Daily Prayers for January 15
On January 15, 1929, Martin Luther King Jr. was born in Atlanta, Georgia. In celebration of his contribution to the civil rights movement, the United States Congress made the third Monday in January a national holiday in 1983. While we celebrate Dr. King’s contribution to America, we also remember his insistence that the church exist as the “conscience of the state,” speaking prophetically to those in power. We honor Dr. King with all Americans, but we also remember that the sermon he intended to preach the Sunday after his assassination was titled “Why America May Go to Hell.”
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 Overcome”
Lord, if we are extremists : may we be extremists for love.
Psalm 78:1 – 3, 12 – 14
Hear my teaching, O my -people : incline your ears to the words of my mouth.
I will open my mouth in a parable : I will declare the mysteries of ancient times.
That which we have heard and known, and what our forefathers have told us : we will not hide from their children.
He worked marvels in the sight of their forefathers : in the land of Egypt, in the field of Zoan.
He split open the sea and let them pass through : he made the waters stand up like walls.
He led them with a cloud by day : and all the night through with a glow of fire.
Lord, if we are extremists : may we be extremists for love.
Genesis 8:6 – 22 Galatians 4:21 – 31
Lord, if we are extremists : may we be extremists for love.
Martin Luther King Jr. preached, “I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, every hill and mountain shall be made low, that rough places will be made straight and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed and all flesh shall see it together.”
Prayers for Others
Our Father
Lord, as we wake from another night’s slumber, we are reminded that your dreams are given to us and not merely conjured up by our imaginations. Help us understand both that your dreams come at a price and that their rewards are immeasurable. 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 January 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 sing to the Lord : let us shout for joy to the Rock of our salvation.
Song “Nothin’ but the Blood”
I’m so glad, oh I’m so glad : that the blood done signed my name.
Psalm 73:24 – 29
You will guide me by your counsel : and afterwards receive me with glory.
Whom have I in heaven but you? : and having you I desire nothing upon earth.
Though my flesh and my heart should waste away : God is the strength of my heart and my portion for ever.
Truly, those who forsake you will perish : you destroy all who are unfaithful.
But it is good for me to be near God : I have made the Lord God my refuge.
I will speak of all your works : in the gates of the city of Zion.
I’m so glad, oh I’m so glad : that the blood done signed my name.
Genesis 7:1 – 10, 17 – 23 Galatians 4:12 – 20
I’m so glad, oh I’m so glad : that the blood done signed my name.
Twentieth-century Maryknoll sister Mollie Rogers wrote, “Love, work, prayer, and suffering will sustain us in the future as they have in the past. All who are here now, all who will come after us, will have no other tools than these with which to build.”
Prayers for Others
Our Father
Lord -Jesus Christ, your blood washes away our sins and reconciles us to you. May we never get used to the wonder of a God who gives his own life for those who are killing him. 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 January 13
In 2003, George Ryan, Republican governor of Illinois, called for a moratorium on the death penalty. Persuaded by the work of law students exposing race and class discrimination, he called for a halt on executions. Though his political career was tainted by scandal, the 2003 moratorium affirmed and fueled the fire of many Christians and other abolitionists who are working for restorative justice and for an end to the death penalty.
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 “Lamb of God”
Christ our Lord is sacrificed for us : therefore, let us keep the feast.
Psalm 70
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.
Christ our Lord is sacrificed for us : therefore, let us keep the feast.
Genesis 6:9 – 22 Galatians 4:1 – 11
Christ our Lord is sacrificed for us : therefore, let us keep the feast.
Contemporary theologian Mark L. Taylor has written, “-Jesus died the victim of executioners with imperial power. There is an inescapable opposition between the life and death of -Jesus, and imperial power. To embrace and love the executed God is to be in resistance to empire. To be a follower of the executed -Jesus of Nazareth is to venture down a road without having a place in the system of imperial control.”
Prayers for Others
Our Father
Lord, even though you have conquered the grave, death is still an enemy that robs creation of your intent for life. Make us offended by death wherever we find it. Help us to advocate for life, from our communities to our capitols. 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 January 12
On January 12, 1948, Mohandas Gandhi began his last successful fast in New Delhi to convince Hindus and Muslims in the city to work toward peace. Six days later, convinced that harmony was achieved, he ended the fast. For most of his adult life, Gandhi read -Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount every morning, convinced that it contained a truth more powerful than the empire that occupied his native India or the enmity that divided Hindus and Muslims. Through “experiments in truth” like the public fast, he sought to put -Jesus’ teachings into practice for the sake of peace.
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”
Lord, give us strength: to pray against the powers.
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.
Lord, give us strength: to pray against the powers.
Genesis 6:1 – 8 Galatians 3:23 – 29
Lord, give us strength: to pray against the powers.
Gandhi said, “Prayer is not an old woman’s idle amusement. Properly understood and applied, it is the most potent instrument of action.”
Prayers for Others
Our Father
Lord, as we wait for you, teach us how self-denial might open our spirits to receive your instruction and strength. 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 January 11
Brother Lawrence (1611 – 1691)
Born Nicholas Herman in Lorraine, France, Brother Lawrence received little formal education and, as a young man, served briefly in the army. One day, he had an experience that set the course of his life in a new direction. Gazing at a barren tree in winter, Lawrence saw for the first time the majesty of God’s grace and the constancy of God’s providence. He imagined himself like the tree, waiting for the life that God would inevitably bring in season. Shortly after this experience, he became a lay brother in the Carmelite monastery in Paris. There he worked in the kitchen and, in the repetition of his daily chores, found a way to integrate spirituality and work, which he called the “practice of the presence of God.” By learning to perform his daily, mundane tasks for the sake of God, Brother Lawrence turned every moment into an opportunity for prayer.
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 “What Is This Place?”
May I sense you every moment : and make my whole life a prayer.
Psalm 61:4 – 8
I will dwell in your house for ever : I will take refuge under the cover of your wings.
For you, O God, have heard my vows : you have granted me the heritage of those who fear your name.
Add length of days to the king’s life : let his years extend over many generations.
Let him sit enthroned before God for ever : bid love and faithfulness watch over him.
So will I always sing the praise of your name : and day by day I will fulfill my vows.
May I sense you every moment : and make my whole life a prayer.
Genesis 4:17 – 26 Galatians 3:15 – 22
May I sense you every moment : and make my whole life a prayer.
Brother Lawrence wrote, “Men invent means and methods of coming at God’s love, they learn rules and set up devices to remind them of that love, and it seems like a world of trouble to bring oneself into the consciousness of God’s presence. Yet it might be so simple. Is it not quicker and easier just to do our common business wholly for the love of him?”
Prayers for Others
Our Father
Though you are worthy of trumpets and the song of angels, you graciously receive our daily prayers of whispered words and mundane habits. Enable us, Lord, to love you with all that we are and in all that we do. Teach us how we might truly pray without ceasing. 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 January 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 “Be Thou My Vision”
Against the devil’s every wile : protect me, Lord, in times of trial.
Psalm 55:1 – 6
Hear my prayer, O God : do not hide yourself from my petition.
Listen to me and answer me : I have no peace, because of my cares.
I am shaken by the noise of the enemy : and by the pressure of the wicked;
for they have cast an evil spell upon me : and are set against me in fury.
My heart quakes within me : and the terrors of death have fallen upon me.
Fear and trembling have come over me : and horror overwhelms me.
Against the devil’s every wile : protect me, Lord, in times of trial.
Genesis 4:1 – 16 Galatians 3:1 – 14
Against the devil’s every wile : protect me, Lord, in times of trial.
Desert mother Amma Theodora wrote, “Let us strive to enter by the narrow gate. Just as the trees if they have not stood before the winter’s storms cannot bear fruit, so it is with us; this present age is a storm and it is only through many trials and temptations that we can obtain an inheritance in the kingdom of heaven.”
Prayers for Others
Our Father
Lord, you have conquered death. You have gone down to the depths of Sheol and risen again to life. Help us to remember as we suffer with you that we will also rise with you to a life that never ends. 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 January 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 “Fairest Lord -Jesus”
Clap your hands, all you -people : shout to God with a cry of joy!
Psalm 47:5 – 8
God has gone up with a shout : the Lord with the sound of the ram’s horn.
Sing praises to God, sing praises : sing praises to our King, sing praises.
For God is King of all the earth : sing praises with all your skill.
God reigns over the nations : God sits upon his holy throne.
Clap your hands, all you -people : shout to God with a cry of joy!
Genesis 3:1 – 24 Galatians 2:11 – 21
Clap your hands, all you -people : shout to God with a cry of joy!
Cyprian of Carthage, a third-century North African bishop, wrote, “The Lord has given us a pattern of prayer, instructing us on how we are to pray. He has made it easy for us to be heard as we pray to the Father in the words taught us by the Son. What prayer could be more a prayer in the truth than the one spoken by the lips of the Son, who is truth himself? To ask the Father in words his Son has given us, to let him hear the prayer of Christ ringing in his ears, is to make our prayer one of friendship, a family prayer. Let the Father recognize the words of his Son.”
Prayers for Others
Our Father
Lord -Jesus Christ, as we go about our day, we pray that you would recognize not only your word on our lips but also your actions in our deeds. 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 January 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 “Oh the Deep, Deep Love of -Jesus”
Though the darkness covers me : I will remember your light.
Psalm 42:1 – 3, 6 – 7
As the deer longs for the water brooks : so longs my soul for you, O God.
My soul is athirst for God, athirst for the living God : when shall I come to appear before the presence of God?
My tears have been my food day and night : while all day long they say to me, “Where now is your God?”
Why are you so full of heaviness, O my soul? : and why are you so disquieted within me?
Put your trust in God : for I will yet give thanks to him, who is the help of my countenance, and my God.
Though the darkness covers me : I will remember your light.
Genesis 2:4 – 25 Galatians 1:18 – 2:10
Though the darkness covers me : I will remember your light.
In the sayings of the desert fathers, this story is recorded: “A brother came to see Abba Poemen and said to him, ‘Abba, I have many thoughts and they put me in danger.’ The old man led him outside and said to him, ‘Expand your chest and do not breathe in.’ He said, ‘I cannot do that.’ Then the old man said to him, ‘If you cannot do that, no more can you prevent thoughts from arising, but you can resist them.’ ”
Prayers for Others
Our Father
Lord, we pray not to get lost in the reality of our own depravity, but rather to find ourselves morning by morning in the light of your mercy and redemption. 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 January 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 “Guide My Feet”
Light of the world, shine in our darkness : illuminate the way of peace.
Psalm 37:36 – 39
Wait upon the Lord and keep his way : he will raise you up to possess the land, and when the wicked are cut off, you will see it.
I have seen the wicked in their arrogance : flourishing like a tree in full leaf.
I went by, and behold, they were not there : I searched for them, but they could not be found.
Mark those who are honest; observe the upright : for there is a future for the peaceable.
Light of the world, shine in our darkness : illuminate the way of peace.
Genesis 1:1 – 2:3 Galatians 1:1 – 17
Light of the world, shine in our darkness : illuminate the way of peace.
Twentieth-century Jesuit Alfred Delp wrote, “If through one man’s life there is a little more love and kindness, a little more light and truth in the world, then he will not have lived in vain.”
Prayers for Others
Our Father
Lord, it is hard to live by your patience. Your timing is not our timing, and your ways are not our ways. Keep us from trying to rush peace, and prepare us for the peace that comes only by sacrifice and discipline. 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 January 6
Epiphany
Epiphany means “to make manifest.” By the fourth century, Epiphany was a major annual celebration for the church. It is a season when we see -Jesus’ divine mission revealed when the magi visit him, and then we remember his baptism, miracles, ministry, and his call for us to follow.
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)”
The heavens shine with your glory : as you wrap yourself in skin.
Psalm 33:1 – 6
Rejoice in the Lord, you righteous : it is good for the just to sing praises.
Praise the Lord with the harp : play to him upon the psaltery and lyre.
Sing for him a new song: sound a fanfare with all your skill upon the trumpet.
For the word of the Lord is right : and all his works are sure.
He loves righteous-ness and justice : the loving-kindness of the Lord fills the whole earth.
By the word of the Lord were the heavens made : by the breath of his mouth all the heavenly hosts.
The heavens shine with your glory : as you wrap yourself in skin.
Isaiah 60:1 – 6, 9 Matthew 2:1 – 12
The heavens shine with your glory : as you wrap yourself in skin.
Fifth-century monk and bishop Paulinus of Nola wrote, “We have no right to our possessions; they have been entrusted to us for the good of all. Let us then invest with the Lord what he has given us, for we have nothing that does not come from him: we are dependent upon him for our very existence. And we ourselves particularly, who have a special and a greater debt, since God not only created us but purchased us as well; what can we regard as our own when we do not possess even ourselves?”
Prayers for Others
Our Father
Lord -Jesus Christ, you have shown yourself to the nations and transformed many by your radiant light. Your ongoing revelations bring a continual rebirth, recreating each of us in your likeness. May today’s rising sun remind us that your light is for the healing of the nations. 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.
