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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.

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Today’s Reflection

O HOPE,
aperture of God’s expansive view;
prism through which all true Light breaks,
illuminating paths and patterns,
ways and wanderers.
Refract our shortsightedness
that we may look to the East with distance vision
and find our Advent way.
Come, O Hope,
focus our blurred
and distracted sight
that we might see clearly the One who is coming.
Amen.

– Pamela C. Hawkins
Simply Wait

From page 43 of Simply Wait: Cultivating Stillness in the Season of Advent by Pamela C. Hawkins. Copyright © 2007 by Pamela C. Hawkins. All rights reserved. Used by permission of Upper Room Books. http://bookstore.upperroom.org/ Learn more about or purchase this book.

Today’s Question

Pray today’s prayer. Share your thoughts.

Today’s Scripture

Sing aloud, O daughter Zion; shout, O Israel! Rejoice and exult with all your heart, O daughter Jerusalem!
Zephaniah 3:14, NRSV

This Week: Pray for those mourning a loved one. Submit your prayer to The Upper Room Living Prayer Center or share it in the comment section.

Prepare for Advent

Explore how nativity sets, Advent wreaths, candles, carols, Christmas cards, and other traditions help prepare our hearts for the God “who bends low to enter our world and our lives.” The Living Nativity, a new book and eCourse by Larry Peacock, is available now.

This week we remember: Thomas Merton (December 10).

Lectionary Readings

(Courtesy of Vanderbilt Divinity Library)

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

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In order to continue receiving Upper Room Daily Reflections after January 1, 2019, please confirm your subscription here.

5 Comments

  • Lou Posted December 10, 2018 6:56 am

    Focus out blurred and distracted sight- help me O Lord to keep my eyes and my heart focused on You for You alone are my strength and my redeemer.
    Blessings to all who come here today looking for peace- keep us all focused on you amidst the busy preparations and the distractions of this earthly world. Keep us focused on your love- help me share your love with someone who needs it today.
    Prayers for all the UR faithful and for all who seek you. We need you more than ever Lord-

  • Connie Posted December 10, 2018 8:08 am

    Last Christmas I did pretty well-this year not so good. It’s in God’s hands and He will make a way.
    Good to see Lou here first thing. Made my day.
    Thankful for:
    Sleep….very little, but still there.
    Meeting a friend from church who is on the prayer chain.
    This week and all it offers.

  • Julie Posted December 10, 2018 8:11 am

    Sometimes I wonder if the evil one is behind all the commercialism and secular expectations of this season. God wants us to focus on Him and His coming tous among us as one of us. The world seeks to distract us with all the busyness imposed by sociatal expectations of the holiday. May we ee that all we need to do this season is savor the promise and expectation of God’s gift.
    Prayers for Lou and her family as they continue to worship together.
    Prayers for Marcy and Mary, may the insurance company relent today.
    Prayers for Robert during this busy time for him, may he be safe.
    Prayers for Andrea and lowell and may the ankle continue to heal.
    Prayers for Mary and thankfulness for her parents improved health.
    Prayers for Connie and the loved one she mourns.
    Prayers for Jill and Gloria and for a warm family Christmas.
    Prayers for April and Shirlee and their families.
    Prayers for Rusty, how nice to hear from him again.
    Spent the day with my daughter yesterday. Attended to Holiday Market which is fashioned after the one in Germany. The Pittsburgh one is the only one in the country. Visited Phipps Conservatory to view the winter flower show. I enjoy seeing green and growing things in the dead of winter. Also went to the Carnegie Museum to see the Italian Presepio, a nativity scene that is huge in that depicts a street and all the people and businesses of the day of Christ’s birth. Also saw the annual Christmas trees in the museum, they are huge and decorated with themes each year.
    Prayers for all dear UR family

  • Mary Ng Shwu Ling Posted December 10, 2018 8:19 am

    Grateful for the joy of learning to do soap art and the joy of celebrating my sister in law’s birthday today.

    Preparing diy gifts for family and friends. Wednesday will be candle making workshop.

    Thank you God for the joy of giving.

    May God bless Lou, Connie, Jill, Julie, Marcy, Robert, Anneliese and Erich, Andrea, Betsy, Rusty and K, as well as everyone who visit here.

    May Connie sleep well and may God be our strength and hope!

  • robert moeller Posted December 10, 2018 7:02 pm

    Very late to post, but my routine is coming back. Enjoyed all of today’s posts from Lou, Connie, Julie, and Mary. God’s hope and peace to you and Amen to your prayers. Thank you for your prayers. You were in min as i walked thos morning.

    My mornings are returning, Erich’s work schedule will start around noon instead of early in the morning. So far so good with work.I pray it continues.
    Many benefits from this job that are both helpful now and in the future.

    Able to help Anneliese with a change in health insurance. She is doing better as a result of PT and PM.

    Thank You, Lord for the blessings of the day, the gift of Hope, and the promise of Salvation. Peace to all of you.

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