daily prayer with scripture

Each morning on Monday through Thursday, Pastor Young-Mee Park will send an email with a Bible verse and prayer. If you would like to receive these emails, please subscribe to our enews by clicking here. 

  • Thursday, october 15

    I won’t focus on what these arrogant people say, but I’ll find out what power they possess. God’s kingdom isn’t about words but about power. (1 Corinthians 4: 19-20, Common English Bible)


    Your kingdom, O God, is not about words but about power! Your Kingdom, O God, is power – the power that forgives and redeems, the power that restores and transforms! May our lives find its strength and purpose in that power! May our lives reveal the breadth, depth, and height of that power! May we live our lives as your power people! Through Christ Jesus. Amen.  

  • wednesday, october 14

    Who says that you are better than anyone else? What do you have that you didn’t receive? And if you received it, then why are you bragging as if you didn’t receive it? You’ve been filled already! You’ve become rich already! (1 Corinthians 4: 7-8, Common English Bible)


    We do not have anything that we did not receive, O God. Each breath we take is a gift from you. Each new day you create and place before us is your gift for us. We have nothing to brag or be arrogant about! You gift us, richly and abundantly, out of sheer love. May we grow as humble and grateful receivers! May we grow as receivers who also care and share, give and serve! Amen.  

  • tuesday, october 13

    It matters very little to me what you think of me, even less where I rank in popular opinion. I don’t even rank myself. Comparisons in these matters are pointless. (1 Corinthians 4: 3, The Message)


    Forgive us when we care too much about what others think of us. Forgive us when we think of life as one big popularity contest. We are all your children created in your image, precious and honored in your sight. May we be firmly grounded in this truth and never look outside for a validation. Through Christ Jesus. Amen.

  • monday, october 12

    So a person should think about us this way—as servants of Christ and managers of God’s secrets. In this kind of situation, what is expected of a manager is that they prove to be faithful. (1 Corinthians 4:1-2, Common English Bible)


    Forgive us, O God, when we let our need to be right shape our attitude and character. Forgive us, O God, when our desire for success direct the way we lead our lives. Faithfulness is what you expect of us as your servants and managers! In our words and deeds, may we be proven to be faithful stewards of your mysteries! May we be fruitful in our faithfulness! Amen.

  • Thursday, october 8

    I don’t want to hear any of you bragging about yourself or anyone else. Everything is already yours as a gift—Paul, Apollos, Peter, the world, life, death, the present, the future—all of it is yours, and you are privileged to be in union with Christ, who is in union with God. (1 Corinthians 3: 21-23, The Message)


    Yes, indeed, everything is already ours as a gift! Yes, indeed, we belong to you, O Christ! So, we brag, not about ourselves or anyone else, but about you! You are the source of everything that makes life possible and good! It is in your presence and power that we live, move, and have our being! May we walk with you humbly and reverently, with a grateful heart! Amen.

  • wednesday, october 7

    Don’t fool yourself. Don’t think that you can be wise merely by being up-to-date with the times. Be God’s fool—that’s the path to true wisdom. What the world calls smart, God calls stupid. (1 Corinthians 3: 18-19, The Message)


    Your wisdom, O God, brings deep peace. Your wisdom, O God, inspires deep faith, hope, and courage. May we not fool ourselves thinking that we are wise merely by being up-to-date with the times, but seek your wisdom! May we cultivate and practice it diligently! May we be your “fools”! Through Jesus Christ. Amen.

  • tuesday, october 6

    Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you? If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy that person. For God’s temple is holy, and you are that temple. (1 Corinthians 3: 16-17, NRSV)


    Thank you, God, for your Spirit dwelling within each and every one of us! Thank you for making us your holy temple! How awesome and how humbling! May we care for your dwelling place with reverence and humility! May we not defile or vandalize it! In our whole beings - body, mind, heart, and soul, may we honor you! In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

  • monday, october 5

    According to the grace of God given to me, like a skilled master builder I laid a foundation, and someone else is building on it. Each builder must choose with care how to build on it. 11 For no one can lay any foundation other than the one that has been laid; that foundation is Jesus Christ. (1 Corinthians 3: 10-11, NRSV)


    We are all builders, O God. Some of us are architects, others are carpenters, yet others are plumbers or electricians. But, whatever our skills, whatever our role, you, Christ Jesus, are the foundation. And what we are building is nothing else than your house! May we take particular care in picking out our building materials! May we build a house that will endure life’ storms and last!

  • thursday, october 1

    When someone says, “I belong to Paul,” and someone else says, “I belong to Apollos,” aren’t you acting like people without the Spirit? After all, what is Apollos? What is Paul? They are servants who helped you to believe. Each one had a role given to them by the Lord: I planted, Apollos watered, but God made it grow. (1 Corinthians 3: 4-6, Common English Bible)


    Some of us are planters, while others are waterers. Yet, ultimately, you are the one who makes the seeds of faith grow. We are all co-workers in your service, and your will is to grow your Kin-dom. May we not insist on our silos! May we not hold on to our personal preferences or divided loyalties! May work together, rhythmically and organically, in the unity of mission and purpose! Through Jesus Christ. Amen.   

  • wednesday, september 30

    God offers a full report on the gifts of life and salvation that he is giving us. We don’t have to rely on the world’s guesses and opinions. We didn’t learn this by reading books or going to school; we learned it from God, who taught us person-to-person through Jesus, and we’re passing it on to you in the same firsthand, personal way. (1 Corinthians 2: 12-13, The Message)


    Thank you, God, for your full report on the gifts and salvation! You taught us person-to-person everything we need to live a life of meaning and purpose! May we continue on this road of faith as we’ve been taught! May we pass it on in the same way we have received it! Amen.  

  • tuesday, september 29

    God has revealed these things to us through the Spirit. The Spirit searches everything, including the depths of God. (1 Corinthians 2: 10, Common English Bible)


    Your Spirit, O God, searches everything and knows everything! Your Spirit, O God, reveals your wisdom and shows us your way! In our moments of confusion and doubt, help us hold on to your Spirit! In troubled moments of our lives, help us rely on your Spirit and carry on! In the strong name and Spirit of Christ we pray. Amen. 

  • monday, september 28

    We, of course, have plenty of wisdom to pass on to you once you get your feet on firm spiritual ground, but it’s not popular wisdom, the fashionable wisdom of high-priced experts that will be out-of-date in a year or so. God’s wisdom is something mysterious that goes deep into the interior of his purposes. You don’t find it lying around on the surface. It’s not the latest message, but more like the oldest—what God determined as the way to bring out his best in us, long before we ever arrived on the scene. (1 Corinthians 2: 6-7, The Message)


    Help us not to seek the wisdom that maybe popular and fashionable but will soon be out-of-date. Help us go deep into your heart and find wisdom there – a wisdom that will lead us to true, rich, and abundant life in Christ Jesus. Amen. 

  • thursday, september 24

    And I came to you in weakness and in fear and in much trembling. My speech and my proclamation were not with plausible words of wisdom, but with a demonstration of the Spirit and of power, so that your faith might rest not on human wisdom but on the power of God. (1 Corinthians 2: 3-5, Common English Bible)


    Thank you, God, for your gift of faith! May we receive it with humility and reverence! May we witness to it with the strength of the Spirit! May our faith rest on your power, and not on the plausible words of human wisdom! Through Christ Jesus. Amen.

  • wednesday, september 23

    When I came to you, brothers and sisters, I didn’t come preaching God’s secrets to you like I was an expert in speech or wisdom. I had made up my mind not to think about anything while I was with you except Jesus Christ, and to preach him as crucified. (1 Corinthians 2: 1-2, Common English Bible)


    May we not let ourselves impressed with polished speeches and the latest philosophy! May we not let ourselves led astray by experts in human wisdom and eloquence! May our faith rest solely on Christ Jesus – his life, death, and resurrection! Amen.  

  • tuesday, september 22

    He is the source of your life in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification and redemption, in order that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.” (1 Corinthians 1: 30-31, NRSV)


    We have nothing to show off but you, Jesus. We have nothing to brag about, but you, Christ. You are the wisdom of God. You are our righteousness and redemption. You are our Lord and Savior. May we rejoice and boast in you, and you in us! Amen.

  • monday, september 21

    Consider your own call, brothers and sisters: not many of you were wise by human standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; (1 Corinthians 1: 26-27, NRSV)


    The brightest and the best is not necessarily what you are looking for. The most powerful and the most popular is not what you would choose. You want ordinary men and women, “nobodies” rather than pretentious “somebodies”, to do your work. May we gladly answer you call relying on your wisdom and strength and not ours. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen. 

  • thursday, september 17

    Jews ask for signs, and Greeks look for wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified, which is a scandal to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles. But to those who are called—both Jews and Greeks—Christ is God’s power and God’s wisdom. (1 Corinthians 1: 22-24, Common English Bible)

     

    We do not need any signs, O Christ. We do not need fancy wisdom nor eloquent speech. You are the power of God. You are the wisdom of God. We believe you, trust you, and desire you! Draw us closer to you, Christ Jesus, and hold us before you, near to the heart of God. Amen.  

  • wednesday, september 16

    So where can you find someone truly wise, truly educated, truly intelligent in this day and age? Hasn’t God exposed it all as pretentious nonsense? Since the world in all its fancy wisdom never had a clue when it came to knowing God, God in his wisdom took delight in using what the world considered dumb—preaching, of all things!—to bring those who trust him into the way of salvation.1 Corinthians 1: 20-21, The Message)

     

    Thank you for making yourself known through simple and plain words, and not through eloquent speech or fancy reasoning! Thank you for bringing us into the way of salvation through our ordinary, everyday life of sharing! May we rejoice in your wisdom and delight! May we continue on your way of salvation! Amen.   

  • tuesday, september 15

    For the message about the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. (1 Corinthians 1: 18, NRSV)

     

    However foolish it may sound, however impractical, illogical, and inconvenient it may seem, it is through your cross that we are saved! It is through your self-giving love that we are given a new life! Keep us near your cross, Jesus! Help us watch and wait, hope and trust, near your cross where a healing stream flows! Amen.

  • monday, september 14

    Now I encourage you, brothers and sisters, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ: Agree with each other and don’t be divided into rival groups. Instead, be restored with the same mind and the same purpose. (1 Corinthians 1: 10, Common English Bible)

     

    Restore us with the same mind and the same purpose, O God! Help us move forward in the unity of mission and purpose, and not be bogged down by the differences in our styles, tastes, and preferences. May your love be known in our unity! May your Kingdom be furthered in our common life! Through Christ Jesus. Amen.    

  • thursday, september 10

    God, who got you started in this spiritual adventure, shares with us the life of his Son and our Master Jesus. He will never give up on you. Never forget that. (1 Corinthians 1: 9, The Message)

     

    It is you who got us started in this spiritual adventure! It is you who shared with us the life of our Lord Jesus! And you will never give up on us but be there with us and for us, no matter what! Help us never forget that, O God. Help us see you going before us to lead us, besides us to support us, behind us to forgive us, and within us to refresh us. Amen.

  • wednesday, september 9

    Just think—you don’t need a thing, you’ve got it all! All God’s gifts are right in front of you as you wait expectantly for our Master Jesus to arrive on the scene for the Finale. (1 Corinthians 1: 7, The Message)

     

    We do not need a thing! All your gifts are right in front of us! How awesome! Forgive us when we do not see the doors of grace you open before us. Forgive us when we do not embrace the new possibilities you place before us. May we receive all your gifts and blessing with a joyful and expectant heart. Through Jesus Christ. Amen.

  • tuesday, september 8

    I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that has been given you in Christ Jesus, for in every way you have been enriched in him, in speech and knowledge of every kind. (1 Corinthians 1: 4-5, NRSV)

     

    You have enriched us in every way, O God. In Christ Jesus, you have given us everything we need for this life’s journey. May we grow in his knowledge and wisdom! May his presence be clearly verified in our everyday lives! Amen. 

  • monday, september 7

    To God’s church that is in Corinth: To those who have been made holy to God in Christ Jesus, who are called to be God’s people. Together with all those who call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ in every place—he’s their Lord and ours! Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Corinthians 1: 2-3 Common English Bible)

     

    Thank you, God, for your church that is in Hinsdale! In Christ Jesus, you have made the congregation of HUMC holy! With Christians of every time and place, you have made us one big family – your family! Grant us peace! Grant us grace, that we may be one with Christ, one with each other, and one in ministry to all the world! Amen.  

  • thursday, september 3

    Offer prayers and petitions in the Spirit all the time. Stay alert by hanging in there and praying for all believers. (Ephesians 6: 18, Common English Bible)

     

    You want us strong. You want us prepared. You want us to stay alert. When we are up against far more than we can handle on our own, help us hang in there and pray! Help us pray hard and long, so that when it’s all over but the shouting, we will still be on our feet! In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen. 

  • wednesday, september 2

    Truth, righteousness, peace, faith, and salvation are more than words. Learn how to apply them. You’ll need them throughout your life. God’s Word is an indispensable weapon. In the same way, prayer is essential in this ongoing warfare. Pray hard and long. Pray for your brothers and sisters. Keep your eyes open. Keep each other’s spirits up so that no one falls behind or drops out. (Ephesians 6:14-17, The Message)

     

    Truth, righteousness, peace, faith, salvation – let any of these beautiful words be just that, beautiful but empty words. Help us apply them in our daily lives. Help us pray and stay alert. May we keep each other’s spirits up, so that no one runs this race in vain. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

  • tuesday, september 1

    Do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery; but be filled with the Spirit, as you sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves, singing and making melody to the Lord in your hearts, (Ephesians 5: 18-19, NRSV)

     

    Thank you for your spirit moving in our hearts and our world! May we cherish and nourish her presence within and among us! May we be alert to her movement and direction in our lives! May we be filled with her power as we sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs to you! Through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.  

  • monday, august 31

    Be careful then how you live, not as unwise people but as wise, making the most of the time, because the days are evil. (Ephesians 5: 15-16, NRSV)

     

    How precious our life is, O God! And how precarious! Forgive us when we waste our time on useless worries and pointless endeavor. Help us shift our focus on what really matters in life – family, friends, faith, connection, compassion, caring, and sharing. Help us make every day and every moment matter. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen. 

  • thursday, august 27

    You were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord, so live your life as children of light. Light produces fruit that consists of every sort of goodness, justice, and truth. (Ephesians 5: 8-9, Common English Bible)

     

    Thank you for moving us from darkness to light! Thank you for making our way plain with your bright light! May we live in the light and never go back! May we get on with it and never stumble around! May our lives abound with the fruit of light - goodness, justice, and truth! Through Jesus Christ. Amen. 

  • wednesday, august 26

    Watch what God does, and then you do it, like children who learn proper behavior from their parents. Mostly what God does is love you. Keep company with him and learn a life of love. Observe how Christ loved us. His love was not cautious but extravagant. He didn’t love in order to get something from us but to give everything of himself to us. Love like that. (Ephesians 5:1-2, The Message)

     

    Thank you for loving us lavishly and extravagantly! Help us keep company with you and learn a life of love. Help us live and love like you did for us – fully, freely, and joyfully. In your holy name we pray. Amen.

  • tuesday, august 25

    And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with which you were marked with a seal for the day of redemption. Put away from you all bitterness and wrath and anger and wrangling and slander, together with all malice, and be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ has forgiven you. (Ephesians 4: 30-32, NRSV)

     

    Thank you for your Holy Spirit moving and breathing within and among us! May we cherish and nourish her, and not grieve her! Help us make a clean break with all bitterness, anger, shouting, and backbiting. May we be kind, compassionate, and forgiving to each other, in the same way you forgave us in Christ. Amen. 

  • monday, august 24

    Don’t let any foul words come out of your mouth. Only say what is helpful when it is needed for building up the community so that it benefits those who hear what you say. (Ephesians 4: 29, Common English Bible)

     

    Forgive us when our words hurt or harm. Forgive us when we lash out when we ought to be quiet, when we are silent when we ought to speak up. Help us realize how what we say and how we say it matters. Grant us grace to say only what is true, helpful, and needed for building up of the community. In Jesus’s name we pray. Amen.

  • thursday, august 20

    Since you really listened to him and you were taught how the truth is in Jesus, change the former way of life that was part of the person you once were, corrupted by deceitful desires. Instead, renew the thinking in your mind by the Spirit and clothe yourself with the new person created according to God’s image in justice and true holiness. (Ephesians 4: 21-24, Common English Bible)

     

    God of time and space, God of change and new beginning, help us not remain stuck in old ways of life. By your Spirit, reproduce your just and holy character within us, that we may take on an entirely new way of life—a life renewed from the inside and working itself into our daily conduct. Through Jesus Christ. Amen. 

  • wednesday, august 19

    We take our lead from Christ, who is the source of everything we do. He keeps us in step with each other. His very breath and blood flow through us, nourishing us so that we will grow up healthy in God, robust in love. (Ephesians 4: 16, The Message)

     

    You are the source of everything we are and do. Your very breath and blood flow through each and every one of us. May we take our lead from you. May we get our nourishment in your word. May we grow up heathy and robust in your love. In your holy name we pray. Amen.

  • tuesday, august 18

    As a result, we aren’t supposed to be infants any longer who can be tossed and blown around by every wind that comes from teaching with deceitful scheming and the tricks people play to deliberately mislead others. Instead, by speaking the truth with love, let’s grow in every way into Christ. (Ephesians 4: 14-15, Common English Bible)

     

    Keep us from deceitful teaching and scheming, O God. Keep us from misleading voices. Help us listen to you and stay on your path. May we speak the truth with love. May we grow in every way into Christ Jesus in whose name we pray. Amen. 

  • monday, august 17

    He handed out gifts above and below, filled heaven with his gifts, filled earth with his gifts. He handed out gifts of apostle, prophet, evangelist, and pastor-teacher to train Christ’s followers in skilled servant work, working within Christ’s body, the church, until we’re all moving rhythmically and easily with each other, efficient and graceful in response to God’s Son, fully mature adults, fully developed within and without, fully alive like Christ.. (Ephesians 4: 11-13, The Message)

     

    You hand out gifts above and below, O God. You fill us and our world with your wonderful, amazing gifts. We are indeed a gifted people! May we receive your gifts in deep joy and gratitude! May we use them easily and gracefully! May we respond to your call and work together within your body! In Jesu’s name we pray. Amen. 

  • thursday, august 13

    You are one body and one spirit, just as God also called you in one hope. There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism, and one God and Father of all, who is over all, through all, and in all. (Ephesians 4: 4-6, Common English Bible)

     

    You are the one and only Lord, O God, and you called us all in one hope. You are over all, through all, and in all, and you knit us together into one body and one spirit. Help us, O God, to recognize your presence all around us – in every single human being, in every single situation, in every single moment! May we live into the hope of our calling! May we live in unity of the Spirit and the bond of peace! In Jesus’ name. Amen.  

  • wednesday, august 12

    And mark that you do this with humility and discipline—not in fits and starts, but steadily, pouring yourselves out for each other in acts of love, alert at noticing differences and quick at mending fences. (Ephesians 4: 2-3, The Message)

     

    May we pour ourselves for each other as you poured yourself out for us. May we reach out for others in acts of love as you reached out for us. May we do this, not only for those that look like us, sound like us, and think like us, but for all. May we do this with humility and discipline, in the unity of the Spirit, alert at noticing differences and quick at mending fences. Through Christ Jesus. Amen.

  • tuesday, august 11

    Now to him who by the power at work within us is able to accomplish abundantly far more than all we can ask or imagine, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen. (Ephesians 3: 20-21, NRSV)

     

    Your power, which knows no limits, is at work within us! Your power, which is able to accomplish far more than all we can ask or imagine, is at work among us! Stretch our imagination, O God, and embolden us! Grant us the courage and confidence to be your people, that your name be glorified in the church forever and always! Through Jesus Christ. Amen. 

  • monday, august 10

    I ask that he will strengthen you in your inner selves from the riches of his glory through the Spirit. I ask that Christ will live in your hearts through faith. As a result of having strong roots in love, I ask that you’ll have the power to grasp love’s width and length, height and depth, together with all believers. (Ephesians 3: 16-18, Common English Bible)

     

    We ask, O God, that you will strengthen us in our inner beings. We ask, O God, that you will dwell in our hearts richly. We ask, O God, that you will root us in your love firmly, that together with all believers, we may grasp the width and length, height and depth of your love. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen. 

  • thursday, august 6

    I ask that you’ll know the love of Christ that is beyond knowledge so that you will be filled entirely with the fullness of God. (Ephesians 3: 19, Common English Bible)

     

    May we reach out and experience the breadth of your love! May we plumb and fathom the depth of your mercy! May we rise and marvel at the height of your call! May we know your love, that we may live full lives, full in the fullness of God. Amen.  

  • wednesday, august 5

    In Christ we have bold and confident access to God through faith in him. (Ephesians 3: 12, Common English Bible)

     

    Make us bold, O God, for we are your children. May we approach you with freedom and confidence. May we proclaim you with audacious hope and radical trust. May we live our lives joyfully and responsibly. Through Christ Jesus, our access to God. Amen. 

  • tuesday, august 4

    And so here I am, preaching and writing about things that are way over my head, the inexhaustible riches and generosity of Christ. My task is to bring out in the open and make plain what God, who created all this in the first place, has been doing in secret and behind the scenes all along. (Ephesians 3: 8-9, The Message)

     

    Who can grasp you fully? The riches of your grace and generosity are over our heads! Help us open ourselves up to your love. Help us soak ourselves in your grace. Then, having experienced the beauty of your mystery, help us bring it out in the open and make it plain to everyone. Through Jesus Christ. Amen.  

  • monday, august 3

    The mystery is that people who have never heard of God and those who have heard of him all their lives (what I’ve been calling outsiders and insiders) stand on the same ground before God. They get the same offer, same help, same promises in Christ Jesus. The Message is accessible and welcoming to everyone, across the board. (Ephesians 3: 6, The Message)

     

    Before you, we all stand on the same ground, O God. Your message of love is accessible and welcoming to everyone. Help us live into this reality. Help us build up a church where this message is proclaimed loud and clear in all we say and do. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen. 

  • thursday, july 30

    This kingdom of faith is now your home country. You’re no longer strangers or outsiders. You belong here, with as much right to the name Christian as anyone. God is building a home. He’s using us all—irrespective of how we got here—in what he is building. (Ephesians 2: 19-20, The Message)

     

    You are building a Home! And you are using us all in what you are building! We all belong! We all have a part in it! May we live into this promise and reality! May we all join you in building a beautiful home where everyone is welcome, embraced, and celebrated! Through Christs, our Cornerstone. Amen. 

  • wednesday, july 29

    Christ is our peace. He made both Jews and Gentiles into one group. With his body, he broke down the barrier of hatred that divided us. (Ephesians 2: 14, Common English Bible)

     

    We lament and deplore, O God, for we are divided by so many things. Yet, through your life, death and resurrection, you have broken down the dividing walls of hatred! You have reconciled everyone to you and into one humanity! Grant us grace to join you in building bridges, and not barriers. Help us make a fresh start and grow into one body – the body of Christ, our Peace. Amen.

  • tuesday, july 28

    For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God— not the result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are what he has made us, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand to be our way of life. (Ephesians 2: 8-10)

     

    We have nothing to boast before you, O God. It is your grace that has saved us. It is the same grace that has brought us thus far. Rejoicing in our salvation and trusting in your grace, may we devote our lives to doing the good works you prepared beforehand to be our way of lives. Through Jesus Christ, our Savior. Amen.  

  • monday, july 27

    Instead, immense in mercy and with an incredible love, he (God) embraced us. He (God) took our sin-dead lives and made us alive in Christ. (Ephesians 2: 4, The Message)

     

    Forgive us when we get mired in the old stagnant life of sin, O God.

    Forgive us when we let this world tell us how to live.

    Embrace us as we are and show us what we can be.

    Bring us to life with Christ, that fully alive in his grace,

    we, too, may lead a life rich in mercy and incredible love.

    In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

  • thursday, july 23

    I pray that the eyes of your heart will have enough light to see what is the hope of God’s call, what is the richness of God’s glorious inheritance among believers, and what is the overwhelming greatness of God’s power that is working among us believers. This power is conferred by the energy of God’s powerful strength. (Ephesians 1: 18-19)

     

    Help us never lose sight of the hope of your call, O God. Give us enough light that we may see the riches of the glorious life you have for your followers. Grant us power, that, with endless energy and boundless strength, we may continue the good work you have begun among us. Through Jesus Christ. Amen. 

  • wednesday, july 22

    That’s why, when I heard of the solid trust you have in the Master Jesus and your outpouring of love to all the followers of Jesus, I couldn’t stop thanking God for you—every time I prayed, I’d think of you and give thanks. (Ephesians 1: 15-16, The Message)

     

    For the seed of faith planted in our hearts, we give you thanks, O God. For the strong bond of love and mutual care among us, we praise you, O God. May we continue to grow in solid trust in you. May we continue to reach out to all your people in care and compassion. May we hold one other in our prayers and give you thanks. Through Christ Jesus, our Master. Amen.

  • tuesday, july 21

    It’s in Christ that we find out who we are and what we are living for. Long before we first heard of Christ and got our hopes up, he had his eye on us, had designs on us for glorious living, part of the overall purpose he is working out in everything and everyone. (Ephesians 1: 11-12, The Message)

     

    You always had your eye on us, O God. You had designs on us for glorious living, just like you did and do for everything and everyone. Help us live in you, O God, that clear about who we are and what we are living for, we may live a life worthy of your design and calling. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

  • monday, july 20

    It’s in Christ that we find out who we are and what we are living for. Long before we first heard of Christ and got our hopes up, he had his eye on us, had designs on us for glorious living, part of the overall purpose he is working out in everything and everyone. (Ephesians 1: 11-12, The Message)

     

    You always had your eye on us, O God. You had designs on us for glorious living, just like you did and do for everything and everyone. Help us live in you, O God, that clear about who we are and what we are living for, we may live a life worthy of your design and calling. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

  • thursday, july 16

    Do not cast me away from your presence,

    and do not take your holy spirit from me.

    Restore to me the joy of your salvation,

      and sustain in me a willing spirit. (Psalm 51:11-12)

     

    In you, O God, there is salvation, and from your salvation comes boundless joy. Forgive us when we try to find joy in wrong places. Do not throw us out of your presence but restore to us a willing and joyous spirit, that we may follow you into true and abundant life. Through Christ Jesus. Amen.

  • wednesday, july 15

    Create in me a clean heart, O God,

    and put a new and right spirit within me. (Psalm 51: 10)

     

    We are meant to reflect your image the way clear waters reflect what is above them. Forgive us when, in our need to determine our own lives, we have muddied the waters. Create in us a clean heart, O God, and put a new, faithful spirit deep inside us, that we may reflect your image with perfect clarity. In Jesus’ name we pray. 

  • tuesday, july 14

    Keep your eyes on Jesus, who both began and finished this race we’re in. Study how he did it. Because he never lost sight of where he was headed—that exhilarating finish in and with God—he could put up with anything along the way: Cross, shame, whatever. (Hebrews 12: 2, The Message)

     

    Sometime, the race we are in seems long, too long, and we feel weary, O God. We wonder whether there will ever be a finish line. Help us fix our eyes on you and never lose heart. Guide our feet and hold our hands, that we may not run this race in vain. Through Jesus Christ. Amen.

  • monday, july 13

    The name of the Lord is a strong tower;

    the righteous run into it and are safe. (Proverbs 18:10)

     

    Lord, your name is a strong tower,

    and we are running there for safety.

    Protect us from fear and despair.

    Deliver us from apathy and indifference.

    Free us from violence and anger.

    We trust you, Christ Jesus, our Savior. Amen

  • thursday, july 9

    Turn your ear toward wisdom,

    and stretch your mind toward understanding.

    Call out for insight,

    and cry aloud for understanding.

    Seek it like silver;

    search for it like hidden treasure.

    Then you will understand the fear of the Lord,

    and discover the knowledge of God. (Proverbs 2:2-5)


    Turn our ears toward your Wisdom, O God, and stretch our minds toward understanding. We seek your presence; we search for your possibilities; we open ourselves to your purposes. Teach us your way, that we may live more fully into the good, true, and beautiful life you invite us to. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

  • wednesday, july 8

    The way of the righteous is like morning light

    that gets brighter and brighter till it is full day.

    The path of the wicked is like deep darkness;

    they don’t know where they will stumble. (Proverbs 4: 18-19)

     

    Make our path brighter and brighter each hour, O God. Make our life grow fuller and fuller each day. Make our words more loving; make our deeds more caring; make our hearts more holy, more like Jesus, each moment. Clear Sun of Righteousness shining on our path, may we make this life’s journey with the courage and confidence of the children of light. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

  • tuesday, july 7

    Trust in the Lord with all your heart

    and lean not on your own understanding;

    in all your ways submit to him,

    and he will make your paths straight.

    Do not be wise in your own eyes;

    fear the Lord and shun evil.

    This will bring health to your body

    and nourishment to your bones. (Proverbs 3: 5-8)

     

    Help us trust in you with our whole heart, O God, and not rely on our own understanding. Help us know you in all our paths and submit to your will. Nourish our bones with your infinite wisdom; fortify our bodies with the energy of your boundless grace, that we may continue in your favor all the days of our lives. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen. 

  • monday, july 6

    The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom,

    and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight.

    For by me your days will be multiplied,

    and years will be added to your life. (Proverbs 9: 10-11)

     

    Fill us with your holy “fear”, O God, not the fear that paralyzes us, but the fear that sets us free and opens us up to your possibilities and purposes. Fill our hearts with awe and wonder, reverence and humility, that we may hear the Wisdom’s call and grow in the vastness of your love. Through Jesus Christ, our Wisdom. Amen. 

  • thursday, july 2

    Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have stripped off the old self with its practices and have clothed yourselves with the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge according to the image of its creator. In that renewal there is no longer Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave and free; but Christ is all and in all! (Colossians 3: 9-11, Common English Bible)

     

    O God, you created us in your glorious image,

    Yet we have fallen short of your glory.

    You sent Jesus to restore us.

    Yet we often cling to our old, defiled self with its practices.

    Renew us, O God, and dress us with a new wardrobe,

    that we may all be one in joyful communion with you and others.

    Through Christ, our Redeemer. Amen.

  • wednesday, july 1

    I am the Lord who acts with kindness,

    justice, and righteousness in the world,

    and I delight in these things,

    declares the Lord. (Jeremiah 9:23-24 Common English Bible)

     

    Draw us closer to you, O God,

    that we may know you better and serve you better.

    Let us not persist in our own convictions,

    but pursue what is good and pleasing in your sight.

    May we rejoice in your hearts’ desire,

    acting with kindness and setting things just and fair.

    Through Jesus Christ. Amen.

  • tuesday, june 30

    The Lord declares, Am I a God

        who is only nearby and not far off?

    Can people hide themselves in secret places

        so I might not see them?

    Don’t I fill heaven and earth? (Jeremiah 23:23-24 Common English Bible)

     

    O God, you are everywhere –

    in confusing and chaotic times, as well as in our quiet moments;

    in public sphere, as well as in secret corners of our private lives; 

    You reign high above the heavens.

    Even so, you are all around us – closer than the very air we breathe.

    When worry arises and fear creeps in,

    help us turn to you and trust in your tender presence.

    In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

  • monday, june 29

    “This is how much God loved the world: He gave his Son, his one and only Son. And this is why: so that no one need be destroyed; by believing in him, anyone can have a whole and lasting life. God didn’t go to all the trouble of sending his Son merely to point an accusing finger, telling the world how bad it was. He came to help, to put the world right again. (John 3:16-17, The Message)

     

    O God, let us love and be loved today

    with the same freedom and extravagance with which you love.

    Let us be so filled with it that it spills over all around us.

    Put us right again, O God, that we may have a whole and lasting life.

    Through Jesus Christ, your eternal gift of love. Amen.

  • thursday, june 25

    O Lord my God, I cried to you for help,

       and you have healed me.

    You have turned my mourning into dancing;

       you have taken off my sackcloth

       and clothed me with joy,

    so that my soul may praise you and not be silent.

       O Lord my God, I will give thanks to you forever. (Psalm 30: 2 & 11-12)

     

    We cry out to you for help, O Lord our God. We mourn the sad state of our world and our complicity in it. Heal us and restore us. Turn our despair into hope, our resignation into action, that our mourning may be turned into dancing, and our silence into praise. Through Jesus Christ. Amen.

  • wednesday, june 24

    I ask him to strengthen you by his Spirit—not a brute strength but a glorious inner strength—that Christ will live in you as you open the door and invite him in. And I ask him that with both feet planted firmly on love, you’ll be able to take in with all followers of Jesus the extravagant dimensions of Christ’s love. (Ephesians 3: 16-18, The Message)


    Make us strong, O God,

    not with a brute strength

    but with a gentle and glorious inner strength.

    Come and dwell in our hearts,

    that firmly planted in your love,

    we may take in all the riches of your grace

    and share them with others.

    Through Jesus Christ. Amen.

  • tuesday, june 23

    Trust in the Lord with all your heart,

       and do not rely on your own insight.

    In all your ways acknowledge him,

       and he will make straight your paths. (Proverbs 3:5-6) 

     

    We are in the dark, O God. We would like to think that we know what we are doing and where we are headed. But our knowledge is incomplete, and our vision limited. Forgive us when we fail to trust in you. Forgive us when we doubt your power to transform our lives and the world. In everything we do and everywhere we go, help us listen for your voice and stay on track. Through Jesus, our Lord and Savior. Amen.

  • monday, june 22

    Heaven is declaring God’s glory;

        the sky is proclaiming his handiwork.

    One day gushes the news to the next,

        and one night informs another what needs to be known.

    (Psalm 19:1-2 Common English Bible)

     

    What a wondrous season this is, O God!

    There is so much pain in the world.

    And yet, at the same time,

        there is so much joy and beauty in the air,

        declaring your glory,

        gushing knowledge and wisdom. 

    Reveal yourself to us each day, O God,

        and inform us of what needs to be known,

        that in everything we do,

        we, too, may proclaim your glory.

    Through Jesus Christ. Amen.

  • thursday, june 18

    Stand therefore, and fasten the belt of truth around your waist, and put on the breastplate of righteousness. As shoes for your feet put on whatever will make you ready to proclaim the gospel of peace. With all of these, take the shield of faith, with which you will be able to quench all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. (Ephesians 6:14-17)

     

    O God, you want us to be strong. You want us to be prepared for this life’s battle. Armor us with your truth and righteousness; equip us with the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit. Whatever the devil throws our way, may we stand our ground and proclaim the gospel of peace. Through Jesus Christ. Amen.

  • wednesday, june 17

    Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and the God of all consolation, who consoles us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to console those who are in any affliction with the consolation with which we ourselves are consoled by God. (2 Corinthians 1: 3-4)

     

    God of all mercies, you console us in our affliction; you strengthen us in our weakness. You shower on us grace upon grace. Help us console others just like we’ve been consoled; help us strengthen others just like we’ve been strengthened. Having received from you grace upon grace, may we offer it to others, for your blessings, O God, are intended to be shared with all. In Jesus name we pray. Amen. 

  • tuesday, june 16

    Rescue me, O my God, from the hand of the wicked,

        from the grasp of the unjust and cruel.

    For you, O Lord, are my hope,

        my trust, O Lord, from my youth. (Psalm 71: 4-5)


    O God, you, indeed, are our trust and our hope. You, indeed, are our refuge and our salvation. Put your ear to the ground and listen to your children moaning and groaning. Bend your ear and hear our desperate cries. We ache for your justice; we yearn for your peace; we long for your salvation. Come and rescue us, O God! Through Christ Jesus. Amen.


  • monday, june 15

    He has told you, O mortal, what is good;

        and what does the Lord require of you

    but to do justice, and to love kindness,

        and to walk humbly with your God? (Micah 6:8)


    Forgive us when we are not fair and just to our neighbors. Forgive us when we are not genuine and loyal in our love. Forgive us when we take ourselves too seriously and do not follow your way. Grant us grace to receive your word with joy; grant us courage that, upon receiving, we may live it out in faith. Let us do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly with you, our God. Through Jesus Christ. Amen. 

  • thursday, june 11

    I lift up my eyes to the hills—

        from where will my help come?

    My help comes from the Lord,

        who made heaven and earth. (Psalm 121: 1-2)

     

    We see hills, O God,

       one after another blocking our way.

    And we wonder, how are we going to make it through?

    Yet, you assure us that we are not on our own,

       that you are there, ready to help.

    Help us lift up our eyes and find strength in you.

    Help us move forward toward where you want us to be –

        a new, free, and joyful life for all.

    In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

  • wednesday, june 10

    Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus,

    who, though he was in the form of God,

        did not regard equality with God

        as something to be exploited,

    but emptied himself,

        taking the form of a slave,

        being born in human likeness. (Philippians 2: 5-7)

     

    Christ Jesus, you had equal status with God. But, instead of clinging to the advantages of that status, you emptied yourself and came to us in flesh and blood. Instead of claiming special privileges, you lived a selfless, obedient life, and then died a selfless, obedient death, even death on a cross. Help us adopt the same mind and the same attitude, that we may have life and have it abundantly. In your holy name we pray. Amen.

  • tuesday, June 9

    Is not this the fast that I choose:

      to loose the bonds of injustice,

      to undo the thongs of the yoke,

    to let the oppressed go free,

      and to break every yoke? (Isaiah 58:6)


    Forgive us, O God, when we turn deaf ears to the cries of the helpless, powerless, destitute, and desperate. Save us, O God, from our insensitive and cruel disregard for our brothers and sisters. Lead us to a deeper faith, that we may break the chains of injustice, untie the ropes of every yoke, and make the sacrifices that are acceptable and pleasing to you. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.  

  • monday, june 8

    Finally, beloved, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. (Philippians 4:8)

     

    We come to you, O God, 0ur hearts overwhelmed with pain, grief, and sorrow. We are surrounded by things that are unjust, unholy, untrue, and impure. We confess that we have a part in it, that we are part of the system that perpetuates injustice and oppression. Forgive us when, without thinking nor realizing, we let these ugly things shape the way we live our lives. Help us pursue what is true, honorable, just, and pure. Help us fill our minds with these beautiful things and put them into practice. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

  • thursday, june 4

    God is love. When we take up permanent residence in a life of love, we live in God and God lives in us. This way, love has the run of the house, becomes at home and mature in us, so that we’re free of worry on Judgment Day—our standing in the world is identical with Christ’s. There is no room in love for fear. Well-formed love banishes fear. Since fear is crippling, a fearful life—fear of death, fear of judgment—is one not yet fully formed in love. (1 John 4:17-18, The Message)

     

    There are so many reasons to be fearful –

        fear of death, fear of judgment, fear of rejection.

    Yet, you tell us that there is no room in love for fear.

    Help us let your love have the run of the house.

    Help us take up permanent residence in a life of love,

        that freed from crippling fear,

        we may live in you, and you in us.

    In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

  • wednesday, june 3

    Happy are those

        who do not follow the advice of the wicked,

    or take the path that sinners tread,

        or sit in the seat of scoffers;

    but their delight is in the law of the Lord,

        and on his law they meditate day and night.

    (Psalm 1: 1-2)

     

    You are a God of happiness.

    You want us to be happy and blessed.

    You want us to flourish and proper.

    Help us not to seek our happiness in wrong places –

         possession, power, pride, pleasure….

    Help us realize that unless all can breathe freely,

         we can’t be truly happy.

    Hear our prayers, O God, and make us happy,

         for we are all your children created in your image

         and we delight in your law.

    Through Christ Jesus, our Blessed Savior. Amen.

  • tuesday, june 2

    Christ is our peace. He made both Jews and Gentiles into one group. With his body, he broke down the barrier of hatred that divided us. (Ephesians 2:14)

     

    We grieve and mourn, O God,

         for there is so much anger and violence around us.

    We lament and deplore, O God,

         for the barriers of hatred are too deep and too high.

    Let us sow hope where there is despair.

    Together, as your body,

         let us break down the barriers of hatred that divide us

         and sow love in their place.

    Through Christ, our Peace. Amen.

  • monday, june 1

    Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. (Matthew 5:9)


    When we afflict others,

    whether by our own power

    or by our silent support of systems

    that oppress and crush,

         forgive us, O God.

    When we persecute others,

    destroying, diminishing, and distorting

    your image engraved in each human being,

         forgive us, O God.

    Then, with the power that belongs only to you,

         make us instruments of your peace,

         that all may truly be one in Christ Jesus.

    Amen.