Daily Prayers for May 15
On May 15 each year, many -people gather for International Conscientious Objector’s Day, holding vigils, protests, seminars, and campaigns to draw attention to conscientious objection. A conscientious objector is someone who refuses to serve in the armed forces or to bear arms in a military conflict. This refusal is based on moral or religious beliefs. It is also noteworthy that May 15 is celebrated as Israel’s independence day and lamented by Palestinians as “Al Nakba,” meaning “the day of catastrophe.” We remember on this day the conflict in the Middle East. And we also celebrate conscientious objectors known as the Israeli Refuseniks.
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 “Lamb of God”
The Lamb has conquered : let us follow him!
Psalm 76:1 – 4
In Judah is God known : his name is great in Israel.
At Salem is his tabernacle : and his dwelling is in Zion.
There he broke the flashing arrows : the shield, the sword, and the weapons of battle.
How glorious you are! : more splendid than the everlasting mountains!
The Lamb has conquered : let us follow him!
Numbers 17:1 – 11 Luke 7:18 – 35
The Lamb has conquered : let us follow him!
Fourth-century martyr Maximilian said, “I cannot enlist, for I am a Christian. I cannot serve, I cannot do evil. You can cut off my head, but I will not be a soldier of this world, for I am a soldier of Christ.”
Prayers for Others
Our Father
Lord, grant us courage to stand firm by the tenets of your kingdom — to seek peace and pursue it, to hunger and thirst for righteous-ness, to uphold the cause of the voiceless, to worship no other God before 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 May 14
Brother Juniper (d. 1258)
A companion of Francis of Assisi, Brother Juniper is remembered as a “fool for Christ,” and there are all sorts of wild stories about his antics. He was notorious for constantly giving his possessions away and living with a winsomeness that sometimes got him into trouble. At one point, he was ordered by a superior not to give away his outer garment to the beggars anymore. But it wasn’t long before he met someone in need who asked him for some clothing. He said, “My superior has told me under obedience not to give my clothing to anyone. But if you pull it off my back, I certainly will not prevent you.” Francis is said to have joked about how he wished for a forest of Junipers.
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 “Servant Song”
Blessed are you who are poor : for yours is the kingdom of God.
Psalm 72:1 – 2, 12 – 14
Give the king your justice, O God : and your righteous-ness to the king’s son;
that he may rule your -people righteously : and the poor with justice.
For he shall deliver the poor who cries out in distress : and the oppressed who has no helper.
He shall have pity on the lowly and poor : he shall preserve the lives of the needy.
He shall redeem their lives from oppression and violence : and dear shall their blood be in his sight.
Blessed are you who are poor : for yours is the kingdom of God.
Numbers 16:36 – 50 Luke 7:1 – 17
Blessed are you who are poor : for yours is the kingdom of God.
John Chrysostom, a fourth-century preacher and bishop of Constantinople, wrote, “Tell me then, how is it that you are rich? From whom did you receive it, and from whom did he transmit it to you? From his father and his grandfather. But can you, ascending through many generations, show the acquisition just? It cannot be. The root and origin of it must have been injustice. Why? Because God in the beginning did not make one person rich and another poor. He left the earth free to all alike. Why then if it is common, have you so many acres of land, while your neighbor has not a portion of it?”
Prayers for Others
Our Father
Lord, you did not withhold even your life for our benefit. If nothing is too much to offer you, remind us that nothing is too much to sacrifice for our brothers and sisters in need. 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 13
Julian of Norwich (1342 – 1416)
Born during a tumultuous period of England’s history, Julian witnessed tremendous suffering in her lifetime. At age thirty, when she was seriously ill, Julian received the first of sixteen visions that centered on the crucified Christ. She interpreted her visions to mean that God loves us unconditionally, and she likened Christ to a mother who suffers when a child is hurt. Julian became an anchorite, voluntarily restricting herself to a tiny cell in the church building at Norwich. She lived the rest of her days in almost total isolation so that she could pray for the community and offer spiritual counsel. Her Showings has been praised as being among the most important spiritual writing in the English language.
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”
Let the -peoples praise you, O God : let all the -peoples praise you.
Psalm 67:1 – 4
May God be merciful to us and bless us : show us the light of his countenance and come to us.
Let your ways be known upon earth : your saving health among all nations.
Let the -peoples praise you, O God : let all the -peoples praise you.
Let the nations be glad and sing for joy : for you judge the -peoples with equity and guide all the nations upon earth.
Let the -peoples praise you, O God : let all the -peoples praise you.
Numbers 16:20 – 35 Luke 6:39 – 49
Let the -peoples praise you, O God : let all the -peoples praise you.
Julian of Norwich prayed, “God, of your goodness, give me yourself, for you are enough for me. I may ask nothing less that is fully to your worship, and if I do ask anything less, ever shall I be in want. Only in you I have all.”
Prayers for Others
Our Father
God, you are present in our joys and in our sorrows. Help us expect to live lives that mirror the suffering and joy of Christ our Savior. No disciple is above her master. 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 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 sing to the Lord : let us shout for joy to the Rock of our salvation.
Song “Nothin’ but the Blood”
Make us friends of the thirsty, Lord : and teach us to thirst for you.
Psalm 63:1 – 4
O God, you are my God; eagerly I seek you : my soul thirsts for you, my flesh faints for you, as in a barren and dry land where there is no water.
Therefore I have gazed upon you in your holy place : that I might behold your power and your glory.
For your loving-kindness is better than life itself : my lips shall give you praise.
So will I bless you as long as I live : and lift up my hands in your name.
Make us friends of the thirsty, Lord : and teach us to thirst for you.
Numbers 16:1 – 19 Luke 6:27 – 38
Make us friends of the thirsty, Lord : and teach us to thirst for you.
These words were spoken to Catherine of Siena, a fourteenth-century mystic: “Beloved daughter, everything I give to you comes from the love and care I have for them. I desire to show my mercy to the whole world and my protective love to those who want it. My care is constant. I did all this so that they will know me and rejoice to see me forever.”
Prayers for Others
Our Father
Lord, your patience exceeds our comfort. We pray to step beyond the boundaries of what we call kindness. Expand our notion of mercy and enable us to turn toward our enemies even when they do not turn toward 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.
Daily Prayers for May 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 sing to the Lord : let us shout for joy to the Rock of our salvation.
Song “Woke Up This Mornin’ ”
Exalt yourself above the heavens, God : and your glory over all the earth.
Psalm 57:6 – 10
Exalt yourself above the heavens, O God : and your glory over all the earth.
My heart is firmly fixed, O God, my heart is fixed : I will sing and make melody.
Wake up, my spirit; awake, lute and harp : I myself will waken the dawn.
I will confess you among the -peoples, O Lord : I will sing praise to you among the nations.
For your loving-kindness is greater than the heavens : and your faithfulness reaches to the clouds.
Exalt yourself above the heavens, God : and your glory over all the earth.
Numbers 14:26 – 45 Luke 6:12 – 26
Exalt yourself above the heavens, God : and your glory over all the earth.
Francis de Sales, a sixteenth-century bishop in France, wrote, “Love the poor and love poverty, for it is by such love that we become truly poor. As the Scripture says, we become like the things we love. If you love the poor you will share their poverty and be poor like them. If you love the poor be often with them. Be glad to see them in your own home and to visit with them in theirs. Be glad to talk to them and be pleased to have them near you in church, on the street, and elsewhere. Be poor in conversing with them and speak to them as their companions do, but be rich in assisting them by sharing some of your more abundant goods with them.”
Prayers for Others
Our Father
Lord, turn our praises into hands that clothe the naked, arms that comfort the afflicted, tables that host the stranger, and shoulders that support the weary so that your name may be praised by those who live and die with their backs against the wall. 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 10
Isidore the Farmer (1070 – 1130)
In March 1622, Rome surprised many -people by recognizing Isidore as a saint. He founded no order, nor did he write a single book. He was a simple farmworker who spent his life tilling the land, mostly for the same wealthy landowner. With his wife, Maria, he bore a son who died in childhood. Isidore knew the hardship, toil, and sorrow that are very familiar to many. He went to worship daily and prayed continuously in the fields, displaying the simple and profound faith shared by campesinos around the globe. It was said that angels could be seen assisting Isidore in the fields as he plowed. Though he had very little wealth, he became known for generosity and hospitality, especially to the stranger or the lonely. He died on May 15, 1130.
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 Are Marching in the Light of God”
Shine the light of your justice, God : in our hearts and on our world.
Psalm 51:11 – 13
Create in me a clean heart, O God : and renew a right spirit within me.
Cast me not away from your presence : and take not your holy Spirit from me.
Give me the joy of your saving help again : and sustain me with your bountiful Spirit.
Shine the light of your justice, God : in our hearts and on our world.
Numbers 13:31 – 14:25 Luke 6:1 – 11
Shine the light of your justice, God : in our hearts and on our world.
This instruction is found in the ancient Codex Bezae: “Seek to grow from smallness, and from the higher place move down to the lowest.”
Prayers for Others
Our Father
-Jesus, we believe in your kingdom coming. Even amid pain and despair, we believe that with each brave prophet — with each unknown disciple who stretches her arm as a bridge between a broken world and a holy kingdom — you are laying another brick for the New Jerusalem. 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 9
Columba of Iona (521 – 597)
An Irish prince who chose the monastic life, Columba left Ireland in 563 and settled in Iona in Scotland. He was a large man with a big, resonant singing voice. He was also an excellent scribe and illuminator of manuscripts. A much-loved abbot, he had a missionary zeal and great prophetic insight. His faithfulness to the Celtic tradition fueled the spread of vital Christianity through Britain and beyond as he planted monastic communities to be hubs of prayer and mission, modeling a radical life of discipleship.
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 “Go, Tell It on the Mountain”
How happy upon the hills : are the feet of those who bring good news.
Psalm 45:1 – 4
My heart is stirring with a noble song; let me recite what I have fashioned for the king : my tongue shall be the pen of a skilled writer.
You are the fairest of men : grace flows from your lips, because God has blessed you for ever.
Strap your sword upon your thigh, O mighty warrior : in your pride and in your majesty.
Ride out and conquer in the cause of truth : and for the sake of justice.
How happy upon the hills : are the feet of those who bring good news.
Numbers 13:1 – 3, 21 – 30 Luke 5:27 – 39
How happy upon the hills : are the feet of those who bring good news.
Columba of Iona said, “Joy is the echo of God’s life in us.”
Prayers for Others
Our Father
Surprise us with your joy, O Lord, and let it resound in all we do. 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 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 “I Want -Jesus to Walk with Me”
Walk with us, Lord : the journey is long.
Psalm 39:5 – 8
Lord, let me know my end and the number of my days : so that I may know how short my life is.
You have given me a mere handful of days, and my lifetime is as nothing in your sight : truly, even those who stand erect are but a puff of wind.
We walk about like a shadow, and in vain we are in turmoil : we heap up riches and cannot tell who will gather them.
And now, what is my hope? : O Lord, my hope is in you.
Walk with us, Lord : the journey is long.
Numbers 12:1 – 6 Luke 5:12 – 26
Walk with us, Lord : the journey is long.
Seventeenth-century French mystic Madame Guyon said, “Praying scripture is not judged by how much you read but by the way in which you read. If you read quickly, it will benefit you little. You will be like a bee that merely skims the surface of a flower. Instead, in this new way of reading with prayer, you must become as the bee that penetrates into the depths of the flower. You plunge deeply within to remove its deepest nectar.”
Prayers for Others
Our Father
Lord, we pray for humility of mind to discern you in our visions and our dreams. We pray for wisdom to know what to do with your revelations. We pray for innocence to trust that you are walking with 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.
Daily Prayers for May 7
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 -Jesus Christ, Son of God : have mercy on me, a sinner.
Psalm 36:1 – 4
There is a voice of rebellion deep in the heart of the wicked : there is no fear of God before his eyes.
He flatters himself in his own eyes : that his hateful sin will not be found out.
The words of his mouth are wicked and deceitful : he has left off acting wisely and doing good.
He thinks up wickedness upon his bed and has set himself in no good way : he does not abhor that which is evil.
Lord -Jesus Christ, Son of God : have mercy on me, a sinner.
Numbers 11:24 – 33 Luke 5:1 – 11
Lord -Jesus Christ, Son of God : have mercy on me, a sinner.
American Quaker and spiritual writer Richard Foster has said, “We have real difficulty here because everyone thinks of changing the world, but where, oh where, are those who think of changing themselves? -People may genuinely want to be good, but seldom are they prepared to do what it takes to produce the inward life of goodness that can form the soul. Personal formation into the likeness of Christ is arduous and lifelong.”
Prayers for Others
Our Father
Gracious God, by your Son, -Jesus Christ, you call us forth from sin and into the baptism of new life. Help us work out our salvation with the fear and trembling necessary for any genuine disciple. Forgive us when we imagine that you are done with your re-creative work in 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.
Daily Prayers for May 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 “Praise to the Lord, the Almighty”
In the light of the morning : we will sing for joy.
Psalm 30:4 – 7
Sing to the Lord, you servants of his : give thanks for the remembrance of his holiness.
For his wrath endures but the twinkling of an eye : his favor for a lifetime.
Weeping may spend the night : but joy comes in the morning.
While I felt secure, I said, “I shall never be disturbed : You, Lord, with your favor, made me as strong as the mountains.”
In the light of the morning : we will sing for joy.
Numbers 11:1 – 23 Luke 4:38 – 44
In the light of the morning : we will sing for joy.
Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel prayed, “I did not ask for success; I asked for wonder. And You gave it to me.”
Prayers for Others
Our Father
You hear our prayers whether they are full of thanksgiving or full of complaints. Your mercy is unending. Even in your discipline you restrain yourself in ways we cannot know. May our mumbled words of gratitude and our fleeting praises find crevices where they can grow within your presence, Lord of light and morning. 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.
