[bluidkiti]

June 7

Prayer for the Day (inspired by Jane Austen)

Give me grace Almighty Father, so to pray, as to deserve to be heard, to address you with my heart, as with my lips. You are everywhere present, from you no secret can be hidden. May the knowledge of this, teach me to fix my thoughts on you, with reverence and devotion, that I may not pray in vain.

May I now, and on each return of morning, consider how I will spend the day ahead; what thoughts will prevail in my mind? What words will I speak? Will my actions reflect your will, or my own? How far can I acquit myself of evil, and live in the goodness and beauty of my Lord Christ?

Will I think irreverently of you? Will I disobey your commandments? Will I neglect and make excuses for any known duty, or willingly given pain to any human being? Incline me to ask my heart these questions oh! God, throughout the day, to save me from deceiving myself by pride or vanity.

And give me always a thankful sense of the blessings in which I live, of the many comforts of my lot; that I may not deserve to lose them by discontent or indifference. Hear me almighty God, for his sake who has redeemed me, and taught me thus to pray. Amen.

Meditation

[Let me address you with my heart as with my lips.]

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For Those in Need of Strength

I pray, Lord, for all who will need strength and courage in the day ahead: For those who face danger. For those who risk themselves for others. For those who must make an important decision today. For people who are seriously ill. For those facing persecution or torture. I ask you, Lord, to give them the power of your Spirit, Amen.

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Father, I am tried of walking around in sadness with this long, unhappy expression. I ask you to expose the source of this unhappiness, and forgive me for wrong perceptions about you and about myself. You have made me glad and I rejoice before you. I choose to be happy from the inside out, and from the outside in. I am glad and rejoice before you, my God; I am happy and joyful. My happy heart makes my face cheerful, and my eyes rejoices the heart of others. I am a happy, jovial, cheerful and tenacious child of God. Thank you Jesus for your joy. It is fulfilled in me. Hallelujah and Amen.

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My Father, I thank thee for life and its faculties. May I not be deceived by gratification and miss the permanent satisfactions. Make me brave that I may be courageous in affliction, and not be dismayed over humiliations and disappointments. May I be kept in harmony with thy will. Amen.

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Lord, show me how to learn from others, how to be patient, and how to persevere. Amen.

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Dear heavenly Father, thank you that You have given us a job and a task to do. Lord, let us not view work as a drudgery or an evil; rather, let us be grateful that we are able to work. Lord, let us work with joy, and not complain and whine about our lot in life. Let us realize that we are working for You and You shall promote and reward us, even as You did Joseph in the Bible. You use men as instruments of blessing in our lives, and let us also be instruments of blessing to others. In our work places let us be a blessing to those around us, and thank you for blessing us too. Strengthen us for each day's tasks. Lord, use us each to contribute our portion to making this world a better place. I ask this in the name of Jesus, our Lord. Amen.