Daily Prayers for March 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 bow down and bend the knee : let us kneel before the Lord our Maker.
Song “Come, Ye Sinners”
Teach us, Lord, the unquenchable joy : of sins forgiven, friendship restored.
Psalm 32:6 – 8
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.
You are my hiding place; you preserve me from trouble : you surround me with shouts of deliverance.
Teach us, Lord, the unquenchable joy : of sins forgiven, friendship restored.
Genesis 45:16 – 28 Mark 2:23 – 3:6
Teach us, Lord, the unquenchable joy : of sins forgiven, friendship restored.
Twentieth-century mystic and philosopher Simone Weil said, “Today it is not nearly enough merely to be a saint; but we must have the saintliness demanded by the present moment, a new saintliness.”
Prayers for Others
Our Father
Lord, guide us to act, live, and pray as the times determine. Make our faith grow to accommodate the needs of your -people and the fulfillment 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 5
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, Hear My Prayer”
Free us, Lord, from the chains of death : that we might work for love and life.
Psalm 28:1 – 4
O Lord, I call to you; my Rock, do not be deaf to my cry : lest, if you do not hear me, I become like those who go down to the Pit.
Hear the voice of my prayer when I cry out to you : when I lift up my hands to your holy of holies.
Do not snatch me away with the wicked or with the evildoers : who speak peaceably with their neighbors, while strife is in their hearts.
Repay them according to their deeds : and according to the wickedness of their actions.
Free us, Lord, from the chains of death : that we might work for love and life.
Genesis 45:1 – 15 Mark 2:13 – 22
Free us, Lord, from the chains of death : that we might work for love and life.
Catherine Booth, a great nineteenth-century preacher and co-founder of the Salvation Army, said, “Cast off all bonds of prejudice and custom, and let the love of Christ, which is in you, have free course to run out in all conceivable schemes and methods of labour for the souls of men.”
Prayers for Others
Our Father
As the morning casts off the darkness, Lord, help us to cast aside any feelings of ill will we might harbor against those who have hurt us. Soften our hearts to work toward their conversion and ours. 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 4
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?”
Be not far from me, O Lord : for you are my strength and my help.
Psalm 22:1 – 6
My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? : and are so far from my cry and from the words of my distress?
O my God, I cry in the daytime, but you do not answer : by night as well, but I find no rest.
Yet you are the Holy One : enthroned upon the praises of Israel.
Our forefathers put their trust in you : they trusted, and you delivered them.
They cried out to you and were delivered : they trusted in you and were not put to shame.
But as for me, I am a worm and no man : scorned by all and despised by the -people.
Be not far from me, O Lord : for you are my strength and my help.
Genesis 44:18 – 34 Mark 2:1 – 12
Be not far from me, O Lord : for you are my strength and my help.
Thirteenth-century mystic Gertrude of Helfta prayed, “Inscribe with your precious blood, most merciful Lord, your wounds on my heart, that I may read in them both your sufferings and your love.”
Prayers for Others
Our Father
Keep us from self-pity, Lord, and stir us to rise each morning expecting to encounter you and be caught up in your work. 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 3
On March 3, 1968, more than twenty thousand Mexican and Chicano students walked out of Los Angeles high schools, calling for an end to racist policies. The students were not allowed to speak Spanish in the classroom or to use the bathroom during lunchtime. Mexican-American history was often denied, and Chicano students were advised toward menial labor instead of college.
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”
Unite us in justice, Lord : that all might praise your name together.
Psalm 18:14 – 18
The Lord thundered out of heaven : the Most High uttered his voice.
He loosed his arrows and scattered them : he hurled thunderbolts and routed them.
The beds of the seas were uncovered, and the foundations of the world laid bare : at your battle cry, O Lord, at the blast of the breath of your nostrils.
He reached down from on high and grasped me : he drew me out of great waters.
He delivered me from my strong enemies and from those who hated me : for they were too mighty for me.
Unite us in justice, Lord : that all might praise your name together.
Genesis 44:1 – 17 Mark 1:29 – 45
Unite us in justice, Lord : that all might praise your name together.
Pandita Ramabai, a nineteenth-century Indian activist, said, -“People must not only hear about the kingdom of God, but must see it in actual operation, on a small scale perhaps and in imperfect form, but a real demonstration nevertheless.”
Prayers for Others
Our Father
Lord, where there is injustice, unite us as your children to speak out and walk out as necessary. May all of our acts of protest be steeped in love for others and 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.
Daily Prayers for March 2
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”
Remember me in your mercy, Lord : and unite us by your cross.
Psalm 13
How long, O Lord? will you forget me for ever? : how long will you hide your face from me?
How long shall I have perplexity in my mind, and grief in my heart, day after day? : how long shall my enemy triumph over me?
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.
Remember me in your mercy, Lord : and unite us by your cross.
Genesis 43:16 – 34 Mark 1:14 – 28
Remember me in your mercy, Lord : and unite us by your cross.
Twentieth-century nun and philosopher Edith Stein asked, “Do you want to be totally united to the Crucified? If you are serious about this, you will be present, by the power of His Cross, at every front, at every place of sorrow, bringing to those who suffer, healing and salvation.”
Prayers for Others
Our Father
Sometimes we don’t realize the intensity of the things for which we pray, Lord. Keep us courageously mindful that your way is laden with tears on the way to resurrection. 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 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 “Waters of Babylon”
Take our tears, Lord : to water the seeds of prayer.
Psalm 6:6 – 9
I grow weary because of my groaning : every night I drench my bed and flood my couch with tears.
My eyes are wasted with grief : and worn away because of all my enemies.
Depart from me, all evildoers : for the Lord has heard the sound of my weeping.
The Lord has heard my supplication : the Lord accepts my prayer.
Take our tears, Lord : to water the seeds of prayer.
Genesis 43:1 – 15 Mark 1:1 – 13
Take our tears, Lord : to water the seeds of prayer.
Julian of Norwich wrote in the fourteenth century, “The worst has already happened and been repaired. . . . All shall be well, all shall be well, and all manner of things shall be well.”
Prayers for Others
Our Father
Lord, we are grateful that you can use every experience to draw us closer to you. Our trials and triumphs alike can finally be sown in the garden of our faith. 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 February 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 bow down and bend the knee : let us kneel before the Lord our Maker.
Song “We Shall Not Be Moved”
Our lives, O Lord, are in your hand : hold us up that we might stand.
Psalm 138:7 – 9
Though the Lord be high, he cares for the lowly : he perceives the haughty from afar.
Though I walk in the midst of trouble, you keep me safe : you stretch forth your hand against the fury of my enemies; your right hand shall save me.
The Lord will make good his purpose for me : O Lord, your love endures for ever; do not abandon the works of your hands.
Our lives, O Lord, are in your hand : hold us up that we might stand.
Genesis 42:18 – 28 Hebrews 13:1 – 16
Our lives, O Lord, are in your hand : hold us up that we might stand.
Bonaventure, a thirteenth-century Franciscan theologian, wrote, “The outcome or the fruit of reading Holy Scripture is by no means negligible: it is the fullness of eternal happiness. These are the books which tell us of eternal life, which were written, not only that we might believe, but also that we might have everlasting life. The purpose of the Scriptures, which come to us from God, is to lead us to the fullness of the truth. In order to achieve this, we must study holy Scripture carefully, and teach it and listen to it in the same way.”
Prayers for Others
Our Father
Lord, convict us of the need for spiritual disciplines that call us to stillness, centeredness, and contemplation. Remind us that your word is living and present to nurture us, grow us, and sustain us 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 February 27
In the year 280, Roman Emperor Constantine was baptized into the church, beginning Christianity’s transition from a minority movement to an empire’s religion. It was not long before the persecuted became the persecutors, and the cross of Christ was exchanged for the sword of Rome.
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”
You take dry bones and clothe them with bodies : create a church from those who are dead.
Psalm 127:1 – 4
Unless the Lord builds the house : their labor is in vain who build it.
Unless the Lord watches over the city : in vain the watchman keeps his vigil.
It is in vain that you rise so early and go to bed so late : vain, too, to eat the bread of toil, for he gives to his beloved sleep.
Children are a heritage from the Lord : and the fruit of the womb is a gift.
You take dry bones and clothe them with bodies : create a church from those who are dead.
Genesis 42:1 – 17 Hebrews 12:12 – 29
You take dry bones and clothe them with bodies : create a church from those who are dead.
Clement, an early bishop of Rome, wrote, “When the heathen hear the words of God from our lips, they marvel at them as something beautiful and great. However, when they find out that our deeds are unworthy of the words we speak, they turn from this to blasphemy. They say it is a myth and a delusion.”
Prayers for Others
Our Father
-Jesus, keep us from the tragedy of blaspheming your name because we have succumbed to a watered-down faith. Make our spirits restless whenever we think that the way things are is the way things have to be. 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 February 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 sing to the Lord : let us shout for joy to the Rock of our salvation.
Song “When the Saints Go Marching In”
Guide us, Lord, in your good way : that all our work might speed your day.
Psalm 119:169 – 72
Let my cry come before you, O Lord : give me understanding, according to your word.
Let my supplication come before you : deliver me, according to your promise.
My lips shall pour forth your praise : when you teach me your statutes.
My tongue shall sing of your promise : for all your commandments are righteous.
Guide us, Lord, in your good way : that all our work might speed your day.
Genesis 41:46 – 57 Hebrews 12:3 – 11
Guide us, Lord, in your good way : that all our work might speed your day.
Francis de Sales, a sixteenth-century bishop in France, wrote, “Each of us has his own endowment from God, one to live in this way, another in that. It is an impertinence, then, to try to find out why St. Paul was not given St. Peter’s grace, or St. Peter given St. Paul’s. There is only one answer to such questions: the Church is a garden patterned with countless flowers, so there must be a variety of sizes, colors, scents — of perfections, after all. Each has its value, its charm, its joy; while the whole vast cluster of these variations makes for beauty in its most graceful form.”
Prayers for Others
Our Father
Lord, as we continually answer the call to follow you, help us discern how to use our talents and gifts in ways that nurture 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 February 25
On this day in 1994, a Jewish settler from New York entered the Ibrahimi Mosque in Hebron with an automatic weapon and killed twenty-nine Muslims during prayer, which has become known as the Hebron Massacre. This massacre has been a landmark in the conflict in the Middle East, which is so often fueled by religious extremists reacting to other religious extremists. It is a reminder that extremists of all faiths have distorted the best that our faiths have to offer, and it is our prayer that a new generation of extremists for love and grace will rise up.
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”
God, help us shout the good news : in our songs and in our lives.
Psalm 119:101 – 4
I restrain my feet from every evil way : that I may keep your word.
I do not shrink from your judgments : because you yourself have taught me.
How sweet are your words to my taste! : they are sweeter than honey to my mouth.
Through your commandments I gain understanding : therefore I hate every lying way.
God, help us shout the good news : in our songs and in our lives.
Genesis 41:14 – 45 Hebrews 11:32 – 12:2
God, help us shout the good news : in our songs and in our lives.
Mother Teresa of Calcutta said, “To show great love for God and our neighbor we need not do great things. It is how much love we put in the doing that makes our offering something beautiful for God.”
Prayers for Others
Our Father
Today, Lord, help us make our lives an offering of quiet commitment to thread love through the torn garments of society. 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.
Sacred Space: Thinking About Where We Pray
Without a doubt we can pray anywhere, but there is something to be said for having a space that is reserved for prayer. Scripture makes it clear that God doesn’t dwell in buildings made by hand any more than God is in the streets or alleys. Still, most of our homes have places where we eat, play, or work. There are also places where God leaves a mark. To be sure, the church is not the building but the -people. But it can be nice to have a special place to meet the God we love.
One thing we see in Scripture is that folks like Jacob are commanded to mark the sacred space where God met them, to remember. As we look at spaces like a chapel or a shrine in the Holy Land, we remember not the magic of a physical space but the magic of what God did and who God is; we are reminded that this entire planet is filled with sacred spaces where God meets -people.
Consider creating a space where you can get on your knees in the “secret chamber” and be with God. A friend from Brazil started a tradition of tacking prayers on her wall, so she could pray simply by looking at the walls and remembering the needs of her neighborhood and all the prayers God has answered. Some of us keep things that remind us to pray for others, like dog tags of soldiers whose faith has called them to leave the military or a crack valve or a bullet from the streets in our neighborhoods. It is important to remember the things that happen on our streets, both good and bad.
