The good news of Christ
Sovereign Lord, the seed is sown,
The heart is touched with holy grace;
Forbid that Satan bind this soul
Desiring to love and serve the Master.
Keep cares from choking wisdom’s choices,
Let faith bring forth its full effect;
Let rise from dust to resurrection
The death of self, for the door of life.
Our Father in heaven, thank you for the blessings of this day. You renew your goodness over us constantly.
Bless our loved ones far away from us, and draw them near to you.
Make us sensitive to wrongs in the world, especially to the greatest of these: rebellion against your will, ignorance of your Word.
We put ourselves in your hands to be instruments of peace, envoys of reconciliation to an estranged world.
Let Satan not hinder us, nor distractions keep us from our main task.
Blessed be your name in all the earth, as the heavens praise your glory. Amen.
No friend like you—how can this be,
When God and man to talk are free,
The Maker choosing to condescend
And on his creature blessings send?
Your presence turns my common way
To glorious steps; the normal day
To eternal light and heavenly rest—
In Christ I live and know you best.
In quiet submission and peace sublime,
I seek you in my fleeting time;
This sweet communion makes me see
My king and friend coming for me.
Show me, my Savior, a needy soul,
Where a word, a hand, a touch, can heal;
Make through me your presence real,
To strengthen the weak, restore men whole.
I have in me no power of mine,
Your Spirit stirs to wake the heart;
For nothing I do from you apart,
Who turned the water to perfect wine.
Thank you, sovereign God, for making me a part of your plan, for putting your word in my mouth, for allowing me to participate in the grandest project of all time, the rescue and transformation of souls.
To think that through your plan of salvation we touch eternity and extend the reach of your reign into more and more lives is nothing short of amazing.
Help us to be worthy of your calling, dependent on your strength, faithful to your truth, deposited in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.
For those who reel from deepest grief,
Who cannot see the budding leaf,
For those consumed by sharp despair,
For these we make our daily prayer.
Lord, let me listen with all my faculties to your word, that I might practice it fully.
Let me also listen with focused attention to those around me.
By listening to both, help me to bring those I hear to listen to you. Amen.
Father, lift up the eyes of those who see only drudgery on Mondays. Help them to see the promise of the new day, the opportunity of serving God and neighbor, the sweetness of the early morning, the renewal of life and love.
First day, exciting day, a rousing day for praise,
For worship, building up the church, this special Day of days.
Give words, O Savior, fitting words, to bless your blessed name,
Surrounded by the worthy saints, I’ll never be the same!
Lord, give me strength to greet
The coming day in peace;
Keep firm my moving feet,
Make all good fruit increase.
Remind me of your will,
On your light I rely,
To none may I do ill,
But good to passersby.