Daily Prayer in the Season of Joyful Hope
MONDAY
CALL TO WORSHIP, AND OPENING PRAYER
The kingdom of God is at hand:
Come, let us worship.
Give praise to the Father almighty,
to his Son, Jesus Christ, the Lord,
to the Spirit who dwells in our hearts,
both now and for ever. Amen.
Alleluia!
Blessed are you, sovereign God,
ruler and judge of all,
to you be praise and glory for ever.
[a few words of praise and adoration may be said here]
Awaken in us joyful hope
as we look for Christ's reign of peace,
when every voice shall give you praise,
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Blessed be God for ever!
PSALM, AND SCRIPTURE SONG
Psalm 19
The heavens are telling the glory of God;
and the firmament proclaims his handiwork.
Day to day pours forth speech,
and night to night declares knowledge.
There is no speech, nor are there words;
their voice is not heard;
yet their voice goes out through all the earth,
and their words to the end of the world.
In the heavens he has set a tent for the sun,
which comes out like a bridegroom from his wedding canopy,
and like a strong man runs its course with joy.
Its rising is from the end of the heavens,
and its circuit to the end of them;
and nothing is hidden from its heat.
The law of the Lord is perfect,
reviving the soul;
the decrees of the Lord are
sure,
making wise the simple;
the precepts of the Lord are
right,
rejoicing the heart;
the commandment of the Lord is
clear,
enlightening the eyes;
the fear of the Lord is
pure,
enduring for ever;
the ordinances of the Lord are
true
and righteous altogether.
More to be desired are they than gold,
even much fine gold;
sweeter also than honey,
and drippings of the honeycomb.
Moreover by them is your servant warned;
in keeping them there is great reward.
But who can detect their errors?
Clear me from hidden faults.
Keep back your servant also from the insolent;
do not let them have dominion over me.
Then I shall be blameless,
and innocent of great transgression.
Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
be acceptable to you,
O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.
Give praise to the Father almighty,
to his Son, Jesus Christ, the Lord,
to the Spirit who dwells in our hearts,
both now and for ever. Amen.
A Song of the Wilderness [verses from Isaiah 35]
The wilderness and the dry land shall rejoice,
the desert shall blossom and burst into song.
They shall see the glory of the Lord,
the majesty of our God.
Strengthen the weary hands,
and make firm the feeble knees.
Say to the anxious, ‘Be strong, fear not,
your God is coming with judgement;
coming with judgement to save you.’
Then shall the eyes of the blind be opened
and the ears of the deaf unstopped;
then shall the lame leap like a hart
and the tongue of the dumb sing for joy.
For waters shall break forth in the wilderness
and streams in the desert.
The ransomed of the Lord shall return with singing,
with everlasting joy upon their heads.
Joy and gladness shall be theirs,
and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.
Give praise to the Father Almighty,
to his Son, Jesus Christ, the Lord,
to the Spirit who dwells in our hearts,
both now and for ever. Amen.
SHORT READING
Philippians 4. 4-7
Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. 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.
a time for reflection on the scriptures …
… completed with:
Those who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength.
They shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall renew their strength.
CANTICLE OF THE SEASON
The Song of Jechariah
[Luke 1.68-79]
Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel,
who has come to his people
and set them free.
The Lord has raised up for us
a mighty Saviour,
born of the house
of his servant David.
Through the holy prophets,
God promised of old
to save us from our enemies,
from the hands of all who hate us,
to show mercy to our forebears,
and to remember his holy covenant.
This was the oath
God swore to our father Abraham:
to set us free
from the hands of our enemies,
free to worship him without fear,
holy and righteous before him,
all the days of our life.
wending through gorse, Norfolk
And you, child, shall be called
the prophet of the Most High,
for you will go before the Lord to prepare his way,
to give his people knowledge of salvation
by the forgiveness of their sins.
In the tender compassion of our God
the dawn from on high shall break upon us,
to shine on those who dwell in darkness
and the shadow of death,
and to guide our feet into the way of peace.
Give praise to the Father almighty,
to his Son, Jesus Christ, the Lord,
to the Spirit who dwells in our hearts,
both now and for ever. Amen.
THE LORD’S PRAYER,
thanksgiving, petition, intercession
Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins
as we forgive those who sin against us.
Save us from the time of trial
and deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours
now and for ever. Amen.
a time for personal prayer and intercession …
… you may include this ‘Prayer for the Earth’:
Good God, your saints in every age
proclaim your glory in the highest heavens
and see your beauty in the smallest of your creatures.
May we, inspired by the depth of their devotion,
see the world in a grain of sand and heaven in a wild flower,
and offer you our lives in praise and service.
… and sum up your own prayers with these responses:
In joyful hope we pray to you, O Lord:
come, Lord Jesus.
Come to your Church as Lord and Judge;
give us a longing for your loving rule.
Come to your world as King of the nations;
let righteousness and peace prevail.
Come to us as Saviour and Comforter;
break into our failure and free us to serve you.
Come to us with power and great glory.
Lift up our hearts to meet you in joy.
CONCLUDING PRAYER, AND ENDING
Merciful God,
teach us to be faithful in change and uncertainty,
that trusting in your word
and obeying your will
we may enter the unfailing joy of Jesus Christ our Lord.
May the God of hope fill us with all joy and peace in believing,
so that we may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
late evening approach to South Uist, Western Isles