Morning Prayer: Psalm 122:8-9; Isaiah 41:4-6; John 3:8 ~ wind born

Morning Prayer:

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

Opening sentences
Seek the Lord while He may be found: with all your heart… with all your soul… with all your mind… with all your strength.

Declaration of faith

To whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, and we have believed and have come to know that You are the Holy One of God. Praise to You, Lord Jesus Christ, King of endless glory.

Morning readings

Psalm 122:8-9 ESV For my brothers and companions’ sake I will say, “Peace be within you!” For the sake of the house of the Lord our God, I will seek your good.

Wind from the Sea Andrew Wyeth (1947) — Wind from the Sea
Andrew Wyeth (1947)

Isaiah 41:4-6 ESV “Who has performed and done this, calling the generations from the beginning? I, the Lord, the first, and with the last; I am he. The coastlands have seen and are afraid; the ends of the earth tremble; they have drawn near and come. Everyone helps his neighbor and says to his brother, “Be strong!”

John 3:8 ESV “The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.”

Prayer: Come Holy Spirit – Fill my heart with love for all God’s people… take captive my thoughts… and bridle my tongue… that I might only speak words of encouragement and peace. Give me the sensitivity and discernment to recognize your movement in the lives of others. When I am strong, may I freely give help to others; and when I am weak, may I graciously receive their offered help. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Spiritual Song: “Come Holy Spirit” – Israel Houghton and the New Breed.

Blessing

May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you, wherever He may send you. May He guide you through the wilderness, protect you through the storm. May He bring you home rejoicing at the wonders He has shown you. May He bring you home rejoicing once again into our doors.

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

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Peanut Gallery: The Morning Prayer readings are from the Daily Office of the Northumbrian Community as available online here… and in the book form, Celtic Daily Prayer available on Amazon.com.

The website and prayer book are rich in prayer resources and I commend them to you. For our purpose here, I will limit my selections to the Morning Prayer resources.

Morning Prayer: Psalm 49:1-3; Isaiah 58:6; Matthew 25:37-40 ~ break every yoke

Morning Prayer:

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

Declaration of faith

To whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, and we have believed and have come to know that You are the Holy One of God. Praise to You, Lord Jesus Christ, King of endless glory.

Morning readings

Psalm 49:1-3 ESV Hear this, all peoples! Give ear, all inhabitants of the world, both low and high, rich and poor together! My mouth shall speak wisdom; the meditation of my heart shall be understanding.

Isaiah 58:6 ESV “Is not this the fast that I choose: to loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the straps of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke?”

Matthew 25:37-40 ESV Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’

Prayer:Almighty eternal God, source of all compassion, the promise of your mercy and saving help fills our hearts with hope.

Hear the cries of the people of Syria; bring healing to those suffering from the violence, and comfort to those mourning the dead. Empower and encourage Syria’s neighbors in their care and welcome for refugees. Convert the hearts of those who have taken up arms, and strengthen the resolve of those committed to peace.

O God of hope and Father of mercy, your Holy Spirit inspires us to look beyond ourselves and our own needs. Inspire leaders to choose peace over violence and to seek reconciliation with enemies. Inspire the Church around the world with compassion for the people of Syria, and fill us with hope for a future of peace built on justice for all. We ask this through Jesus Christ, Prince of Peace and Light of the World, who lives and reigns for ever and ever. Amen.

Spiritual Song: “Break Every Chain” – Jesus Culture

Blessing

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

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The website and prayer book are rich in prayer resources and I commend them to you. For our purpose here, I will limit my selections to the Morning Prayer resources.

Morning Prayer: Psalm 147:10-11; Esther 6:7-9; Mathew 25:34-40 ~ least of these

Morning Prayer ~ Celtic Daily Prayer

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

Opening sentences

One thing I have asked of the Lord, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life; to behold the beauty of the Lord and to seek Him in His temple.

Morning readings

Psalm 147:10-11 ESV His delight is not in the strength of the horse, nor his pleasure in the legs of a man, but the Lord takes pleasure in those who fear him, in those who hope in his steadfast love.

Esther 6:7-9 ESV And Haman said to the king, “For the man whom the king delights to honor, let royal robes be brought, which the king has worn, and the horse that the king has ridden, and on whose head a royal crown is set. And let the robes and the horse be handed over to one of the king’s most noble officials. Let them dress the man whom the king delights to honor, and let them lead him on the horse through the square of the city, proclaiming before him: ‘Thus shall it be done to the man whom the king delights to honor.’”

Matthew 25:34-40 ESV Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’

Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’

And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’

Syrian refugees Ali Shteiwi kisses his wife Walaa as she holds their newborn daughter, Taymaa, at the Zaatari refugee camp in Mafraq, Jordan last month. Canada is accepting 200 'urgent' refugees from the region but they won't start arriving until later this year. (Raad Adayleh/Associated Press) — Syrian refugees Ali Shteiwi kisses his wife Walaa as she holds their newborn daughter, Taymaa, at the Zaatari refugee camp in Mafraq, Jordan last month. Canada is accepting 200 ‘urgent’ refugees from the region but they won’t start arriving until later this year. (Raad Adayleh/Associated Press)

Prayer ~ (adapted from Isaiah 58:6-12)

Lord God: You have made clear through your Son and the prophets what you want from me;

To free those who are wrongly imprisoned; lighten the burden of those who work for me.
To let the oppressed go free, and remove the chains that bind people.
To share my food with the hungry, and give shelter to the homeless.
To give clothes to those who need them, and do not hide from relatives who need my help.
To remove the heavy yoke of oppression and help those in trouble.

Help me to do my part… that I might receive your blessing… now and forever:

“Then your salvation will come like the dawn, and your wounds will quickly heal. Your godliness will lead you forward, and the glory of the Lord will protect you from behind.
Then when you call, the Lord will answer. ‘Yes, I am here,’ he will quickly reply.
Then your light will shine out from the darkness, and the darkness around you will be as bright as noon. The Lord will guide you continually, giving you water when you are dry and restoring your strength. You will be like a well-watered garden, like an ever-flowing spring. Some of you will rebuild the deserted ruins of your cities.
Then you will be known as a rebuilder of walls and a restorer of homes.”

Hymn: “When It’s All Been Said and Done” – Robin Mark

Blessing

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

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Peanut Gallery: Selected readings from the Daily Office of the Northumbrian Community as available online here… and in the book form, Celtic Daily Prayer available on Amazon.com.

The website and prayer book are rich in prayer resources and I commend them to you. For our purpose here, I am limiting my selections to the Morning Prayer resources.