Daily Prayers for June 4
In 1989, crowds of university students filled Tiananmen Square in Beijing to protest their government’s oppressive regime. Though they were allowed to gather for weeks, on the night of June 3, the Chinese Army massacred hundreds of peaceful protestors.
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 “Freedom Train”
You who were exalted on a cross : compel us with passion for justice and mercy.
Psalm 21:8 – 14
Your hand will lay hold upon all your enemies : your right hand will seize all those who hate you.
You will make them like a fiery furnace : at the time of your appearing, O Lord;
you will swallow them up in your wrath : and fire shall consume them.
You will destroy their offspring from the land : and their descendants from among the -peoples of the earth.
Though they intend evil against you and devise wicked schemes : yet they shall not prevail.
For you will put them to flight : and aim your arrows at them.
Be exalted, O Lord, in your might : we will sing and praise your power.
You who were exalted on a cross : compel us with passion for justice and mercy.
Deuteronomy 4:25 – 31 Acts 2:22 – 36
You who were exalted on a cross : compel us with passion for justice and mercy.
Nineteenth-century Danish philosopher Søren Kierkegaard wrote, “The first form of rulers in the world were the tyrants, the last will be the martyrs. Between a tyrant and a martyr there is of course an enormous difference, although they both have one thing in common: the power to compel. The tyrant, himself ambitious to dominate, compels -people through his power; the martyr, himself unconditionally obedient to God, compels others through his suffering. The tyrant dies and his rule is over; the martyr dies and his rule begins.”
Prayers for Others
Our Father
God, give us discomfort at easy answers, half-truths, and superficial relationships, so that instead we may live deep within our hearts. Grant us anger at injustice, oppression, and exploitation of -people, so that we may wish for justice, freedom, and peace. Bless us with enough foolishness to believe that we can make a difference in this world, so that we can do what others claim cannot be done. 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 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 bow down and bend the knee : let us kneel before the Lord our Maker.
Song “I Will Trust in the Lord”
Pour out your Spirit, Lord : that we might dream your dream.
Psalm 17:1 – 3, 8 – 9
Hear my plea of innocence, O Lord; give heed to my cry : listen to my prayer, which does not come from lying lips.
Let my vindication come forth from your presence : let your eyes be fixed on justice.
Weigh my heart, summon me by night : melt me down; you will find no impurity in me.
Keep me as the apple of your eye : hide me under the shadow of your wings,
from the wicked who assault me : from my deadly enemies who surround me.
Pour out your Spirit, Lord : that we might dream your dream.
Deuteronomy 4:15 – 24 Acts 2:1 – 21
Pour out your Spirit, Lord : that we might dream your dream.
William Booth, co-founder of the Salvation Army, said, “While women weep, as they do now, I’ll fight; while children go hungry, as they do now, I’ll fight; while men go to prison, in and out, in and out, as they do now, I’ll fight; while there is a drunkard left, while there is a poor lost girl upon the streets, while there remains one dark soul without the light of God, I’ll fight — I’ll fight to the very end!”
Prayers for Others
Our Father
Lord, grant us courage to fight the good fight by treating everybody right. 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 2
On June 2, 1872, Julia Ward Howe began the celebration of Mother’s Day as a holiday to honor mothers by working for an end to all war.
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 “-Jesus, Help Us Live in Peace”
Make us students of your way, Lord : that we might study war no more.
Psalm 11:1 – 6
In the Lord have I taken refuge : how then can you say to me, “Fly away like a bird to the hilltop;
for see how the wicked bend the bow and fit their arrows to the string : to shoot from ambush at the true of heart.
When the foundations are being destroyed : what can the righteous do?”
The Lord is in his holy temple : the Lord’s throne is in heaven.
His eyes behold the inhabited world : his piercing eye weighs our worth.
The Lord weighs the righteous as well as the wicked : but those who delight in violence he abhors.
Make us students of your way, Lord : that we might study war no more.
Deuteronomy 4:9 – 14 Acts 1:15 – 26
Make us students of your way, Lord : that we might study war no more.
Julia Ward Howe made this proclamation on the first Mother’s Day: “Arise, then, women of this day! Arise, all women who have hearts, whether our baptism be of water or of tears! Say firmly: ‘We will not have great questions decided by irrelevant agencies. Our husbands will not come to us, reeking with carnage, for caresses and applause. Our sons shall not be taken from us to unlearn all that we have been able to teach them of charity, mercy and patience.’ From the bosom of the devastated Earth a voice goes up with our own. It says: ‘Disarm! Disarm! The sword of murder is not the balance of justice.’ Blood does not wipe out dishonor, nor violence indicate possession. As men have often forsaken the plough and the anvil at the summons of war, let women now leave all that may be left of home for a great and earnest day
of counsel.”
Prayers for Others
Our Father
Lord, help us assemble ourselves before you today through our acts of peace and reconciliation with neighbors near and far. Help us to teach the children in our communities what it means to be children of a God who loves us like a mother. 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 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 “Swing Low, Sweet Chariot”
Lord, we wait on you : guide us in the time of trouble.
Psalm 3:1 – 5
Lord, how many adversaries I have! : how many there are who rise up against me!
How many there are who say of me : “There is no help for him in his God.”
But you, O Lord, are a shield about me : you are my glory, the one who lifts up my head.
I call aloud upon the Lord : and he answers me from his holy hill;
I lie down and go to sleep : I wake again, because the Lord sustains me.
Lord, we wait on you : guide us in the time of trouble.
Deuteronomy 4:1 – 9 Acts 1:1 – 14
Lord, we wait on you : guide us in the time of trouble.
Desert father Abba Anthony said, “Pay attention to what I tell you: whoever you may be, always have God before your eyes; whatever you do, do it according to the testimony of the holy Scriptures; in whatever place you live, do not easily leave it. Keep these three precepts and you will be saved.”
Prayers for Others
Our Father
Grow us slowly, persistently, and deeply, Lord, to be -people who watch without distraction, listen without interruption, and stay put without inclination to flee. 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 May 31
Feast of the Visitation
On May 31, the church celebrates Mary’s visit with her cousin Elizabeth, after she had learned from the angel Gabriel that she was carrying the creator of the universe in her womb. Elizabeth was herself pregnant with John the Baptist at the time, and the gospel account tells us that he leapt for joy inside his mother when she embraced Mary. The joy of these two hosts — Mary and Elizabeth — is a reminder to us of the delight that comes when we practice hospitality, inviting God to come right into our lives.
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 “This Little Light of Mine”
Sing and rejoice, O daughters of Zion : the Lord is coming and has now come.
Psalm 149:1 – 4
Hallelujah! Sing to the Lord a new song : sing his praise in the congregation of the faithful.
Let Israel rejoice in his Maker : let the children of Zion be joyful in their King.
Let them praise his name in the dance : let them sing praise to him with timbrel and harp.
For the Lord takes pleasure in his -people : and adorns the poor with victory.
Sing and rejoice, O daughters of Zion : the Lord is coming and has now come.
Zephaniah 3:14 – 18a Luke 1:39 – 49
Sing and rejoice, O daughters of Zion : the Lord is coming and has now come.
Jeanne de Chantal, seventeenth-century founder of the Order of the Visitation, said, “No matter what happens, be gentle with yourself.”
Prayers for Others
Our Father
Lord, you have done great things for us, many of which we have hardly noticed. You are Lord over the past, sovereign in the present, and victorious in the future. Even in our trials, we celebrate 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. Wash your clothes by hand and dry them on a line. Remember the 1.6 billion -people who do not have electricity.
2. Learn to sew. Try making your own clothes for a year.
3. Eat only one bowl of rice a day for a week. (Be sure also to take a multivitamin.) And remember the twenty-five thousand -people who die of malnutrition and starvation each day.
4. Keep the Sabbath holy. Rest one day a week this year — don’t answer the phone or the door, and don’t use the internet. Do something that brings you life that day.
5. Go to a city council meeting. Pray. Speak as the Spirit leads.
Daily Prayers for May 30
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 “Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence”
Lord, we must decrease : so that you might increase.
Psalm 144:3 – 8
O Lord, what are we that you should care for us? : mere mortals that you should think of us?
We are like a puff of wind : our days are like a passing shadow.
Bow your heavens, O Lord, and come down : touch the mountains, and they shall smoke.
Hurl the lightning and scatter them : shoot out your arrows and rout them.
Stretch out your hand from on high : rescue me and deliver me from the great waters, from the hand of foreign -peoples,
whose mouths speak deceitfully : and whose right hand is raised in falsehood.
Lord, we must decrease : so that you might increase.
Deuteronomy 3:18 – 28 Luke 11:1 – 13
Lord, we must decrease : so that you might increase.
Augustine of Hippo, a fifth-century bishop and theologian, wrote, “The way to Christ is first through humility, second through humility, third through humility. If humility does not precede and accompany and follow every good work we do, if it is not before us to focus on, if it is not beside us to lean upon, if it is not behind us to fence us in, pride will wrench from our hand any good deed we do at the very moment we do it.”
Prayers for Others
Our Father
Lord, we expect good things from you because you are good and you promise to give to those who ask. Teach us to know not only how to ask but also for what we should ask. May all our asking, seeking, and knocking be to further your kingdom in some way, no matter how small or mundane. 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 May 29
On May 29, 1968, the Poor -People’s Campaign arrived in Washington, D.C. The campaign was established to broaden the civil rights movement to include disadvantaged -people of all races. The main demonstration was held at the Mall in Washington, D.C., where -people camped out in tents called Resurrection City. Seven thousand demonstrators made this tent city their home to bring attention to issues of poverty and injustice.
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”
Lord, help us stand for justice : and find you among the poor.
Psalm 140:4 – 6
Keep me, O Lord, from the hands of the wicked : protect me from the violent, who are determined to trip me up.
The proud have hidden a snare for me and stretched out a net of cords : they have set traps for me along the path.
I have said to the Lord, “You are my God : listen, O Lord, to my supplication.”
Lord, help us stand for justice : and find you among the poor.
Deuteronomy 1:1 – 18 Luke 10:38 – 42
Lord, help us stand for justice : and find you among the poor.
Mississippi civil rights activist Fannie Lou Hamer said, “Christianity is being concerned about your fellow man, not building a million-dollar church while -people are starving right around the corner. Christ was a revolutionary person, out there where it was happening. That’s what God is all about, and that’s where I get my strength.”
Prayers for Others
Our Father
Help us, Lord, to do the one thing that is necessary: to tend to the poor, to walk alongside the poor, to find you among the poor, to declare ourselves poor as long as anyone suffers need. May we begin this journey with just one person today. 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 May 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 “All Creatures of Our God and King”
Praise to you who dwell among us : keeping promise by your presence.
Psalm 132:8 – 13
Arise, O Lord, into your resting place : you and the ark of your strength.
Let your priests be clothed with righteous-ness : let your faithful -people sing with joy.
For your servant David’s sake : do not turn away the face of your Anointed.
The Lord has sworn an oath to David : in truth, he will not break it:
“A son, the fruit of your body : will I set upon your throne.
If your children keep my covenant and my testimonies that I shall teach them : their children will sit upon your throne for evermore.”
Praise to you who dwell among us : keeping promise by your presence.
Numbers 35:1 – 3, 9 – 15, 30 – 34 Luke 10:25 – 37
Praise to you who dwell among us : keeping promise by your presence.
Irenaeus of Lyon, a second-century bishop, wrote, “The church has been planted as a paradise in this world.”
Prayers for Others
Our Father
Lord, enable us today to see our neighbor in those whom the world rejects — the guilt-ridden, the foreigner, the unprotected, and the refugee. Open our eyes and make us present to these neighbors both in our various expressions of community and in the wider world. 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 May 27
Rahab
Rahab’s story is found in the book of Joshua. Rahab was a prostitute who hid Hebrew spies in her home while they were on a reconnaissance mission in Jericho. Fearing the God of Israel more than her own king, Rahab agreed to help the spies if they would protect her and her family when God delivered her city to them. Though she is an unlikely saint, Rahab is remembered by the authors of Matthew, Hebrews, and James as a faithful witness and an ancestor of -Jesus. Her story is a reminder that sinners make the best saints in God’s story.
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 “It Is Well with My Soul”
The Lord is God in heaven above : as he is on earth below.
Psalm 121:1 – 3, 7 – 8
I lift up my eyes to the hills : from where is my help to come?
My help comes from the Lord : the maker of heaven and earth.
He will not let your foot be moved : and he who watches over you will not fall asleep.
The Lord shall preserve you from all evil : it is he who shall keep you safe.
The Lord shall watch over your going out and your coming in : from this time forth for evermore.
The Lord is God in heaven above : as he is on earth below.
Joshua 2:1 – 21 Luke 10:17 – 24
The Lord is God in heaven above : as he is on earth below.
In his Rule for monastic community, Benedict of Nursia wrote, “Any guest who happens to arrive at the monastery should be received just as we would receive Christ himself, because he promised that on the last day he will say: I was a stranger and you welcomed me. Proper respect should be shown to everyone while a special welcome is reserved for those who are of the household of our Christian faith and for pilgrims. As soon as the arrival of a guest is announced, the superior and members of the community should hurry to offer a welcome with warm-hearted courtesy. First of all, they should pray together so as to seal their encounter in the peace of Christ. Prayer should come first and then the kiss of peace, so to evade any delusions which the devil may contrive.”
Prayers for Others
Our Father
Lord, you receive all of us sinners, asking only that we turn from death toward life. Today we choose life wherever we find a stranger and welcome her. 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 May 26
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 “Take My Life and Let It Be”
Like a hen gathers her brood, O Lord : shelter us under your wing.
Psalm 119:114 – 17
You are my refuge and shield : my hope is in your word.
Away from me, you wicked! : I will keep the commandments of my God.
Sustain me according to your promise, that I may live : and let me not be disappointed in my hope.
Hold me up, and I shall be safe : and my delight shall be ever in your statutes.
Like a hen gathers her brood, O Lord : shelter us under your wing.
Numbers 32:1 – 6, 16 – 27 Luke 10:1 – 17
Like a hen gathers her brood, O Lord : shelter us under your wing.
Indian priest Anthony de Mello told this story:
“A rich industrialist from the North was horrified to find a Southern fisherman lying leisurely beside his boat. ‘Why aren’t you fishing?’ asked the industrialist.
“ ‘Because I have caught enough fish for the day,’ said the fisherman.
“ ‘Why don’t you catch some more?’
“ ‘What would I do with them?’
“ ‘You could earn more money,’ was the reply. ‘With that, you could fix a motor to your boat, go into deeper waters and catch more fish. Then you would make enough money to buy nylon nets. These would bring you more fish and more money. Soon you would have enough money to own two boats . . . maybe even a fleet of boats. Then you would be a rich man like me.’
“ ‘What would I do then?’
“ ‘Then you could really enjoy life.’
“ ‘What do you think I am doing right now?’ said the fisherman.”
Prayers for Others
Our Father
Lord, may your Holy Spirit dwell within us and among us that we might remember to hope in your word, to heed your instruction, and to delight in your statutes. Grant us humility to obey everything you have commanded 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.
