Daily Prayers for November 11
Originally called Armistice Day, November 11 is set aside to remember the 24.9 million military veterans in the United States.
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”
Listen, Lord, listen : not to our words but to our prayer.
Psalm 60:1 – 5
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.
Save us by your right hand and answer us : that those who are dear to you may be delivered.
Listen, Lord, listen : not to our words but to our prayer.
Habakkuk 3:1 – 18 Revelation 13:11 – 18
Listen, Lord, listen : not to our words but to our prayer.
Charles Péguy said, “We must be saved together. We cannot go to God alone; else he would ask, ‘Where are the others?’ ”
Prayers for Others
Our Father
Lord, whether we face it or not, we do not live in isolation. Our words and our actions impact our communities. Help us to learn to speak after appropriate silence and reflection. Help us to recognize the work we can put our hands to so we are able to engage with it prayerfully and patiently. 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 November 10
On November 10, 1938, Jewish men and women in Germany were beaten and murdered by Nazi troops. Jewish shops were destroyed and hundreds of synagogues were burned, their broken windows giving the evening its name — Kristallnacht, “the night of glass.” Some twenty-five thousand Jewish men were sent to concentration camps. Following the brutality, Jewish -people were forced to clean up the debris and were banned from all hospitals.
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”
-Jesus Christ, Son of God : have mercy on me, a sinner.
Psalm 51:1 – 4
Have mercy on me, O God, according to your loving-kindness : in your great compassion blot out my offenses.
Wash me through and through from my wickedness : and cleanse me from my sin.
For I know my transgressions : and my sin is ever before me.
Against you only have I sinned : and done what is evil in your sight.
-Jesus Christ, Son of God : have mercy on me, a sinner.
Habakkuk 2:1 – 4, 9 – 20 Revelation 13:1 – 10
-Jesus Christ, Son of God : have mercy on me, a sinner.
Desert father John Cassian wrote, “If we go into the desert with our faults still hidden within us, they no longer hurt others, but our love of them remains. Of every sin not eradicated, the root is still growing secretly within. If we compare our own strict discipline with the lax practices of another and feel the slightest temptation to puff ourselves up, it proves that the terrible plague of pride is still infecting us. If we still see these signs within, we know that it is not the desire to sin but the opportunity to sin which has vanished.”
Prayers for Others
Our Father
How merciful you are, Lord, that you forgive us our sins, all our sins. Teach us the merciful art of public and private confession, not for our shame but for the cleansing of our sins and the fallowing of our rough hearts. 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 November 9
In 1989, the Berlin Wall fell, signaling an end to the Cold War and a victory for the long nonviolent resistance to communism in Eastern Europe.
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”
You have conquered, O Lamb of God : lead us on to victory.
Psalm 44:3 – 7
For they did not take the land by their sword, nor did their arm win the victory for them : but your right hand, your arm, and the light of your countenance, because you favored them.
You are my King and my God : you command victories for Jacob.
Through you we pushed back our adversaries : through your name we trampled on those who rose up against us.
For I do not rely on my bow : and my sword does not give me the victory.
Surely, you gave us victory over our adversaries : and put those who hate us to shame.
You have conquered, O Lamb of God : lead us on to victory.
Habakkuk 1:1 – 2:1 Revelation 12:7 – 17
You have conquered, O Lamb of God : lead us on to victory.
Twentieth-century peace activist A. J. Muste often said, “There is no way to peace, peace itself being the way.”
Prayers for Others
Our Father
Lord, any good thing that comes today is of your doing. Any victory over injustice, poverty, hunger, sickness, loneliness, displacement, and greed is by your might. We are merely channels for your work. Use us as you see fit and help us stand back when necessary. 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 November 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 sing to the Lord : let us shout for joy to the Rock of our salvation.
Song “Great Is Thy Faithfulness”
If it had not been for the Lord on my side : tell me, where would I be?
Psalm 40:7 – 11
In sacrifice and offering you take no pleasure : (you have given me ears to hear you);
burnt offering and sin offering you have not required : and so I said, “Behold, I come.
In the roll of the book it is written concerning me : ‘I love to do your will, O my God; your law is deep in my heart.’ ”
I proclaimed righteous-ness in the great congregation : behold, I did not restrain my lips; and that, O Lord, you know.
Your righteous-ness have I not hidden in my heart; I have spoken of your faithfulness and your deliverance : I have not concealed your love and faithfulness from the great congregation.
If it had not been for the Lord on my side : tell me, where would I be?
Joel 3:9 – 17 Revelation 12:1 – 6
If it had not been for the Lord on my side : tell me, where would I be?
Dorothy Day, co-founder of the Catholic Worker Movement, wrote, “Whatever I had read as a child about the saints had thrilled me. I could see the nobility of giving one’s life for the sick, the maimed, the leper. But there was another question in my mind. Why was so much done in remedying the evil instead of avoiding it in the first place? Where were the saints to try to change the social order, not just to minister to the slaves, but to do away with slavery?”
Prayers for Others
Our Father
Lord, we are slow to come to our senses. Often our feeble offerings are merely extensions of our sin. Quicken your Spirit within us and move us to offer up that which is pleasing to you: justice, kindness, and humilty of heart. 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 November 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 sing to the Lord : let us shout for joy to the Rock of our salvation.
Song “The Kingdom of God”
Establish our works in justice, Lord : and make us anew out of the stuff that lasts.
Psalm 37:19 – 21, 28 – 29
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.
Turn from evil, and do good : and dwell in the land for ever.
For the Lord loves justice : he does not forsake his faithful ones.
Establish our works in justice, Lord : and make us anew out of the stuff that lasts.
Joel 2:28 – 3:8 Revelation 11:14 – 19
Establish our works in justice, Lord : and make us anew out of the stuff that lasts.
A reading from Paul’s letter to the Romans: “Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God — this is true worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is — his good, pleasing and perfect will.”
Prayers for Others
Our Father
Lord, save us from times of trial, strengthen us to stand firm in the faith, and fill us with joy at your coming. 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 November 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 “O Lord, Have Mercy”
Rescue me from the hand of my enemy : and from thoughts that trouble me.
Psalm 31:9 – 12
Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I am in trouble : my eye is consumed with sorrow, and also my throat and my belly.
For my life is wasted with grief, and my years with sighing : my strength fails me because of affliction, and my bones are consumed.
I have become a reproach to all my enemies and even to my neighbors, a dismay to those of my acquaintance : when they see me in the street they avoid me.
I am forgotten like a dead man, out of mind : I am as useless as a broken pot.
Rescue me from the hand of my enemy : and from thoughts that trouble me.
Joel 2:21 – 27 Revelation 11:1 – 14
Rescue me from the hand of my enemy : and from thoughts that trouble me.
Desert mother Amma Theodora said, “There was a monk, who, because of the great number of his temptations, said, ‘I will go away from here.’ As he was putting on his sandals, he saw another man who was also putting on his sandals and this other monk said to him, ‘Is it on my account that you are going away? Because I go before you wherever you are going.’ ”
Prayers for Others
Our Father
Lord, show us when the enemy we fear is to be found within ourselves. Equip us, then, with the sword of your word and the shield of faith that we might stand our ground in this place where you have called us to dwell together in unity. 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 November 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 “Fairest Lord -Jesus”
Teach us the fear that leads to wisdom : and the love that drives out fear.
Psalm 25:11 – 14
Who are they who fear the Lord? : he will teach them the way that they should choose.
They shall dwell in prosperity : and their offspring shall inherit the land.
The Lord is a friend to those who fear him : and will show them his covenant.
My eyes are ever looking to the Lord : for he shall pluck my feet out of the net.
Teach us the fear that leads to wisdom : and the love that drives out fear.
Joel 2:12 – 19 Revelation 10:1 – 11
Teach us the fear that leads to wisdom : and the love that drives out fear.
Desert father Anthony of Egypt said, “I no longer fear God, but I love him.”
Prayers for Others
Our Father
Lord, if we are to be afraid of anything, let it be the fear of not committing ourselves fully to you. Let us fear that the day will pass without our having lightened the load of another. Let us fear that someone will come looking for you and find only 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 November 4
Watchman Nee (1903 – 1972)
Watchman Nee was a Chinese church leader in the early twentieth century. He was born into a Methodist family on November 4, 1903. Nee was a courageous pastor and writer who saw a great revival in China. He had no formal theological training, but with a deep commitment, he undertook thirty years of ministry in the underground church in China. Eventually he was imprisoned for his faith and remained in prison for two decades until his death in 1972.
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 “Poor Wayfaring Stranger”
Be not far away, O Lord : you are my strength; hasten to help me.
Psalm 22:12 – 17
Many young bulls encircle me : strong bulls of Bashan surround me.
They open wide their jaws at me : like a ravening and a roaring lion.
I am poured out like water; all my bones are out of joint : my heart within my breast is melting wax.
My mouth is dried out like a pot-sherd; my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth : and you have laid me in the dust of the grave.
Packs of dogs close me in, and gangs of evildoers circle around me : they pierce my hands and my feet; I can count all my bones.
They stare and gloat over me : they divide my garments among them; they cast lots for my clothing.
Be not far away, O Lord : you are my strength; hasten to help me.
Joel 2:1 – 11 Revelation 9:13 – 21
Be not far away, O Lord : you are my strength; hasten to help me.
Salvadoran martyr Rutilio Grande said, “It is a dangerous thing to be a Christian in our world.”
Prayers for Others
Our Father
Lord, remind us that we are resident aliens, called to be in the world but not of it. Show us today what it means to live as though your kingdom has come, while trusting that it is still coming. 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 November 3
Martin de Porres
The illegitimate son of a Spanish nobleman in sixteenth-century Peru, Martin de Porres bore the complexion of his black mother. He presented himself at fifteen as someone who could sweep the floors at a Dominican monastery, but his talents, especially in the art of healing, were soon recognized. As head of the monastery’s infirmary, Martin not only treated the brothers but went out into the streets of Peru and brought in the poor, even offering his own bed for them to sleep in. When Martin was made a saint in 1962, Pope John XXIII named him patron of all who work for social justice.
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”
You, O Lord, are my lamp : my God, you make my darkness bright.
Psalm 18:21 – 25
The Lord rewarded me because of my righteous dealing : because my hands were clean he rewarded me;
for I have kept the ways of the Lord : and have not offended against my God;
for all his judgments are before my eyes : and his decrees I have not put away from me;
for I have been blameless with him : and have kept myself from iniquity;
therefore the Lord rewarded me according to my righteous dealing : because of the cleanness of my hands in his sight.
You, O Lord, are my lamp : my God, you make my darkness bright.
Joel 1:15 – 20 Revelation 9:1 – 12
You, O Lord, are my lamp : my God, you make my darkness bright.
A contemporary of Martin de Porres testified, “He was a man of great charity, who being in charge of the infirmary not only healed his brother religious when they were sick but also assisted in the larger duty of spreading the Great Love of the world. For this they knew him as their father and consolation, calling him father of the poor.”
Prayers for Others
Our Father
Lord, when we open our hands and hearts to the poor, your kingdom is at hand. Remind us that there is always enough to give to those who are in need. Make us generous today with the goods you have entrusted to 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 November 2
In 1996, the first World Christian Gathering of Indigenous -People took place in Rotorua, New Zealand. Founded by a Maori -couple, Monte and Linda Ohia, the World Christian Gathering is a coming together of the world’s indigenous -peoples to worship the Creator and celebrate their traditional cultures.
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”
Pardon, Lord, what we ask in ignorance : but hear our cry for justice.
Psalm 9:16 – 20
The Lord is known by his acts of justice : the wicked are trapped in the works of their own hands.
The wicked shall be given over to the grave : and also all the -peoples that forget God.
For the needy shall not always be forgotten : and the hope of the poor shall not perish for ever.
Rise up, O Lord, let not the ungodly have the upper hand : let them be judged before you.
Put fear upon them, O Lord : let the ungodly know they are but mortal.
Pardon, Lord, what we ask in ignorance : but hear our cry for justice.
Joel 1:1 – 13 Revelation 8:1 – 13
Pardon, Lord, what we ask in ignorance : but hear our cry for justice.
Great preacher and civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. said, “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly affects all indirectly.”
Prayers for Others
Our Father
God, we are so used to seeing ourselves as individuals with personal destinies. Remind us that we are made in your image, the image of community. Help us to love each other and be made one as you are one. Whisper your love to us and let us whisper your love to the world 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.
