X

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

GOD OF TOMORROWS, we thank you for the gift of a new year.
Morning by morning new mercies we see. We bring our joy and anticipation.
We also bring our still-fresh pain as we remember the ones we lost in the past year.
We bring the sting of disappointment as we ponder over the relationships
that have been broken in the year past.
We bring the burden of sadness as we struggle to recover from losing jobs.
And we bring our hope that you will help us.
Free us, right now, from being identified only by the events of our life.
May the God Event in our life mark our life, so that we might worship you this day in the beauty of your holiness. Amen.

The Africana Worship Book: Year B

Prayer by B. Kevin Smalls. From page 135 of The Africana Worship Book: Year B, edited by Valerie Bridgeman Davis and Safiyah Fosua. Copyright © 2007 by Discipleship Resources. All rights reserved.Used by permission. http://bookstore.upperroom.org/ Learn more about or purchase this book.

Today’s Question

Pray today’s prayer. Share your thoughts.

Today’s Scripture

Give the king your justice, O God, and your righteousness to a king’s son.

Psalm 72:1, NRSV

This Week: Pray for joyous new beginnings. Submit your prayer to The Upper Room Living Prayer Center or share it in the comment section.

Did You Know?

Daily Reflections is sent compliments of The Upper Room. Please join our family of generous donors who make this possible. Give today.

This week we remember: Simeon Stylites (December 27).

Lectionary Readings

(Courtesy of Vanderbilt Divinity Library)

Sponsored by Upper Room Ministries ®. Copyright © 2019 | PO Box 340004 | Nashville, TN 37203-0004 | USA

7 Comments

  • Trackback: The Upper Room Daily Reflections of The The Upper Roomfrom The United Methodist Church in Nashville, Tennessee, United States from Monday, 31 December 2018 through Sunday, 6 January 2019 for Tuesday, 1 January 2019 “God of Tomorrows” –
  • Mary Ng Shwu Ling Posted January 1, 2019 1:53 am

    Father God, we commit 2019 into your hands. Thank you for a joyous beginning. Thank you for your guidance and ever present help. We commit our family and future into your hands. In our lives, may you be glorified! Make us a channel of your blessings to all we meet! Thank you for hearing our prayers dear God!

  • Jill Posted January 1, 2019 6:36 am

    I misread the final line…”so that we might worship you this day in the BOUNTY of your holiness”. Yes, Father – Your Bounty…of new mercies each morning, opportunities for a fresh start, utter and complete forgiveness – the likes of which we cannot fathom fully.
    I take great comfort this morning with a better appreciation of knowing, Father, that 2019 is laid before You – You know every twist and turn, You are sovereign over it all. AND – Your Presence and Peace are with me, with us. Whatever will bring us closer to You, Father – please bring it to pass.

  • Julie Posted January 1, 2019 8:01 am

    “The beauty of your Holiness.” What a wonderful description, we never think of His holiness as beautiful, but this is a wonderful concept and needs further contemplation as does “God event”. May I recognize all the God events in my life and may I be the deliverer of beauty to others. I especially identify with the line about not being defined and identified by the events in our lives. People tend to define me by my hands and I am so much more. I am still intelligent and capable, this disease does not affect my mind!
    God may I be strengthened by my knowledge that You are in charege of my life and you have a plan for me. May I be assured and peaceful in this assurance of Your sovereign care and Your plan for my life.
    Prayers and blessings dear UR family. We know not what the new year brings, but may we meet each event with the knowledge of God’s love and assurance and the love and prayers of this loving family of believers.

  • Betsy Posted January 1, 2019 8:09 am

    “We make our plans, but the Lord determines our steps.” Prov.16:8
    Grateful this day of the New Year, Lord, that you are in control. I turn all over to you as we step into 2019. Blessings to this UR family as we begin a new chapter.

  • Connie Posted January 1, 2019 8:30 am

    God of all our tomorrows, help us to keep our commitments to You.
    I have already made and broken an early morning resolution! Forgive me, Father, and help me to do better……(I complain too much).
    Snow-covered here in Illinois and very pretty on this first day of the year.

  • robert moeller Posted January 1, 2019 1:56 pm

    Yes, Lord, only You provide all that is needed. Thank You for Your wisdom, resources, healing, and guidance.

    Happy New Year to all the UR family, God is with you all, always.

Add Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *