Lord God Omnipotent, some pride themselves on speaking truth to power. May my glory be to speak the truth of Jesus’ gospel to the powerless.
In the midst of decay and death, O Lord of life, newness appears
In the midst of decay and death, O Lord of life, newness appears in the dawning day, the sprouting plant, and the baptized sinner to reset our sights toward eternity. For these subtle and powerful signs, we thank you, Creator and Recreator who inhabits abodes everlasting!
Lord, what Mary thought was a disaster is our greatest success
Lord, what Mary thought was a disaster when she found that the tomb was empty is for us the greatest success, the guarantee of our hope, the firstfruit of our own coming to life. Our tears flow, not from grief, but from joy, because our Savior lives, as does our ambition of seeing his face. Thank you for your power in him, your grace toward us.
Lord, the lack of Internet causes me pain
Lord, do I miss connecting with you as much as when I lose my Internet access? Skipping a prayer produces only a vague nagging thought in the back of my mind. When I’m knocked off the Internet, the pain makes me scream. Let my soul react as strongly when I’m away from your presence.
O God of all comfort, ease the pain of those who mourn
O God of all comfort, ease the pain of those who mourn,
Give focus to him who lies between two paths, confused and torn;
Give time, another day, for change, to him who hesitates,
Fulfill deferred hopes and distant dreams of the one who waits;
Give bread and drink to empty stomachs, clothe the naked boy,
Give homes to homeless men, infuse the broken heart with joy;
Hold up the hands of the weary, put strength and courage in trembling knees,
Secure the lonely traveler, protect the sailors on stormy seas;
All this and more, O Lord, we ask, of you, the Father who cares,
And make us more the family who with the needy shares.
How ready am I – a “maranata” prayer
To see the Lord descending from the sky,
And saints a-wing to meet him, with them I
Ascending, weightless, leaving far below
The cares of earth, the minutes empty and slow,
O God, I ask: Let Jesus come today —
How ready am I to fly away!
–J. Randal Matheny
My Lord Jesus does all things well, always speaks well
My Lord Jesus does all things well, always speaks well, because he acts outside of himself, for the good of others. Heavenly Father, make me like him; make me lose myself in you; make me over in the image of yourself. This I desire above all else.
Where, what, who, when? God, God, God, God.
Where are you, God? Everywhere. What do you know, O God? Everything. Who do you love, my Lord? Everyone. When do you act, O King? Every minute. Praise! Honor! Glory! All is yours, and you are mine.
Lord, thank you that your kingdom is here
Lord, thank you that your kingdom is here, with us now, in Jesus as king who reigns over his people. We hail his rule as righteous, good, and pleasant. Give us strength to suffer with joy, give us wisdom to ply our task, give us grace for every need and hour.
Purposes of fasting
David Lemmons writes that “there are 78 instances of some form of the word + 3 indirect references. A few years ago I prepared a sermon on the subject. My approach was to look at all of the passages and ask: WHAT WAS THE SPECIFIC PURPOSE for this particular fast. I found a total of sixteen different purposes. Most of these purposes, it seems to me, would serve Christians well today.” For his PDF file, go HERE.