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New every morning is your love, great God of light, and all day long you are working for good in the world. Stir up in us desire to serve you, to live peacefully with our neighbors and all your creation, and to devote each day to your Son, our Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.

"A Liturgy for Morning Prayer," Upper Room Worshipbook

Used by permission from the Book of Common Worship, © 2018 Westminster John Knox Press. All rights reserved. This prayer appears in “A Liturgy for Morning Prayer” in Upper Room Worshipbook.

Today’s Reflection

PRECISELY BECAUSE GOD is so gracious and generous toward us, in the face of all our waywardness, the Christian life is especially marked by gratitude and trust. Gratitude is the hallmark of the heart that knows its Redeemer personally and intimately. Grasping the true significance of God’s gift overwhelms the soul with thanksgiving. And a thankful life is naturally a generous life, desiring ways to give something back to God however small the gesture may seem.

Embracing the Journey

From pages 28-29 of Embracing the Journey: The Way of Christ, Participant’s Book: Part 1 of the Companions in Christ Series. Copyright © 2006 by Upper Room Books. All rights reserved. Used by permission. http://bookstore.upperroom.org/ Learn more about or purchase this book.

Today’s Question

How do you express gratitude to God? Share your thoughts.

Today’s Scripture

4:11 “This Jesus is ‘the stone that was rejected by you, the builders; it has become the cornerstone.'”

Acts 4:11, NRSV

This Week: pray for your neighbor. Submit your prayer to The Upper Room Living Prayer Center or share it in the comment section.

Did You Know?

Help the middle schoolers in your church experience God’s love, empower your high schoolers in leadership, and engage every generation in youth ministry. Learn more at Discovery.UpperRoom.org.

This week we remember: Sor Juana Ines de la Cruz (April 17).

Lectionary Readings

(Courtesy of Vanderbilt Divinity Library)

Sponsored by Upper Room Ministries ®. Copyright © 2018 | PO Box 340004 | Nashville, TN 37203-0004 | USA

8 Comments

  • Jill Posted April 16, 2018 4:03 am

    How do I express gratitude toward God? Insufficiently, yet hopefully, increasingly. Insufficiently, this side of heaven. Increasingly, as I become more and more aware of His provisional Love.
    I so appreciate your words offered yesterday on my behalf, as well as my mom’s. Thank you for taking the time to express so beautifully your support and encouragement. Good to be back here with you all, I treasure your support. Yes – there is a need for physical healing as well as spiritual healing.
    Mom and dad were over for a few hours yesterday. She asked what I had read over vacation. “He Will Hold Me Fast” – by Connie Never – about her journey through thyroid cancer…I had the book laying on my table to give to mom and dad to read – hoping they could read it together. When she read the title – she said – “I can’t read this. I just get too upset.” I am hoping dad will read it – and will pass on little bits and nuggets, as the opportunity presents. I also showed dad the book I am finishing “My God is True…Lessons learned along cancer’s dark road”. I will be giving it to him also. He didn’t say much – just that “this is so tough”. Other than these comments – mom seemed good and looked good. Ate very well.
    Lou – praying for you, this new burden and your youngest daughter.
    Mary – good to hear your dad’s birthday celebration went well – a blessing for your family.
    May we all draw nearer to God this week.

  • robert moeller Posted April 16, 2018 5:40 am

    Thankful for a blessed music oriented- hymn sing worship service yesterday at church. Wonderful to read Jill’s post and the supportive posts from the UR family. Jill, I do believe you are empowered to help your Mom and Dad through the upcoming days. Amen to God’s will be done. Believing and trusting in God, all will be well. God knows best.

    Prayers for neighbors. They are in our homes, next door, down the street, and far away. Some we know, others are acquaintances, and some are unknown.
    We are asked to love them as we love ourselves. Lord, may Your love flow through us to them.

    Prayers for Gloria, Larry, Becky, and Jill; Marcy, Julie, Lou, her children, especially her youngest child; Mary, her parents, brothers, sisters, and job;
    Betsy, Connie, Francesca, her husband and son, Andrea, her daughter, grandson, son-in-law, and husband Lowell; Ken, Mark, Rusty; the UR family, and all our neighbors. Thank you for your prayers. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.

  • Julie Posted April 16, 2018 7:57 am

    I verbally express thanks throughout the day for many aspects of my life, great and small. I pray for others and try to treat all I encounter with compassion as God shows through his example of compassion shown to me.
    Praayers for Jill and her family. All of us deal with, process, and find solace and help in different ways. Your mother may find hope and comfort in music or spending time with family and friends. You were wise to offer but not force books that you find helpful on her. I love to read aand find mny books uplifting, but I think it would be difficult to reaad about cancer if I was experiencing it myself. Perhaps she would enjoy and find inspiration in the book “Wonder” or an inspiraational book by any number of Christian writers.
    Mary, so thankful you and your parents were able to celebrate another year of your father’s life.
    Robert, prayers for you and Erich, it seems you have a warm, supportive relationship.
    Lou, when my daughter was your youngest’s age, we also had a dificult relationship. I learned to hold my tongue and pick my fights and it gradually improved. As she matured my daughter’s personality became leess volatile. My prayers are with you.
    Blessings and prayers for and thank you to all of the UR family
    You can complain because roses have thorns, or you caan be grateful because thorn bushes have roses.
    Ziggy (Tom Wilson)

  • Connie Posted April 16, 2018 8:42 am

    I try to express my gratitude to God by living a life that would make Him happy. I fail often, but keep on trying-this year has been difficult and sometimes I wonder “who is that person”, but on I go!
    May your week be blessed and may you feel God in every moment of every day.

  • Andrea Posted April 16, 2018 9:34 am

    I express gratitude to God in my prayers and by sharing with others that I am grateful for having them in my life. I too am very fallible however I know God’s grace is constant.

    We had another day of thickly falling snow yesterday, breaking records for April. Today the sun is out and it is quite beautiful. Tomorrow I leave for a four day quilt retreat in a rural setting. I am blessed.

    Prayers for and blessings wished to all UR friends and visitors this week.

  • Mary Ng Shwu Ling Posted April 16, 2018 11:06 am

    I am thankful to God everyday whether good or bad days as both have their values.

    Thank you God for enabling us to live a generous life reflecting your grace and we are eternally grateful to you ror you are a good and loving God. We trust that your perfect will and plans are best for us. May we always be kept in the centre of your perfect will.

    Blessings and may all be well for you and your family!

  • Kenneth Miller Posted April 16, 2018 12:32 pm

    Blessings to all,
    I recently was asked by someone, “What is your most favorite thing to do? As I thought about this, years ago it could have been any number of things like go on a vacation to Hawaii, or be thrilled at Disney World in Florida. However, as I have lived life and progressed and matured along in my spiritual journey, I have enjoyed a new Epiphany. One that now realizes the love of Jesus and the blessings of God the Father in my life. So I answer this question with this answer: To glorify God every single day all the time in as many ways as I can.
    In today’s lesson the author shares how living a thankful life is naturally a generous life, desiring ways to give something back to God however small the gesture may seem. To give back to God… is to glorify him! Amen!
    I lift up intercessory prayers for all here in this UR site, it too is an act of glorifying God as well. May you all find some joy and peace on this day, a gift from God.
    Keeping Faith Alive!
    Ken

  • Amy Adams Posted April 17, 2018 7:00 am

    I practice a morning ritual where I “write” to God thanking Him especially for something from the day before, always singing, St. John Chrysostom’s words,
    “Glory be to God for everything!”

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