Morning Prayer: 05 January – Psalm 43:3-4; 1 John 4:7-10 ~ living in the light of God’s love

Tuesday after Epiphany

+ In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen!

Opening Sentence

God has visited his people and has brought us redemption.

Morning Reading: Psalm 43:3-4 (NLT)

Send out your light and your truth; let them guide me. Let them lead me to your holy mountain, to the place where you live. There I will go to the altar of God, to God — the source of all my joy. I will praise you with my harp, O God, my God!

Morning Reading: 1 John 4:7-10 (NLT)

Dear friends, let us continue to love one another, for love comes from God. Anyone who loves is a child of God and knows God. But anyone who does not love does not know God, for God is love.

God showed how much he loved us by sending his one and only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through him. This is real love — not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins.

Morning Prayer

Praise to You, Lord Jesus Christ, sent by God to be for us the One who is Wise, Just and Holy – our Redeemer. Guide us into Your light and truth.

+ Lord of the universe, the shepherds found You in a manger – save us from selfishness in the way we live.
+ You so loved us in all our weakness that you came to be our Savior – help us to respect the dignity of every man.
+ You took our nature but You did not sin – help us to live in the light of Your love.
+ You made the Church Your bride without defect or blemish – grant that all believers may persevere in love for one another to the end.

God, our Father, since through the human birth of Your only Son You began in us the work of redemption, keep us firm in faith, and with Christ as the Shepherd of our souls bring us the glory You have promised. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

“We Are Marching In The Light of God”

Blessing

The Lord bless us, and keep us from all evil, and bring us to everlasting life.

+ In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen!

Morning Prayer: 02 January – Isaiah 49:8-9; Colossians 2:16-3:4 ~ Come out in freedom; come into the light.

The 9th Day of Christmastide

+ In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen!

Opening Sentence

You have been raised to life with Christ. Set your hearts, then, on the things that are in heaven, where Christ sits on his throne at the right side of God. Keep your minds fixed on things there, not on things here on earth.

Morning Reading: Isaiah 49:8-9 (NLT)

This is what the Lord says:

“At just the right time, I will respond to you. On the day of salvation I will help you. I will protect you and give you to the people as my covenant with them. Through you I will reestablish the land of Israel and assign it to its own people again. I will say to the prisoners, ‘Come out in freedom,’ and to those in darkness, ‘Come into the light.’ They will be my sheep, grazing in green pastures and on hills that were previously bare.

Morning Reading: Colossians 2:16-3:4 (NLT)

Icon: Head of Christ, 1999 photograph by David Elliott — Icon: Head of Christ, 1999
photograph by David Elliott

So don’t let anyone condemn you for what you eat or drink, or for not celebrating certain holy days or new moon ceremonies or Sabbaths. For these rules are only shadows of the reality yet to come. And Christ himself is that reality. Don’t let anyone condemn you by insisting on pious self-denial or the worship of angels, saying they have had visions about these things. Their sinful minds have made them proud, and they are not connected to Christ, the head of the body. For he holds the whole body together with its joints and ligaments, and it grows as God nourishes it.

You have died with Christ, and he has set you free from the spiritual powers of this world. So why do you keep on following the rules of the world, such as, “Don’t handle! Don’t taste! Don’t touch!”? Such rules are mere human teachings about things that deteriorate as we use them. These rules may seem wise because they require strong devotion, pious self-denial, and severe bodily discipline. But they provide no help in conquering a person’s evil desires.

Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor at God’s right hand. Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth. For you died to this life, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God. And when Christ, who is your life, is revealed to the whole world, you will share in all his glory.

Morning Prayer

Lord Jesus Christ, God made man, the new Adam, who has become for us the source of new life – have mercy.

+ Christ, Sun of Justice, You revealed Your glory among us – may we live through Your light with God.
+ Simeon and Anna proclaimed You as the Savior – grant that the Jewish people may accept Your message so long foretold.
+ At Your birth the angels proclaimed glory in heaven and peace on earth – fill our world with the spirit of Your peace.
+ You became the second Adam, renewing all our human ways – bring hope to those who live under the oppression of sin.

God our Father, grant that learning Your truth with humility, we may live by faith and walk in the light of Your love throughout the new year. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

“Jesus, the Light Of the World “

Blessing

The Lord bless us, and keep us from all evil, and bring us to everlasting life.

+ In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen!

Morning Prayer: 01 January – Numbers 6:22-27; Luke 2:16-21 ~ May the Lord bless you and protect you.

The 8th Day of Christmastide

+ In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.

Opening Sentence

Today a wonderful mystery is announced: something new has taken place: God has become man; He remained what He was and has become that which He was not; and though the two natures remain distinct, He is one.

Morning Reading: Numbers 6:22-27 NLT

Then the Lord said to Moses, “Tell Aaron and his sons to bless the people of Israel with this special blessing:

‘May the Lord bless you and protect you. May the Lord smile on you and be gracious to you. May the Lord show you his favor and give you his peace.’

Whenever Aaron and his sons bless the people of Israel in my name, I myself will bless them.”

Morning Reading: Luke 2:16-21 NLT

Nativity

They hurried to the village and found Mary and Joseph. And there was the baby, lying in the manger. After seeing him, the shepherds told everyone what had happened and what the angel had said to them about this child. All who heard the shepherds’ story were astonished, but Mary kept all these things in her heart and thought about them often. The shepherds went back to their flocks, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen. It was just as the angel had told them.

Eight days later, when the baby was circumcised, he was named Jesus, the name given him by the angel even before he was conceived.

Morning Prayer

Give glory to Jesus Christ, born of the Virgin Mary by the power of the Holy Spirit.

+ Son of the Virgin Mary, wondrous child and prince of peace, may Your peace be a reality in the world.
+ Lord Jesus, may Your gift of faith grow stronger in us every day and find expression in all our ways of living.
+ You took our human nature to Yourself; help us to grow in humility and godliness.
+ You became a citizen of our world; make us fellow-citizens of Your heavenly kingdom.

God, our Father, grant that we may know the power of our Savior’s love for us – even Jesus Christ, born of the Virgin Mary, Your Son, the author of life, who lives and reigns with You in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God for ever and ever.

“Hallelujah” – Lindsey Stirling- #aSaviorIsBorn

Blessing

The Lord bless us, and keep us from all evil, and bring us to everlasting life.

+ In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.

Morning Prayer: 31 December – John 1:1-18 ~ full of grace and truth

The 7th Day of Christmastide

+ In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen!

Opening Sentence

The Word became flesh, and dwelt among us. To all who received him he gave power to become children of God.

Morning Reading: John 1:1-18 (ESV)

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. He came as a witness, to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through him. He was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light.

john1_14-spiritbecomesflesh

The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. (John bore witness about him, and cried out, “This was he of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me ranks before me, because he was before me.’”) For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father’s side, he has made him known.

Morning Prayer

With humble confidence we turn to Christ the Lord, whose grace has been revealed for the salvation of all mankind. Lord, have mercy on us.

+ Christ, radiance of God’s glory, sustaining the universe with your all-powerful word, give us life today through the power of Your gospel.
+ Christ, Liberator of the whole human race, give all mankind the freedom needed to do Your will.
+ Christ, eternal Son of the Father, yet born for us in the stable at Bethlehem, help Your Church to be ever detached from the unnecessary things of this world.
+ Christ, Son of David, fulfillment of the prophecies, may the Jewish people accept You as their awaited Deliverer.

All-powerful, ever-living God, we thank You for the human birth of Your Son, which is the source and perfection of our Christian life and worship. Number us among His people, for the salvation of all mankind is found in Him, who lives and reigns with You in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God for ever and ever.

“We Shall Behold Him” – Sandi Patty

Blessing

The Lord bless us, and keep us from all evil, and bring us to everlasting life.

+ In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen!

Morning Prayer: 30 December – Hebrews 1:1-2; Luke 2:36-40 ~ the waiting is over

The 6th Day of Christmastide

+ In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.

Opening Sentence

The Lord has made known His salvation. He has revealed His saving power, alleluia, alleluia.

Morning Reading: Hebrews 1:1-2 NLT

Long ago God spoke many times and in many ways to our ancestors through the prophets. And now in these final days, he has spoken to us through his Son. God promised everything to the Son as an inheritance, and through the Son he created the universe.

Morning Reading: Luke 2:36-40 NLT

The Prophet Anna Aurelio Bruni — The Prophet Anna
Aurelio Bruni

Anna, a prophet, was also there in the Temple. She was the daughter of Phanuel from the tribe of Asher, and she was very old. Her husband died when they had been married only seven years. Then she lived as a widow to the age of eighty-four. She never left the Temple but stayed there day and night, worshiping God with fasting and prayer. She came along just as Simeon was talking with Mary and Joseph, and she began praising God. She talked about the child to everyone who had been waiting expectantly for God to rescue Jerusalem.

When Jesus’ parents had fulfilled all the requirements of the law of the Lord, they returned home to Nazareth in Galilee. There the child grew up healthy and strong. He was filled with wisdom, and God’s favor was on him.

Morning Prayer

Most loving Son of God, in whom all things are restored by the Father’s will, hear our prayers:

+ Son of God, in the fullness of time You became a man: share with us Your love for everyone.
+ You emptied Yourself to enrich us with Your glory: make us selfless ministers of Your gospel.
+ You brought light into the darkness of our lives: guide all our actions in the ways of virtue, justice and peace.
+ May our hearts be disposed to hear Your word and so be able to do good for ourselves and for our fellow-men.

Almighty God and Father, the human birth of Your Only-Begotten Son was the beginning of new life. May He set us free from the tyranny of sin. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

“Newborn” – MercyMe

Hallelujah the newborn has come | Hallelujah the newborn has come | Hallelujah the newborn has come | Hallelujah the newborn has come

Blessing

“Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy, to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.” (Jude 24-25)

+ In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.

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