Good Morning, Lord!
I Am Baptized
And Peter said to them, "Repent and be baptized every
one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and
you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. (Acts 2:38 ESV)
Make the sign of the cross as you say, “In the name of the
Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.”
A Morning Prayer
O Holy Spirit of God, visit my soul, and dwell within me all
through this day. Inspire my thoughts. Infuse my imaginations. Suggest all my
decisions. Make your home in my will’s most inward fortress and organize all
that I do according to your will. Be with me in my silence and in my speech, in
my haste and in my leisure, when I am alone and when I am with others, in the
freshness of the morning and the weariness of the evening; and give me grace at
all times to rejoice knowing that you are with me.
Accompany me today, dear Spirit of God, in everything I do,
but especially when I am home with my family. Don’t let me show less courtesy
and kindness to those closest to me, and let your grace show through me to them
in consideration, mercy, and a willingness to explain everything in the kindest
way. Let charity begin at home.
Do not leave me, O Holy Counsellor, as I read books,
articles, or various internet posts. Guide my mind to discern truth from
fiction and to recognize what is profitable for godly living and what merely
leads me to wallow in this world’s muck. Always focus me on the things which
are from above.
Be near to me, O Comforter, and help me to know your
presence in all my days, but especially in my times of prayer, as I read the
Scriptures, at the Divine Service, and when I receive Holy Communion. In Jesus’
name I pray. Amen.[1]
I Believe …
I believe that God has made me and all creatures; that He
has given me my body and soul, eyes, ears, and all my members, my reason and
all my senses, and still takes care of them. He also gives me clothing and
shoes, food and drink, house and home, wife and children, land, animals, and
all I have. He richly and daily provides me with all that I need to support
this body and life. He defends me against all danger and guards and protects me
from all evil. All this He does only out of fatherly, divine goodness and
mercy, without any merit or worthiness in me. For all this it is my duty to
thank and praise, serve and obey Him. This is most certainly true.
Question for Meditation
What does this reading teach you about Jesus, what He said
and did, or what He wants His followers to believe? What does it teach you
about God’s love and forgiveness?
What does this reading lead you to be thankful for?
What behavior, thought, or attitude does this reading
challenge? What sin does it lead you to confess?
How might you pray for God to have a richer impact on your
life through this reading?
Prayer
Pray for the
government and all who are in authority.
Pray that God
grants wisdom, integrity, courage, and safety to all our leaders, to police,
firefighters, health care professionals, and all who work for the public good.
Lord’s Prayer
Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be Thy name,
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done on earth
as it is in heaven;
give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those
who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the kingdom
and the power and the glory
forever and ever. Amen.
Benediction
Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely,
and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of
our Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Thess. 5:23 ESV)
[1] This prayer is adapted
from John Baillie, A Diary of Private Prayer, 1949 – a morning prayer for the
21st day of the month. Baillie wrote wonderful prayers for the
morning and evening of each day of the month. They have inspired, educated, and
assisted many in their prayer lives. It was updated in 2014 by Susanna Wright.
That edition is available from Amazon here.
I personally prefer the 1949 edition with the older style of language. That
edition can still be found if you search for it.
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