Since returning from the Christmas holiday, we have been sporadic in creating our Psalm and Prayer of the Day posts. Pastor Lou Ellen will return to providing these each weekday with the hopes that these devotional moments help bind us together as a church family and give us hope and purpose each day.
Psalm 147:1-11
1 Praise the Lord!
How good it is to sing praises to our God;
for he is gracious, and a song of praise is fitting.
2 The Lord builds up Jerusalem;
he gathers the outcasts of Israel.
3 He heals the brokenhearted,
and binds up their wounds.
4 He determines the number of the stars;
he gives to all of them their names.
5 Great is our Lord, and abundant in power;
his understanding is beyond measure.
6 The Lord lifts up the downtrodden;
he casts the wicked to the ground.
7 Sing to the Lord with thanksgiving;
make melody to our God on the lyre.
8 He covers the heavens with clouds,
prepares rain for the earth,
makes grass grow on the hills.
9 He gives to the animals their food,
and to the young ravens when they cry.
10 His delight is not in the strength of the horse,
nor his pleasure in the speed of a runner;[a]
11 but the Lord takes pleasure in those who fear him,
in those who hope in his steadfast love.
A note about today’s prayer. One of the ways these daily prayers can be helpful is they follow a set model. Similar to our prayers of the people on Sunday mornings, usually these daily prayers include prayers for creation, our communities, the church, the suffering, and society. Prayers which were written decades ago seem as if they were written last week. Still, we pray for our world and offer thanks for God’s blessings with faith in God’s providence and care, for each generation and in our lives each day.
Prayer of the Day
For this day, o gracious Lord, we offer thanks. Today we are grateful for…
the gift of sunshine and rain which nourishes your creation;
the gift of your Spirit which renews our hearts and minds;
those who work in the healing fields – doctors, nurses, counselors, and technicians;
your church in her many forms around the world;
(Personal thanksgiving….).
We are grateful you hear our prayers of concern. Today we pray for…
those impacted physically and financially by the pandemic…
those who are grieving the loss of loved ones…
those who are in need of healing in mind, body, and spirit…
those who are in leadership that they will have courage and wisdom as they lead us and work for the general welfare of society…
the church as she ministers in your name…
(Personal prayers of concern…).
AMEN