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Written by Chris Webb, a contemporary Benedictine Anglican priest, author, speaker, and teacher. This is an excerpt from his work “To Bear the Character of God.”

The opening chapter of the Bible tells us that we are made ​“in the image of God” (Gen 1:27). Scholars and theologians have reflected for over two millennia about exactly what that might mean, but the apostle John, in his first letter, gives us an important insight into at least one significant implication. ​“God is love,” he writes, ​“and those who abide in love abide in God, and God abides in them” (1 Jn 4:16). To bear the character of God is to have love hardwired into our essential nature. The more we are conformed to the character of God, the more perfectly loving we will become. We are created to love.

Prayer:

Written by Eugene Peterson (1932-2018), an American Presbyterian minister, scholar, theologian, author and poet.  He is well know for his Bible translation “The Message.”

May this day bring rest to my heart and my home.  May God’s image in me be restored and my imagination in God be re-storied.  May the gravity of material things be lightened and the relativity of time slow down. May I know grace to embrace my own finite smallness in the arms of God’s infintite greatness. May God’s Word feed me and His Spirit lead me into the week and into the life to come. Amen.

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Written by Keith Riley, a contemporary pastor and author. This is an excerpt from his work “The Sacred Ordinary of Each Day.”

God, the great Creator and Sustainer of life is ever-present in your day. The demonstration of that reality is one of the great gifts that Jesus gives disciples (his first disciples, and all of his disciples since)… I can easily forget this remarkable reality in my life.  I oversleep and run late for my first meeting of the day. Now in a frantic mode, I blow past the beauty of flowers, the smell of a coffee shop, or the joy of a conversation. I’m too busy worrying about how to ​“catch up” on my schedule.  Besides being busy, the presence of certain technologies in my daily routine can be a constant distraction from the present moment and the Presence in front of me. My phone connects me to friends all over the world, but it can also disconnect me from the sacred human right in front of me.  Somewhere in the midst of my busy, distracted days is a loving God — constantly pursuing me with overtures of tenderness and soul-nurturing experiences. Did I even notice? Noticing God takes intentionality and openness on our part. It is easy to miss the good gifts that God holds out each and every day.

Prayer:

Written by Laura Talton, a contemporary writer.

 Father, thank you that you never leave us, even when life seems so ordinary and common. Thank you that you are still working in and through our lives of instant oatmeal and rent bills. Help us to see your grace in every aspect of our lives. We are so thankful for the opportunity to praise you in this very present minute. Amen.

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Written by Jenise Jones Vacarro, a consultant on business development and writer. This is an excerpt from her work “Trading Fear For Love.”

I am reminded of a quote from Lewis’s The Chronicles of Narnia where the lion, Aslan, says, “I am not safe, but I am good.” So it is with Christ as we follow His calling on our lives, particularly as lived out among those who reject Him. Our stand for Christ in the marketplace is definitely not “professionally safe.” He calls on His people to bear fruit, to be salt and light, to love unconditionally, to turn the other cheek…wow. Not a human recipe for success in the shark tank of business. But, we follow a good God who will, in the end, see us through potential rejection as we dispense with our fear of man and instead grow in the healthy fear of an infinitely good God. As we focus on Jesus and turn away from our fears, He changes our hearts, helping us to feel what His heart feels: compassion for the lost, and a great desire to see that every lost soul finds the Good Shepherd. So, I think of another lion in literature: the lion in The Wizard of Oz. He wanted courage. In the end, it was love in his heart that gave him what he needed. Love in our heart for Jesus and for others will be the thing that gives us the courage we lack.

Prayer:

Written by Rebecca Barlow Jordan, a contemporary author.

Feed me today with your daily bread. As the Bread of Life, your food, like manna, will sustain me throughout any trials and hungers. Help me to set my thoughts on things above and to speak only what will help and encourage others. Keep me from putting my foot in my mouth, and help me guard the affections of my heart today, Lord. Make whatever work I do be marked with excellence rather than perfectionism, as I seek not to make a name, but to make a difference. Help me to treat each person I encounter as you would, with respect and love, forgiving others and asking for forgiveness myself when needed. Amen.

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Written by Elizabeth Cheney (1957-1940), an American pioneer and writer. This is her poem “The Robin and the Sparrow.”

Said the Robin to the Sparrow:
“I should really like to know
Why these anxious human beings
Rush about and worry so?”

Said the Sparrow to the Robin:
“Friend, I think that it must be
That they have no Heavenly Father
Such as cares for you and me.”

Prayer:

Written by Reuben Job, Norman Shawchuck, and John Mogabgab. This is a prayer based on Psalm 55 from their book “A Guide to Prayer for All Who Walk With God.”

Sometimes life seems unbearable. Our hearts and minds are weighed heavily upon, and we struggle to let go of all that burdens us for fear of losing the illusion of control we have over our lives. We call upon your name today, O God, that you may free us from worry and all that troubles our minds, bodies, and spirits. We put our trust in you, O God, this day and always. Amen.

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Written by Brian Morykon, a contemporary writer and director of communication for Renovare (an organization for spiritual formation).

As a recovering perfectionist, I crave order. When there’s disorder inside or around me, I become irritable and controlling and try to force order upon myself and others. That’s when the Spirit nudges me to the woods and stream behind my office. There, roots of trees jut out intertwined above the stream, the underground unveiled mid-air.  There, I come into what Wendell Barry calls the “peace of wild things.” There, I see that God isn’t afraid or in a hurry, that the Kingdom of God is wildly in order, and that I don’t have to carry everything I’ve been carrying—at least not alone. There, I can pray for the wide world and my little world and enter back into both with a little more hope.

Prayer:

Today’s prayer is from the PC-USA Book of Common Worship.

O Thou who has ordered this wondrous world, and who knowest all things in earth and heaven: So fill our hearts with trust in thee that by night and day, at all times and in all seasons, we may without fear commit all that we have and hope to be to thy never-failing love, for this life and the life to come; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

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Written by Timothy Keller (1950-2023), an American Calvinist pastor, preacher, theologian, and Christian apologist.

In 1971 I heard a talk—two illustrations—that changed my life. The woman, named Barbara Boyd, said, “If somebody says to me, ‘Come on in, Barbara, but stay out, Boyd,’ it’s a bit of a problem because I can’t separate them. It’s not like the top half of me is Barbara, and the bottom half of me is Boyd. So if you won’t have Boyd, you can’t get Barbara. If you’re going to keep the Boyd out, I can’t come in at all!” She continued: “To say, ‘Jesus, come into my life, forgive my sins, answer my prayers; do this for me, do that for me—but don’t be the absolute master of my life; Jesus, Savior, come in; but Lord, stay out,’ how can he come in at all? Because he’s all Savior, and he’s all Lord. He’s Lord because he’s Savior. He’s Savior because he’s Lord.”

Prayer:

Written by Stormie Omartian, a contemporary author and speaker.

God, I acknowledge You as Lord over every area of my life this day. Help me walk in Your perfect will in all that I do and everything that I say. Amen.

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Written by Todd Outcalt, a contemporary pastor and author.

Most people associate Halloween with fear—fear of death, fear of dying, fear of evil. But when we come to know the true power and trustworthiness of God, many of the fears we have in life melt away. Fear, however, is a natural and good feeling. Without fear we would make many stupid mistakes, hurting ourselves and others in the process. Without fear, we would not have enough wisdom to flee when true dangers present themselves. One of the ways people deal with their fears is by making fun of the fear itself. That, in fact, is part of the origin of Halloween, which means “all hallows eve.” People were naturally afraid of death and dying, and so they decided to face their greatest fear by poking fun at death. In 1 John, we are told that perfected love drives out fear. That is to say, when we become certain of God’s love, we don’t have to be afraid anymore. It’s as if God is the parent who comes in at night and tucks us in, turns on the night light, and tells us that there are no monsters. In God’s great love, all fear melts away. We can remove our fears by serving others. When we abandon our lives in service, we often discover that our fears lessen as our friendship and love deepens. As you and I think about our fears now, I hope that we will see that just as God has protected and redeemed those who have come before us, God will protect and redeem us, too. Even from death itself!

Prayer:

Written by John Birch, a contemporary writer and poet  from the United Kingdom, who has written several books of prayers and studies Celtic prayer. He created the Faith and Worship website to provide prayer resources for worship.

Breathe love into lives ruled by fear.

Soften hearts that are hardened by pride.

Whisper gently to those bound by chains.

Sow peace where conflict divides.    

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Written by Susan Larson, a contemporary author.

God is omnipresent—meaning He’s here, there, everywhere all at the same time—so no matter what you’re going through today or worried about facing tomorrow, He is closer than you can imagine, and His presence changes everything. The God of creation cares deeply about every detail of our personal lives. He’s in charge of every galaxy and has named every star. He also knows about the hurts in our hearts and the hairs on our heads. He’s near and far. His glory fills the universe, and yet He’s up close and involved. There’s nothing like God’s presence in our lives, but sometimes we chase the sensational and miss the supernatural. Worship services, retreats or conferences, and mountaintop experiences are great, but too often we rush right by the nuanced, miraculous ways God shows up in our story every day. When we pursue the heart of God through the Word of God, that’s when we experience the presence of God—and it makes all the difference in our lives.

Prayer:

Written by the Lead Like Jesus team, an organization established by Ken Blanchard to “glorify God by inspiring and equipping people to lead like Jesus.”

God, our God, who raised Jesus from death to life, who pours out Your Spirit on Your people, thank You that Jesus is present with me today. You know the challenges that I face, the ones that would cause me to act out of pride and fear. But in You I have hope. I can freely, humbly, and confidently move into this day, aware of Your presence and focused on serving others. In Jesus’ name I pray, amen.

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Written by Roy Hession (1908-1992), a British evangelist and author.

When we see Jesus as Commander of the army of the Lord, [it is our job] to fall on our faces before Him and worship — that is, to confess the self-will, self-effort, and self-glory that have dominated us and deeply surrender to Him as our Commander, and be willing for Him to make the decisions, give the orders, and be the doer of the work… We cannot be too low at His feet if He is to cause the walls of our Jericho to fall. He will have no difficulty with those walls if He can get us to fall first. 

Prayer:

Written by Kristine Brown, a contemporary writer and speaker.

Dear Heavenly Father, I hear your precious son Jesus gently calling me, yet I realize I’ve let the temptation of control keep me from responding to his voice. Forgive me for trying to do things on my own when I know your ways are best. I surrender to Jesus today. Thank you for sending the Holy Spirit to draw me back to you in those times when I’ve relied on my own strength. Thank you for reminding me that if I want to follow Jesus, I need to release my own way.

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Written by Emma Danzey, a contemporary author.

One of the greatest ways in which the enemy works is to get us to be silent. If we are quiet in our faith, struggles, and lives, the Lord cannot use us. This is certainly not to say if someone is mute that, God cannot use them, for there are many ways to communicate the gospel. However, when we know the truth of Christ and refrain from sharing that with others, it is wrong. When we know the hope of Jesus and that we are His children but try to hide out of fear, we are called to let our lights shine before all people. We are told not to be ashamed of the gospel.  In what ways do you feel tempted to be silent about your faith? It can be easy, without realizing it, to hide the most important part of our lives around others in certain settings or around relatives who have not been receptive… Has God ever invited you to lead or be part of something, and you turned it down? The sad part is that when we do this, the Lord is still going to work, but we miss out on the opportunity to be involved in His kingdom work. He has given us an invitation, but we have to decide if we will join in…Have you ever had a perfect moment at the perfect time? An experience where things just happened to work out right when they needed it? The Lord has beautifully orchestrated this exact period of time to use you and to use me for His glory. We are invited to not remain silent, but to speak of His love and salvation, to say yes to His call, and to remember that He is with us even in the most uncertain of times.

Prayer:

Written by Rachel Olsen, a contemporary author.

Lord God, you loved this world so much that you gave your one and only Son, that we might be called your children too. Lord, help us to live in the gladness and grace every day. Let us have hearts of thankfulness for your sacrifice. Let us have eyes that look upon your grace and rejoice in our salvation. Help us to walk in that mighty grace and tell your good news to the world. All for your glory do we pray, Lord, Amen.

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