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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

O HOLY ONE, be with me in my uncertainty, my confusion.
I hardly know which way to turn,
yet my heart in expectation turns to you.
Somehow I know — I trust —
that you honor my willingness,
because it’s all I have right now.
Even if I make a misstep and stumble,
I trust your gracious Spirit
to steer me back on the path.

So accept my feeble effort, my availability,
my deep desire to serve you.
I no longer ask for a vision of the whole journey,
but simply for the next step.
Shine your holy light on my path forward,
and I will take that step
with your loving, forgiving Spirit ever at my side.
Amen.

— Linda Douty
Praying in the Messiness of Life

From page 104 of Praying in the Messiness of Life: 7 Ways to Renew Your Relationship with God, by Linda Douty. Copyright © 2011 by Linda Douty. All rights reserved. Used by permission of Upper Room Books. Learn more about or purchase this book.

Today’s Question

Do you sometimes have difficulty choosing your “next steps” in life? Share your thoughts.

Today’s Scripture

For Zion’s sake I will not keep silent, and for Jerusalem’s sake I will not rest, until her vindication shines out like the dawn, and her salvation like a burning torch.
—Isaiah 62:1, NRSV

This Week: pray for someone beginning a good habit. Submit your prayer to The Upper Room Living Prayer Center or share it in the comment section.

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17 Comments

  • Trackback: The Upper Room Daily Reflections from The United Methodist Church in Nashville, Tennessee, United States from Monday , 7 January 2018 through Sunday, 13 January 2019 for Wednesday, 9 January 2018 “Uncertainty” – Global Methodist Nazaren
  • Jill Posted January 9, 2019 3:23 am

    This prayer brings me to tears this morning. The first paragraph are my words…I trust Him to honor my willingness, feeble as it may be, seeming ever so waning to me. But what does He see? I humbly repeat the second paragraph – trusting Him to make those words truly my heart’s longing – that I would not desire the long vision, but a simple trust in Him, my Father.

    • Rusty Posted January 9, 2019 7:39 am

      Bless you, Jill. Your words reveal a powerful faith. You may not feel it, at times but we do. And He does. Thank you, Jill.

      And thank You, Lord. Please order Jill’s and all of our lives and show each of us our next step.

  • Mary Ng Shwu Ling Posted January 9, 2019 3:31 am

    Yes.Lord, lead and guide us every step of the way. Help us to seek your guidance continually.

    Blessings!

    • Emily Posted January 9, 2019 6:00 am

      This prayer is exactly what I need on this early morning after a sleepless night. Too many anxieties! Thank you!

      • Mary Ng Shwu Ling Posted January 9, 2019 8:58 pm

        May you sleep well Emily!

        Blessings!

  • Lou Posted January 9, 2019 7:01 am

    Yes – this speaks to so many of us- I too needed this today. Thank you God for knowing our needs and providing.
    Prayers today especially for Jill, Mary and Emily- Lord Grant them your peace.
    Prayers for Robert and Erich- help them one day at a time.
    Prayers for Julie in her unease.
    Prayers for Andrea – she is a good wife – ease her worries and heal Her husband.
    Prayers for Betsy and her family
    For April, Rusty, Marcy and all those who come here.
    Prayers of comfort this day for Connie as she remembers the birth of her daughter and her life. Grant her peace today and everyday- may her strong faith carry her through –
    Prayers for my brother as he celebrates a birthday today- he has struggled in relationships and I know he feels lonely- prayers of peace for him.
    O thank the Lord for He is good and His mercy endures forever.

    • Connie Posted January 9, 2019 9:13 am

      Thank you, Lou, and happy birthday to your brother. May his loneliness be lessened by the ones who love him.

    • Mary Ng Shwu Ling Posted January 9, 2019 9:01 pm

      Thanks Lou for all your prayers!

      May your brother enjoy his birthday and may God bless him with healthy relationships, true friends who will make him happy.

      Blessings!

  • Julie Posted January 9, 2019 7:58 am

    Ama zing how this same pray can speak so loudly to each of us. How meaningful each word is to each of our lives. I saw myself and heard echos of my daily morning prayers in each line.
    Prayers for Jill and her family, may Larry recover quickly from his cold.’
    Prayers for Mary and her family, may she continue to be a source of joy.
    Prayers for Andrea, may Lowell be well and resting at home.
    Prayers for Lou and may her brother enjoy his birthday.
    Prayers for Rusty, may he enjoy his last vacation week.
    Prayers for Emily, may her mind find ease in you.
    Prayers for Connie as she remembers may she remember all the good.
    Prayers for Robert, may God lead his steps to a new home.
    Prayers for Betsy and Kelsey, may all go well with the delivery.
    Prayers for Marcy, the sister we miss so.
    Prayers dear UR family

    • Connie Posted January 9, 2019 9:14 am

      Thank you, Julie. I have a lot of good memories.

    • Mary Ng Shwu Ling Posted January 9, 2019 9:42 pm

      Thanks Julie for your prayers.

      May your situation improve and may you lean on God.

      Blessings!

  • Andrea Posted January 9, 2019 8:09 am

    Thank you, Lou, and others, for your prayers. My husband tolerated the medical procedure well yesterday, and now we await the pathology report.

    This prayer is a lovely reminder that God is our safety net when we fall short. I have learned to trust when I am unsure of the steps to take. When I become anxious, I turn to prayer for comfort. When, too often, I make a mistake, I turn to prayer for guidance. God is always present.

    Please pray for my sister-in-law, Marcy J., who has a cardioversion procedure today – that the procedure will be effective. She has recently developed increased heart problems and has other health problems as well.

    May we all have confidence that God is with us every step of the way, even in our missteps. “All things work together for good….”

    • Mary Ng Shwu Ling Posted January 9, 2019 10:34 pm

      Andrea, may your sister in law procedure be effective and may she have a speedy recovery!

      Blessings

  • Connie Posted January 9, 2019 9:18 am

    Step by step holding His hand.
    “Step by step He’ll lead me, and I’ll follow Him wherever I go”

    • Connie Posted January 9, 2019 9:24 am

      “Step by step you’ll lead me and I will follow you all of my days” Michael W. Smith

  • robert moeller Posted January 10, 2019 2:11 am

    There have been times in my life when this was truer. At the moment I think I’m doing ok. It has been harder to find time to read the reflection. Activity in the morning means I have to find time during the day or un this case the next day. That makes me feel a little out of kilter.

    Amen! Thank you Julie!
    Ama zing how this same pray can speak so loudly to each of us. How meaningful each word is to each of our lives. I saw myself and heard echos of my daily morning prayers in each line.
    Prayers for Jill and her family, may Larry recover quickly from his cold.’
    Prayers for Mary and her family, may she continue to be a source of joy.
    Prayers for Andrea, may Lowell be well and resting at home.
    Prayers for Lou and may her brother enjoy his birthday.
    Prayers for Rusty, may he enjoy his last vacation week.
    Prayers for Emily, may her mind find ease in you.
    Prayers for Connie as she remembers may she remember all the good.
    Prayers for Robert, may God lead his steps to a new home.
    Prayers for Betsy and Kelsey, may all go well with the delivery.
    Prayers for Marcy, the sister we miss so.
    Prayers dear UR family

    Connie – yes! I agree. Thank you!

    Andrea – prayers for your sister-in-law, Marcy J, and her heart problems.

    Lou – thank you for your prayers,

    Yes – this speaks to so many of us- I too needed this today. Thank you God for knowing our needs and providing.
    Prayers today especially for Jill, Mary and Emily- Lord Grant them your peace.
    Prayers for Robert and Erich- help them one day at a time.
    Prayers for Julie in her unease.
    Prayers for Andrea – she is a good wife – ease her worries and heal Her husband.
    Prayers for Betsy and her family
    For April, Rusty, Marcy and all those who come here.
    Prayers of comfort this day for Connie as she remembers the birth of her daughter and her life. Grant her peace today and everyday- may her strong faith carry her through –
    Prayers for my brother as he celebrates a birthday today- he has struggled in relationships and I know he feels lonely- prayers of peace for him.
    O thank the Lord for He is good and His mercy endures forever.

    Prayers for your brother.

    Welcome Emily, very thankful that you found this reflection helpful.

    While it is not gigantic progress, step by step is best, that sort of progress is being made here. Sometimes it seems agonizingly slow, but too fast is not good.

    Thank your Mary for your support to all of us, prayers for you, Molly, your parents, students and classes.

    Very thankful the Lord is with us all the time. God is good all the time. We can trust in the Lord.

    Prayers for the United Methodist Church and my church as we deal with homosexuality. I most certainly hope we do so as the Lord would have us do.

    Peace be with you. Thank You, Lord

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