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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

PART OF LEARNING to pray continually is to stay open in prayer. Sometimes after we say amen, we check off prayer on our to-do list and shut down the conversation. But God has invited us — called us — to pray without ceasing, to keep the conversation going all day, every day. The hymn “What a Friend We Have in Jesus” is absolutely correct: “What a privilege to carry every thing to God in prayer!”

—Jenny Youngman
Scrambled Starts: Family Prayers for Morning, Bedtime, and Everything in Between

From page 67 of Scrambled Starts: Family Prayers for Morning, Bedtime, and Everything in Between by Jenny Youngman. Copyright © 2015 by The Upper Room. All rights reserved. Used by permission of Upper Room Books. Learn more about or purchase this book.

Today’s Question

After your prayer time today, think of your “amen” as an invitation to continue praying throughout the day.  Share your thoughts.

Today’s Scripture

Pray without ceasing.
—1 Thessalonians 5:17, NRSV

Prayer for the Week

Praise God, from whom all blessings flow;
Praise him, all creatures here below;
Praise him above, ye heavenly host;
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Amen. (Traditional Doxology)

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

Something more

Looking for a special way to celebrate Mom this Mother’s Day? Give a gift in her honor to your favorite Upper Room ministry.

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

  • Jill Posted May 7, 2019 6:48 am

    I believe I have moved more in this direction over the past few years. I try to be more aware of what I do with my “down” time at school – even just a few moments at the end of a class or time spent in the hallway between classes. To be more purposeful.
    Grateful for a beautiful day yesterday and energy to work in my yard after school. My uncle came over and helped me plant a forsythia bush/tree that one of my small groups had gotten me in remembrance of mom. He is going to help me landscape the area around it as well, in the next few weeks. He is always ready to lend a helping hand. Grateful for him and his availability.
    The daughter of my mom’s best friend (who died in January) sent me a “Mother’s Day” card – one specifically for a daughter who lost her mother in the past year. Very thoughtful. She is feeling many of the same things I am feeling leading up to this Sunday. Grateful for the tenderness of her thought.

  • Lou Posted May 7, 2019 6:57 am

    I don’t have structured prayer time except for at meals- I just pray all day long- whenever it strikes me – often in the car, waiting in lines, while reading these posts, when one of my children text me, after a patient leaves my office, at night when I cannot sleep, when I’m walking my dog and the beauty of fog or a sunrise or a bird singing (yes at 4:30 this morning) strikes me- sometimes prayers of gratitude and thankfulness- sometimes probably more often pleas of help, but nevertheless praying always praying. Praying for all of you and the many concerns offered up. Prayers especially for my oldest daughter teaching in a particularly challenging school- she is also struggling with a relationship- God grant her peace and strength today and all of her days. I pray for the protection and safety for all of my children as they go out into the world. Peace to all of you today.

  • Julie Posted May 7, 2019 8:22 am

    I try to follow this dictate as much as I can. It can be calming and comforting because it is a reminder that God/Jesus is with us always.
    Prayers for Jill and her father as a painful Mother’s day appoaches.
    Prayers for Lou and her daughter and her teaching situation.
    Prayers for good news for Robert about his condo purchase.
    Prayers for Mary and her father and his health and appetite.
    Prayers for Marcy, may she be well soonand home with Lucy.
    Prayers for Connie and her family and their loss.
    Prayers for Andrea, Betsy, and Rusty.
    Prayers for my friends Sue and Ron. Ron has pneumonia and Sue has fibromyalgia and they are both in their 80s.
    Prayers and blessings and warm hugs dear UR friends

    • Mary Ng Shwu Ling Posted May 7, 2019 8:27 am

      I pray throughout the day but I also have a specific morning prayer time.

      Grateful that level Chinese restaurant cooking class starts tonight. So fun to learn new dishes and meet new friends.

      Blessings to all!

      Prayers for Marcy and Robert. God will make a way. I commit all of you and your individual needs into God’s hands. He knows what is best for all of us. May His will be done.

      • Mary Ng Shwu Ling Posted May 7, 2019 8:32 am

        Also, prayers for Jill, Julie and Lou.

        May we all experience more of God’s love and power working in our lives and families!

  • robert moeller Posted May 7, 2019 12:06 pm

    There was a time, not so long ago, when I was in a regimen that had QT in the time before the sun came up. The Daily Reflection came then and OT started.
    Lately a variety of activities can easily disrupt that routine. I had not thought of amen as being an invitation to continue praying, but certainly can understand that idea. I do think that continued prayers are very necessary.New ideas, reasons, topics arise all the time and there are prayers that last a very long time.

    Think I’m in the wait and see phase regarding the condo purchase. Have had many “waits” in life, this is one of the tougher ones. Back at the the usual gym after the repairs have been completed. Don’t have many sessions left. I’ll be in a transition mode until there is a green light on the move. God will take me by the hand on this journey.

    Prayers for many different needs, concerns, and people. Have not heard from Marcy in what seems like a very long time. Sure hope there is good progress.
    Julie’s situation is a big concern. Mourning and recovery are also in our hearts. Jill, Larry, Becky, Mary and her family, Connie, and Grace come to mind. Thankful for new life with Harrison growing every day. Anneliese is waiting for an appointment on the 15th to see what can be done to help her spine. Her grandson, Brandon, had surgery to repair a rotator cuff injury.
    Doris, has weekly transfusions to help her battle with leukemia. The people of the Midwest deal with floods, cyclones in Africa, India, and Bangladesh have
    many people without a place to live. Extinction of many animals is expected unless some drastic steps are taken. In all of this there is the hope offered by Jesus. Thank You, Lord.

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