| Morning
Prayer
with Renée Miller
Download
this guided prayer <mp3>
Chant
This day is new, it comes from God.
It is a gift from heaven’s hand.
Let troubles held from yesterday
Melt in the grace that comes today.
Music: "Jesu dulcis memoria, plainsong, Mode
2"
Hymnal 1982
Preparation
for Prayer
As you greet the new day, quiet your soul and be aware of the
presence of the Holy One in you and all around you as you listen
to the ringing of the bell.
Opening
Sentence
“When dawn begins to emerge over the darkened horizon, it
is a reminder that all of life is a birth from silence.” —Renee
Miller, Fertile Soil
in a Barren Land
“This
is the day that God has made. Let us rejoice and be glad in it.”
—Psalm
118:24
A
Psalm
“Exalt yourself above the heavens, O God, and your glory over
all the earth. My heart is firmly fixed, O God, my heart is fixed;
I will sing and make melody. Wake up, my spirit; awake, lute and
harp; I myself will waken the dawn. I will confess you among the
peoples, O Lord; I will sing praises to you among the nations. For
your loving-kindness is greater than the heavens, and your faithfulness
reaches to the clouds.” —Psalm
57: 6-1
A
Reading from the Bible
“Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer
and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known
to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding,
will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” —Philippians
4:6-7
Reflection
followed by Silence
As the sun slowly rises, the thick, heavy drape of darkness is lifted
and the light emerges, as if for the first time, nascent and fresh,
no harshness to the transition, no favoring of one over the other,
no sense of competition. It’s a silent and balanced movement.
As
you consider that balanced movement, visualize the same drape of
darkness being lifted from your soul and feel yourself being bathed
in light. Just as nature provides a steady and dependable rhythm
to the day, you can know that a similar rhythm is being lived out
in your soul. Ask yourself, “Am I willing to ‘wake up’
to the presence of God in my soul, as if for the first time?”
Prayer
Take some moments now to offer the concerns of your heart to heaven.
Remember those who are in pain, those who are afraid, those who
are alone, those whom you love, those who are dying, and those who
are already in heaven, and pray for the needs of your own life.
(Silence)
Prayer
for Expressing Gratitude
“Gracious God, in the busy-ness of my day, I sometimes forget
to stop to thank you for all that is good in my life. My blessings
are many and my heart is filled with gratefulness for the gift of
living, for the ability to love and be loved, for the opportunity
to see the everyday wonders of creation, for sleep and water, for
a mind that thinks and a body that feels. I thank you, too, for
those things in my life that are less than I would hope them to
be. Things that seem challenging, unfair, or difficult. When my
heart feels stretched and empty, and pools of tears form in my weary
eyes, still I rejoice that you are as near to me as my next breath
and that in the midst of turbulence, I am growing and learning.
In the silence of my soul, I thank you most of all for your unconditional
and eternal love. Amen.” —from Prayers
for Living
Blessing
The dawn has come and another day of life awaits your presence.
Heaven looks on your soul with a protecting glance. May you feel
the tender touch of God’s blessing this day and may your soul
be warmed with love.
Closing Thought with Chant
Whatever happens this day, know that you are loved by God—
boundlessly,
unconditionally, and eternally.
“When you were formed by heaven above
You were formed in perfect love.
Open your eyes, to realize
God’s presence in your soul.”
Text: Renee Miller
Music: Thomas Pavlechko
Wellspring, Selah Publishing
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