionately critiqued liberals and conservatives, and maintained a lively and genuine friendship with George Bernard Shaw, with whom he disagreed on nearly everything. Chesterton set out to rethink the faith, but laughingly compared his quest to a voyager who set out to find a lost land only to rediscover England. At forty-eight, he formally converted to Catholicism. Amid very serious discourse, he insisted that despair comes not from being weary of suffering but from being weary of joy. He died on this day, and his epitaph describes him as one who helped restore the world to sanity by exaggerating whatever the world neglects.
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 “Guide My Feet”
May our minds stay fixed on you : the perfecter of our faith.
Psalm 73:1 – 6
Truly, God is good to Israel : to those who are pure in heart.
But as for me, my feet had nearly slipped : I had almost tripped and fallen;
because I envied the proud : and saw the prosperity of the wicked:
for they suffer no pain : and their bodies are sleek and sound;
in the misfortunes of others they have no share : they are not afflicted as others are;
therefore they wear their pride like a necklace : and wrap their violence about them like a cloak.
May our minds stay fixed on you : the perfecter of our faith.
Deuteronomy 29:16 – 29 Acts 8:1 – 13
May our minds stay fixed on you : the perfecter of our faith.
G. K. Chesterton said, “The whole modern world has divided itself into Conservatives and Progressives. The business of Progressives is to go on making mistakes. The business of the Conservatives is to prevent the mistakes from being corrected.”
Prayers for Others
Our Father
Lord, free us from our self-deception and attune our hearts to your Spirit, that we might remember how you humbled yourself, and learn to serve one another, whatever our disagreements. 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 June 13
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 “I Will Trust in the Lord”
Father, I stretch my hand to you : no other help I know.
Psalm 70:1 – 6
Be pleased, O God, to deliver me : O Lord, make haste to help me.
Let those who seek my life be ashamed and altogether dismayed : let those who take pleasure in my misfortune draw back and be disgraced.
Let those who say to me “Aha!” and gloat over me turn back : because they are ashamed.
Let all who seek you rejoice and be glad in you : let those who love your salvation say for ever, “Great is the Lord!”
But as for me, I am poor and needy : come to me speedily, O God.
You are my helper and my deliverer : O Lord, do not tarry.
Father, I stretch my hand to you : no other help I know.
Deuteronomy 29:2 – 15 Acts 7:44 – 8:1a
Father, I stretch my hand to you : no other help I know.
Mennonite theologian John Howard Yoder wrote, “The work of God is the calling of a -people, whether in the Old Covenant or the New. The church is then not simply the bearer of the message of reconciliation, in the way a newspaper or a telephone company can bear any message with which it is entrusted. Nor is the church simply the result of a message, as an alumni association is the product of a school or the crowds in a theater are the product of the reputation of the film. That men and women are called together to a new social wholeness is itself the work of God, which gives meaning to history.”
Prayers for Others
Our Father
Lord, you call us out of captivity into the freedom of your beloved community. As we pass through the wilderness spaces of our lives, grant us ears to hear you, eyes to see you, and hearts that ache for you, that we might not turn away from the brothers and sisters who help us remember who we are. 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 June 12
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 “We Shall Not Be Moved”
Satan is defeated! : Deliver us from fear.
Psalm 64:1 – 4, 8 – 10
Hear my voice, O God, when I complain : protect my life from fear of the enemy.
Hide me from the conspiracy of the wicked : from the mob of evildoers.
They sharpen their tongue like a sword : and aim their bitter words like arrows,
that they may shoot down the blameless from ambush : they shoot without warning and are not afraid.
He will make them trip over their tongues : and all who see them will shake their heads.
Everyone will stand in awe and declare God’s deeds : they will recognize his works.
The righteous will rejoice in the Lord and put their trust in him : and all who are true of heart will glory.
Satan is defeated! Deliver us from fear.
Deuteronomy 26:1 – 11 Acts 7:30 – 43
Satan is defeated! Deliver us from fear.
Contemporary theologian Scott Bader-Saye has written, “Following -Jesus will mean surrendering the power that masquerades as security in order to love the neighbor and welcome the stranger. It will mean avoiding the safe path in order to pursue the good. But in a culture of fear, we find such risks all the more difficult since our natural inclinations lead us to close in on ourselves when we face danger. How can we maintain the posture of the open hand toward a world that scares us?”
Prayers for Others
Our Father
You alone secure us in our place, O Lord. In our going out and coming in, deliver us from fear, that we may, by your Spirit’s power, let down our defenses in love. 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 June 11
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 “Waters of Babylon”
Yea, though you slay me : yet will I praise you.
Psalm 58:3 – 8
The wicked are perverse from the womb : liars go astray from their birth.
They are as venomous as a serpent : they are like the deaf adder which stops its ears,
which does not heed the voice of the charmer : no matter how skillful his charming.
O God, break their teeth in their mouths : pull the fangs of the young lions, O Lord.
Let them vanish like water that runs off : let them wither like trodden grass.
Let them be like the snail that melts away : like a stillborn child that never sees the sun.
Yea, though you slay me : yet will I praise you.
Deuteronomy 16:18 – 20; 17:14 – 20 Acts 7:17 – 29
Yea, though you slay me : yet will I praise you.
A victim of the Holocaust, Anne Frank wrote, “I see the world gradually being turned into a wilderness. I hear the ever-approaching thunder, which will destroy us too. I can feel the sufferings of millions and yet, if I look up into the heavens, I think that it will all come right. In the meantime, I must uphold my ideals, for perhaps the time will come when I shall be able to carry them out.”
Prayers for Others
Our Father
God, you alone are the judge of humankind, yet you call us to work toward justice. Help us make the judgments necessary for faithful living without becoming judgmental, that we may celebrate the mystery by which your justice is your mercy, through -Jesus 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.
Daily Prayers for June 10
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 “O Mary, Don’t You Weep”
Root out wickedness from our hearts : and scatter our evil thoughts.
Psalm 52:1 – 5
You tyrant, why do you boast of wickedness : against the godly all day long?
You plot ruin; your tongue is like a sharpened razor : O worker of deception.
You love evil more than good : and lying more than speaking the truth.
You love all words that hurt : O you deceitful tongue.
Oh, that God would demolish you utterly : topple you, and snatch you from your dwelling, and root you out of the land of the living!
Root out wickedness from our hearts : and scatter our evil thoughts.
Deuteronomy 13:1 – 11 Acts 6:15 – 7:16
Root out wickedness from our hearts : and scatter our evil thoughts.
Desert father Joseph of Panephysis said, “If you want to find rest here below, and hereafter, in all circumstances say, Who am I? and do not judge anyone.”
Prayers for Others
Our Father
Lord -Jesus Christ, set our sights on your kingdom this day that we may keep from false idols and tempting voices. You alone are God, who keeps us and directs our steps for your glory. 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 June 9
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 “Solid Rock”
The Lord of hosts is with us : the God of Jacob is our stronghold.
Psalm 46:1 – 4
God is our refuge and strength : a very present help in trouble.
Therefore we will not fear, though the earth be moved : and though the mountains be toppled into the depths of the sea;
though its waters rage and foam : and though the mountains tremble at its tumult.
The Lord of hosts is with us : the God of Jacob is our stronghold.
The Lord of hosts is with us : the God of Jacob is our stronghold.
Deuteronomy 12:1 – 12 Acts 6:1 – 15
The Lord of hosts is with us : the God of Jacob is our stronghold.
John Wesley, who founded the Methodist movement, wrote, “One of the principle rules of religion is to lose no occasion of serving God. And since he is invisible to our eyes, we are to serve him in our neighbor; which he receives as if done to himself in person, standing visibly before us.”
Prayers for Others
Our Father
Lord, we want to serve you in the love we show our neighbors. Teach us to embrace each person made in your image as if we were greeting 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 June 8
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”
Give ear to our cry, O Lord : listen to your children praying.
Psalm 39:11 – 15
Take your affliction from me : I am worn down by the blows of your hand.
With rebukes for sin you punish us; like a moth you eat away all that is dear to us : truly, everyone is but a puff of wind.
Hear my prayer, O Lord, and give ear to my cry : hold not your peace at my tears.
For I am but a sojourner with you : a wayfarer, as all my forebears were.
Turn your gaze from me, that I may be glad again : before I go my way and am no more.
Give ear to our cry, O Lord : listen to your children praying.
Deuteronomy 11:13 – 19 Acts 5:27 – 42
Give ear to our cry, O Lord : listen to your children praying.
In his Rule for monastic community, Benedict of Nursia wrote, “The first step of humility is to cherish at all times the sense of awe with which we should turn to God.”
Prayers for Others
Our Father
Lord, send us forth into the day to rejoice in all things, to trust you in all circumstances, and to proclaim your coming kingdom to all -people. 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.
Prayer Bowl
Some families and communities find it helpful to have a prayer bowl on the coffee table or in the room where they gather to pray each day. Whenever someone asks for prayer, they write the request on a little slip of paper and put it in the bowl. Then when it’s time for morning or evening prayer, each person can take a few slips of paper from the bowl and read out the requests during the time for prayers for others. This is also a good way to remember -people we don’t see every day, like children in war zones, victims of human trafficking, or our political leaders.
Daily Prayers for June 7
Seattle (1786? – 1866)
Seattle was born in a Suquamish village along the Puget Sound. As a child he witnessed the arrival of the first white folks in the Northwest. In his early twenties, he was named chief of his tribe and inherited the responsibility of dealing with the white settlers. He rejected the option of violent resistance and insisted on peaceful discourse. In 1830 he and many other Natives converted to Christianity. Seattle became a leader committed to integrating his faith within his Native culture and traditions. He eventually became very disheartened with the way he saw the white settlers treating the creation. He died on June 7, 1866, on the Port Madison Reservation near the city which today bears his name.
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 “Sing, O Sky (Gaao Re)”
We are part of the earth : and it is part of us.
Psalm 36:5 – 10
Your love, O Lord, reaches to the heavens : and your faithfulness to the clouds.
Your righteous-ness is like the strong mountains, your justice like the great deep : you save both man and beast, O Lord.
How priceless is your love, O God! : your -people take refuge under the shadow of your wings.
They feast upon the abundance of your house : you give them drink from the river of your delights.
For with you is the well of life : and in your light we see light.
Continue your loving-kindness to those who know you : and your favor to those who are true of heart.
We are part of the earth : and it is part of us.
Deuteronomy 11:1 – 12 Acts 5:12 – 26
We are part of the earth : and it is part of us.
Seattle said, “Humankind did not weave the web of life. We are but one strand within it. Whatever we do to the web we do to ourselves.”
Prayers for Others
Our Father
Lord, you care for all of creation and watch over the earth and its inhabitants day and night. Help us learn to love all things created by your hand. Teach us that we are part of a larger tapestry woven together for the good of all. 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 June 6
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 “Nothin’ but the Blood”
Lord -Jesus Christ, Son of God : have mercy on me, a sinner.
Psalm 32:1 – 7
Happy are they whose transgressions are forgiven : and whose sin is put away!
Happy are they to whom the Lord imputes no guilt : and in whose spirit there is no guile!
While I held my tongue, my bones withered away : because of my groaning all day long.
For your hand was heavy upon me day and night : my moisture was dried up as in the heat of summer.
Then I acknowledged my sin to you : and did not conceal my guilt.
I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord.” : Then you forgave me the guilt of my sin.
Therefore all the faithful will make their prayers to you in time of trouble : when the great waters overflow, they shall not reach them.
Lord -Jesus Christ, Son of God : have mercy on me, a sinner.
Deuteronomy 5:22 – 33 Acts 4:32 – 5:11
Lord -Jesus Christ, Son of God : have mercy on me, a sinner.
Holocaust survivor Corrie ten Boom wrote, “Forgiveness is the key that unlocks the door of resentment and the handcuffs of hate. It is a power that breaks the chains of bitterness and the shackles of selfishness.”
Prayers for Others
Our Father
Lord, you invite us to follow you on the way that leads to life, and yet so often we stray toward death. Thank you that we are still alive because of your patience and mercy. Teach us to mirror your forgiveness in our relationships with one another. 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 June 5
In 1967, the Six-Day War erupted and lasted from June 5 to June 11. Israel fought neighboring nations Egypt, UAR, Jordan, and Syria in this historic war that has framed the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. At the war’s end, Israel had seized the Gaza Strip and the Sinai Peninsula from Egypt, the West Bank and East Jerusalem from Jordan, and the Golan Heights from Syria. The status of these territories and the resulting refugee crisis continue to be central concerns in the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict, raising issues of fairness, entitlement, theology, and international law.
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 “Praise to the Lord, the Almighty”
Surely God is in this place : we stand on holy ground.
Psalm 26:8 – 12
Lord, I love the house in which you dwell : and the place where your glory abides.
Do not sweep me away with sinners : nor my life with those who thirst for blood,
whose hands are full of evil plots : and their right hand full of bribes.
As for me, I will live with integrity : redeem me, O Lord, and have pity on me.
My foot stands on level ground : in the full assembly I will bless the Lord.
Surely God is in this place : we stand on holy ground.
Deuteronomy 5:1 – 22 Acts 2:37 – 47
Surely God is in this place : we stand on holy ground.
Twentieth-century spiritual writer Henri Nouwen prayed, “Dear Lord, I will remain restless, tense and dissatisfied until I can be totally at peace in your house. There is no certainty that my life will be any easier in the years ahead, or that my heart will be any calmer. But there is the certainty that you are waiting for me and will welcome me home when I have persevered in my long journey to your house.”
Prayers for Others
Our Father
Lord, meet us wherever goods are held in common for love and justice, wherever bread is broken for worship and praise, and wherever life witnesses to repentance and reconciliation. 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.
