The watchword for the week:
It is good to give thanks to the Lord, to sing praises to your name, O Most High. Psalm 92:1
Spirit of the Living God, open our lips
and we shall sing of your wonders;
open our eyes
and we shall behold your glory;
open our hearts
and we shall embrace your love;
open our minds
and we shall discover your wisdom;
open our hands
and we shall show your generosity;
open our flesh
and we shall embody your presence.
Psalm 92:1-4, 12-15
1 It is good to give thanks to the Lord,
to sing praises to your name, O Most High;
2 to declare your steadfast love in the morning,
and your faithfulness by night,
3 to the music of the lute and the harp,
to the melody of the lyre.
4 For you, O Lord, have made me glad by your work;
at the works of your hands I sing for joy.
12 The righteous flourish like the palm tree,
and grow like a cedar in Lebanon.
13 They are planted in the house of the Lord;
they flourish in the courts of our God.
14 In old age they still produce fruit;
they are always green and full of sap,
15 showing that the Lord is upright;
he is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in him.
Let us Confess our Sins:
Compassionate God, we confess that too often we have forgotten that you are the one who created us, who reached out to us in Jesus Christ, and who comes to us daily and abundantly through the Holy Spirit. Because we have forgotten your profound love for us, sometimes we fall short of being a credible witness to you. For these things, we ask your forgiveness, and we also ask for your strength. Give us clear minds and open hearts so we may share your grace in our world. Remind us to be who you would have us to be regardless of what we are doing or who we are with. May our lives be lived in gratitude for all of your many blessings to us.
The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love. He will not always accuse, nor will he harbor his anger forever; he does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us. Psalm 103:8-12
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning is now and ever shall be, world without end, Amen.
Take time to read today’s Daily Texts. God speaks to us through the inspiration of scripture, so approach the opportunity to read the texts as a privilege, eagerly anticipating what might be spoken to you today. How might today’s Word make a part of your life new again? If you do not have a copy of the Daily Texts, you will find today’s texts posted in the margin on your page’s right side (at the bottom of the page if you are on a mobile phone). When you have finished praying, continue as follows.
As you taught your disciples to pray, so we pray together:
Our Father, who art in heaven,
Hallowed be thy Name.
Thy kingdom come.
Thy will be done, On earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
As we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation,
But deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom,
and the power, and the glory,
forever and ever. Amen.
The work of the Creator is visible.
Let us respond with praise.
The example of Jesus is apparent.
Let us respond with obedience.
The wind of the Spirit is blowing
Let us respond with joy.
The word of God is calling.
Let us respond by serving with thanksgiving.
And now may the love of God, the grace of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, and the Fellowship of the Holy Spirit,
Be with us now and forever. Amen.