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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

IT IS ALWAYS our responsibility to continually focus our hearts and minds—not on our past failures or sins, on our future concerns and worries, or on those ever-present struggles that come our way each day but on the God who raised Jesus from the dead. As we choose to do this with simple trust, the Holy Spirit will impart greater measures of divine joy into our lives.

There can be no greater joy than knowing that nothing, not even death, can ever separate us from the love that God has for us in Jesus Christ.

—Trevor Hudson
Pauses for Pentecost: 50 Words for Easter People

From page 19-20 of Pauses for Pentecost: 50 Words for Easter People by Trevor Hudson. Copyright © 2018 by The Upper Room. All rights reserved. Used by permission of Upper Room Books. Learn more about or purchase this book.

Today’s Question

Do others see joy in you?  Share your thoughts.

Today’s Scripture

So they left the tomb quickly with fear and great joy, and ran to tell his disciples.
—Matthew 28:8, NRSV

 

Prayer for the Week

Lord Jesus Christ, breathe the freshness of your Spirit into us that we may come alive again.

Submit your prayer to The Upper Room Living Prayer Center or share it in the comment section.

Something more

Discover Sight Psalms, a daily, online, photo inspiration intended to help people reflect on God’s presence in the world and in their lives through the use of images. Learn more.

Lectionary Readings

(Courtesy of Vanderbilt Divinity Library)

Looking for lectionary-based resources? Learn more about The Upper Room Disciplines.

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

6 Comments

  • Betsy Posted April 24, 2019 6:52 am

    Looking up expectantly toward Jesus. That is my prayer each day. Hoping to show joy through my interactions each day with those around me.

    Grateful this week for a visit from good friends who are on their way to the Quilt Show in KY. They made a small baby quilt for Harrison. Thankful for their friendship. Blessings to all.

  • robert moeller Posted April 24, 2019 7:02 am

    I hope people see joy in me. At the moment I am preparing to meet my sister to tomorrow, we haven’t seen each other since before Thanksgiving.

    Will be glad when the condo buying is a done deal. Things are progressing and yet I worry. I’m very much in hope that this move will be helpful for both Erich and I.

    Thankful for a wonderful Easter and delicious meals. Was able to visit a friend in a nursing home as she moved to a single room. Thankful Anneliese is getting help from her daughter and finally has the correct glasses.

    Prayers for Mary, Larry, Becky, and Jill and their families after the passing of Mary’s Mum and Gloria. Prayers for Sri Lanka, Andrea’s pastor friend there, and all the people, that peace may prevail despite the grief. Healing and restoration for Marcy, Julie, Rusty, and Edy’s Bill. Blessings, God’s peace and comfort to all the UR family this and everyday. We are so much in need of You, Lord. Thank You, for Your presence.

    • Mary Ng Shwu Ling Posted April 24, 2019 7:36 am

      Thanks Robert!

      May God bless your move and may you and Erich be so blessed by this move!

  • Edy Posted April 24, 2019 7:40 am

    May God bless us all during our daily struggles. 12 days until my son Bills brain surgery, please continue to pray for him and his daily struggles with headaches etcetc. Thank you everyone. Hi Rusty, get better soon, miss seeing your inspiring posts. FHS, Edy

  • Julie Posted April 24, 2019 8:06 am

    I would hope people might see joy in me, but I am doubtful they do. My chronic health issues and my current life circumstances make joy difficult. This is a wakeup call for me to be more joyful before the Lord and my fellow children of His.
    Prayers for Andrea and her friend in Sri Lanka, may he be safe.
    Prayers for Betsy and for her friends, may they be safe as they travel.
    Prayers for Connie, may He breathe His fresh Spirit in her and revive her.
    Prayers for Edy and Bill as they count down the days to surgery.
    Prayers for JE, may God give her peace and health.
    Prayers for Jill and Larry as they process together their recent journey.
    Prayers for Lou, may she reconnect with her daughter.
    Prayers for Mary, may she make tasty dishes for her family as she attends classes.
    Prayers for Marcy, may she be well.
    Prayers for Robert and Erich, may God bless their move.
    Prayers and blessings and warm hugs dear UR family, commenters and those who are quiet. Thank you for your prayers and kind words.

  • Andrea Posted April 24, 2019 1:36 pm

    Thank you, Julie. I pray and hope you are feeling better. Robert, you and Erich are in my prayers in the big process of re-locating; and good to hear Anneliese has the support of her daughter.

    Please pray for my friends in Sri Lanka – one Episcopalian priest, two Catholic priests including dear Father Edwin, and Kumara, his wife and two children. I have received an email from Kumara and he is very frightened for both his family’s safety and subsistence. His entire livelihood is from tourism – he is a tour operator and his wife hosts home stays.

    Today is the 104th year marking the onset of the slaughter of 1.5 million Armenians, a Christians people, in the Ottoman Empire during the First World War. My grandfather lost his family, friends, and entire community in his town, as also happened across the Ottoman Empire. He was a young college student in the US on a study scholarship, which saved his life, and he never saw his homeland again. We will attend a service of remembrance this evening.

    Prayers for UR friends. Blessings.

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