Daily Prayers for March 16
Twenty-three-year-old American activist Rachel Corrie was killed on this day in 2003. While countless Palestinian -people have been killed the way Rachel was, her death marks a key moment symbolizing international concern. She was crushed by a bulldozer in Gaza as she knelt in front of the home of a Palestinian friend and tried to stop the demolition of their house.
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”
Lord God of hosts, hear our prayer : listen, O God of Jacob.
Psalm 84:8 – 12
Behold our defender, O God : and look upon the face of your Anointed.
For one day in your courts is better than a thousand in my own room : and to stand at the threshold of the house of my God than to dwell in the tents of the wicked.
For the Lord God is both sun and shield : he will give grace and glory;
no good thing will the Lord withhold : from those who walk with integrity.
O Lord of hosts : happy are they who put their trust in you!
Lord God of hosts, hear our prayer : listen, O God of Jacob.
Exodus 2:23 – 3:15 Mark 6:30 – 46
Lord God of hosts, hear our prayer : listen, O God of Jacob.
Nineteenth-century French mystic Therese of Lisieux wrote, “My vocation is love! In the heart of the Church, who is my Mother, I will be love. So I shall be everything and so my dreams will be fulfilled — to make Love loved.”
Prayers for Others
Our Father
Lord God, please keep us balanced between the times you call us apart to be alone with you and the times when we dwell in the midst of others who claim you as Lord, that we might in every circumstance know ourselves in the beloved community of your Trinity. 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 March 15
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 Lord, Have Mercy”
Cleanse our hearts, Lord, by your Spirit : that we might praise your holy name.
Psalm 78:34 – 39
Whenever he slew them, they would seek him : and repent, and diligently search for God.
They would remember that God was their rock : and the Most High God their redeemer.
But they flattered him with their mouths : and lied to him with their tongues.
Their heart was not steadfast toward him : and they were not faithful to his covenant.
But he was so merciful that he forgave their sins and did not destroy them : many times he held back his anger and did not permit his wrath to be roused.
For he remembered that they were but flesh : a breath that goes forth and does not return.
Cleanse our hearts, Lord, by your Spirit : that we might praise your holy name.
Exodus 2:1 – 22 Mark 6:13 – 29
Cleanse our hearts, Lord, by your Spirit : that we might praise your holy name.
Katherine Drexel, the patron saint of racial justice, said, “You have no time to occupy your thoughts with that complacency or consideration of what others will think. Your business is simply, ‘What will my Father in heaven think?’ ”
Prayers for Others
Our Father
Lord, make it second nature for us to do what is right in your sight. Make us more concerned with abiding by the tenets of your kingdom than by human law. 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 March 14
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 “The Kingdom of God”
Arise, O God, maintain your cause : defend the poor for your name’s sake.
Psalm 74:17 – 20
Remember, O Lord, how the enemy scoffed : how a foolish -people despised your name.
Do not hand over the life of your dove to wild beasts : never forget the lives of your poor.
Look upon your covenant : the dark places of the earth are haunts of violence.
Let not the oppressed turn away ashamed : let the poor and needy praise your name.
Arise, O God, maintain your cause : defend the poor for your name’s sake.
Exodus 1:6 – 22 Mark 6:1 – 13
Arise, O God, maintain your cause : defend the poor for your name’s sake.
Maria Skobtsova, a twentieth-century nun remembered in Russia as Mother Maria, said, “At the Last Judgment I shall not be asked whether I was successful in my ascetic exercises, nor how many bows and prostrations I made. Instead I shall be asked if I fed the hungry, clothed the naked, visited the sick and the prisoners.”
Prayers for Others
Our Father
Lord, in our efforts to serve, help us be true to who we are in you. Make us see and understand the gifts and talents you have given us, and give us courage to use them for the building up 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 March 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 “Swing Low, Sweet Chariot”
Answer me, Lord, for your love is kind : in your compassion, turn to me.
Psalm 69:1 – 5
Save me, O God : for the waters have risen up to my neck.
I am sinking in deep mire : and there is no firm ground for my feet.
I have come into deep waters : and the torrent washes over me.
I have grown weary with my crying; my throat is inflamed : my eyes have failed from looking for my God.
Those who hate me without a cause are more than the hairs of my head; my lying foes who would destroy me are mighty : Must I then give back what I never stole?
Answer me, Lord, for your love is kind : in your compassion, turn to me.
Genesis 50:15 – 26 Mark 5:21 – 43
Answer me, Lord, for your love is kind : in your compassion, turn to me.
Perpetua of Carthage, a third-century martyr, said, “Stand fast in the faith, and love one another.”
Prayers for Others
Our Father
Lord, you ask us not to fear but to trust. Help our unbelief and grant us faith to stand fast in our love for 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 March 12
Maximilian of Thavaste (d. 295)
Maximilian, the son of a Roman soldier in present-day Algeria, was required to join the army at the age of twenty-one. Before the court of the Roman proconsul Dion, Maximilian testified, “I cannot enlist for I am a Christian. I cannot serve, I cannot do evil.” Because of his refusal he was beheaded.
Also noteworthy: this is the day that Jesuit priest Rutilio Grande was murdered in El Salvador, a pivotal moment in Salvadoran history and for the witness of the church in Latin America.
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’ ”
Overwhelm us with your love : which casts out every fear.
Psalm 67:14 – 18
Come and listen, all you who fear God : and I will tell you what he has done for me.
I called out to him with my mouth : and his praise was on my tongue.
If I had found evil in my heart : the Lord would not have heard me;
but in truth God has heard me : he has attended to the voice of my prayer.
Blessed be God, who has not rejected my prayer : nor withheld his love
from me.
Overwhelm us with your love : which casts out every fear.
Genesis 49:29 – 50:14 Mark 5:1 – 20
Overwhelm us with your love : which casts out every fear.
Maximilian of Thavaste said, “You can cut off my head, but I will not be a solider of this world, for I am a soldier of Christ.”
Prayers for Others
Our Father
Lord, help us examine ourselves and see if we are willing to give all for you. Search our hearts and convict us where there is still fear, self-preoccupation, and lack of trust. 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 March 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 “I Want -Jesus to Walk with Me”
We need your help against the enemy : for human help is useless.
Psalm 60:1 – 4
O God, you have cast us off and broken us : you have been angry; oh, take us back to you again.
You have shaken the earth and split it open : repair the cracks in it, for it totters.
You have made your -people know hardship : you have given us wine that makes us stagger.
You have set up a banner for those who fear you : to be a refuge from the power of the bow.
We need your help against the enemy : for human help is useless.
Genesis 49:1 – 28 Mark 4:35 – 41
We need your help against the enemy : for human help is useless.
Third-century martyr Agnes of Rome said, “You may stain your sword with my blood, but you will never be able to profane my body, consecrated to Christ.”
Prayers for Others
Our Father
Quiet our anxious spirits, Lord, and help us enjoy the peace you give which the world cannot take away. 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 March 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 “I Will Trust in the Lord”
I will call upon God : and the Lord will deliver me.
Psalm 55:22 – 24
Cast your burden upon the Lord, and he will sustain you : he will never let the righteous stumble.
For you will bring the bloodthirsty and deceitful : down to the pit of destruction, O God.
They shall not live out half their days : but I will put my trust in you.
I will call upon God : and the Lord will deliver me.
Genesis 48:8 – 22 Mark 4:21 – 34
I will call upon God : and the Lord will deliver me.
Teresa of Avila, a sixteenth-century Spanish mystic, said, “Let nothing disturb you, nothing dismay you. All things are passing, God never changes. Patient endurance attains all things. God alone suffices.”
Prayers for Others
Our Father
Lord, before the heat of the noonday comes, we are already feeling as though our lives are not full enough. Instill in us this morning the assurance that you are enough for us, God. Your love, your call, your work, is enough. 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 March 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 bow down and bend the knee : let us kneel before the Lord our Maker.
Song “Take My Life and Let It Be”
Forgive our greed, Lord : and free us for life together.
Psalm 49:4 – 8
Why should I be afraid in evil days : when the wickedness of those at my heels surrounds me,
the wickedness of those who put their trust in their goods : and boast of their great riches?
We can never ransom ourselves : or deliver to God the price of our life;
for the ransom of our life is so great : that we should never have enough to pay it,
in order to live for ever and ever : and never see the grave.
Forgive our greed, Lord : and free us for life together.
Genesis 47:27 – 48:7 Mark 4:1 – 20
Forgive our greed, Lord : and free us for life together.
Basil of Caesarea, a fourth-century bishop and monk, asked, “Are you not a robber, you who consider your own that which has been given you solely to distribute to others? This bread which you have set aside is the bread of the hungry; this garment you have locked away is the clothing of the naked; those shoes which you let rot are the shoes of him who is barefoot; those riches you have hoarded are the riches of the poor.”
Prayers for Others
Our Father
Lord, keep us from speaking of love while hoarding the gifts you have given us. Make us full of discontent as long as there are brothers and sisters living and dying in hunger. 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 March 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 “Guide My Feet”
Lead us by your light, O Lord : that we might shine like the sun.
Psalm 43:1 – 4
Give judgment for me, O God, and defend my cause against an ungodly -people : deliver me from the deceitful and the wicked.
For you are the God of my strength; why have you put me from you? : and why do I go so heavily while the enemy oppresses me?
Send out your light and your truth, that they may lead me : and bring me to your holy hill and to your dwelling;
that I may go to the altar of God, to the God of my joy and gladness : and on the harp I will give thanks to you, O God my God.
Lead us by your light, O Lord : that we might shine like the sun.
Genesis 47:1 – 26 Mark 3:19b – 35
Lead us by your light, O Lord : that we might shine like the sun.
Maria Skobtsova, a twentieth-century nun remembered in Russia as Mother Maria, said, “I am your message, Lord. Throw me like a blazing torch into the night, that all may see and understand what it means to be a disciple.”
Prayers for Others
Our Father
Lord God, when the hungry are fed, the sick healed, the lonely made family, the outcast brought in, the sinner forgiven, the tyrant transformed, and the enemy reconciled, we know your work by the fruit it produces. May our lives bear fruit worthy of your name. 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 March 7
Perpetua and Felicity (d. 203)
The relationship between Perpetua and Felicity began as that of a noblewoman and her servant girl. But when they embraced Christ, they became sisters in faith and ultimately co-martyrs. In 203 AD, Roman authorities arrested six Christians and condemned them to death by the sword for their refusal to renounce their faith. Among these six were twenty-two-year-old Perpetua, who had a young child, and her former slave, Felicity, who was eight months pregnant. Felicity gave birth while in prison, the night before their execution date, and her child was entrusted to a Christian -couple. Eyewitness accounts document that just before their death, the two women, now equals in Christ, embraced one another with a holy kiss.
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 “Come, Thou Fount”
Giver of all good things : make us generous in our giving.
Psalm 37:19 – 22
The Lord cares for the lives of the godly : and their inheritance shall last for ever.
They shall not be ashamed in bad times : and in days of famine they shall have enough.
As for the wicked, they shall perish : and the enemies of the Lord, like the glory of the meadows, shall vanish; they shall vanish like smoke.
The wicked borrow and do not repay : but the righteous are generous in giving.
Giver of all good things : make us generous in our giving.
Genesis 46:1 – 7, 28 – 34 Mark 3:7 – 19a
Giver of all good things : make us generous in our giving.
The following account is found in The Martyrdom of Perpetua: “Perpetua followed with quick step as a true spouse of Christ, the darling of God, her brightly flashing eyes quelling the gaze of the crowd. Felicitas too, joyful because she had safely survived child-birth and was now able to participate in the contest with the wild animals, passed from one shedding of blood to another; from midwife to gladiator, about to be purified after childbirth by a second baptism.”
Prayers for Others
Our Father
Lord, you have brought us in safety to this new day. Preserve us now by your mighty power that we may not fall into sin nor be overcome by adversity, but in all that we do direct us to the fulfilling of your purpose 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.
Order and Spontaneity
We must be careful in all our talk about liturgical prayer not to rule out the spontaneous moves of the Spirit. Just as liturgical traditions have much to offer us by way of roots, the charismatic and Pentecostals have much to offer us in zeal and passion. Tradition and innovation go together in God’s kingdom. -Jesus was Jewish. He went to synagogue “as was his tradition” and celebrated holy days such as Passover. But -Jesus also healed on the Sabbath. -Jesus points us to a God who is able to work within institutions and order, a God who is too big to be confined. God is constantly coloring outside the lines. -Jesus challenges the structures that oppress and exclude, and busts through any traditions that put limitations on love. Love cannot be harnessed.
Liturgy is public poetry and art. You can make beautiful art by splashing paint on a wall, and you can also make art with the careful diligence of a sculptor. Both can be lovely, and both can be ugly. Both can be marketed and robbed of their original touch, and both have the potential to inspire and move -people to do something beautiful for God. So it is with worship. More important than whether something is old or new, winsome or classic is whether it is real. The Scriptures tell us to “test the spirits,” and the true test of the spirit of a thing is whether it moves us closer to God and to our suffering neighbor. Does it have fruit outside of our own good feelings? Beauty must hearken to something beyond us. It should cause us to do something beautiful for God in the world.
