Morning Prayer
Psalm
Read an appropriate psalm, out loud if possible. I suggest one of the following psalms:
Psalm 46 | Psalm 47 | Psalm 51
Reading
Find an appropriate Bible passage, then read it—out loud, if possible—and think about how it relates to you. I suggest the following:
Surely God is my salvation;
I will trust and not be afraid.
The LORD, the LORD, is my strength and my song;
he has become my salvation.
With joy you will draw water
from the wells of salvation.
In that day you will say:
“Give thanks to the LORD, call on his name;
make known among the nations what he has done,
and proclaim that his name is exalted.
Sing to the LORD, for he has done glorious things;
let this be known to all the world.
Shout aloud and sing for joy, people of Zion,
for great is the Holy One of Israel among you.”
—Isaiah 12:3-6
“My soul glorifies the Lord
and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
for he has been mindful
of the humble state of his servant.
From now on all generations will call me blessed,
for the Mighty One has done great things for me—
holy is his name.
His mercy extends to those who fear him,
from generation to generation.
He has performed mighty deeds with his arm;
he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts.
He has brought down rulers from their thrones
but has lifted up the humble.
He has filled the hungry with good things
but has sent the rich away empty.
He has helped his servant Israel,
remembering to be merciful
to Abraham and his descendants forever,
even as he said to our fathers.”
—Luke 1:47-55
“Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel,
because he has come and has redeemed his people.
He has raised up a horn
of salvation for us
in the house of his servant David
(as he said through his holy prophets of long ago),
salvation from our enemies
and from the hand of all who hate us—
to show mercy to our fathers
and to remember his holy covenant,
the oath he swore to our father Abraham:
to rescue us from the hand of our enemies,
and to enable us to serve him without fear
in holiness and righteousness before him all our days.
And you, my child, will be called a prophet of the Most High;
for you will go on before the Lord to prepare the way for him,
to give his people the knowledge of salvation
through the forgiveness of their sins,
because of the tender mercy of our God,
by which the rising sun will come to us from heaven
to shine on those living in darkness
and in the shadow of death,
to guide our feet into the path of peace.”
—Luke 1:69-79
Affirmation
Affirm your faith by reciting one of the following historic creeds or a statement of faith of your own choosing or composition.
The Apostles Creed
The Nicene Creed
Prayer
Pray thanksgivings and petitions; asking God for your specific needs as you see them and giving thanks for specific things in your life. You can pray one gargantuan prayer, or a series of small prayers. You can pray the Lord’s Prayer (Our Father), or you can use it as an outline for a prayer of your own.
- Address God with praises
- “Our Father, who art…”
- Submit to God’s will
- “Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done…”
- Ask for your specific physical needs
- “Give us this day our daily bread…”
- Ask for forgiveness
- “Forgive us our debts…”
- To the degree that you yourself are willing to forgive others…
- “As we forgive our debtors…”
- Ask for help with temptations
- “Lead us not into temptation…”
- And preservation from evil
- “Deliver us from evil…”
Collect
End by praying this or a similar prayer:
Lord God, almighty and everlasting Father, you have brought me in safety to this new day; Preserve me with your mighty power, that I may not fall into sin, nor be overcome by adversity; and in all I do, direct me to the fulfilling of your purpose; through Jesus Christ my Lord. AMEN.
