Mosaic in Notre Dame de la Garde, Marseilles, France.
Prayers
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Lord's Prayer
Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come; Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever and ever.
Amen.
Prayer for God's Protection through this Night.
I beseech you to continue your gracious protection to me and my family this night. Defend us from all dangers, and from the fear of them; that we may enjoy such refreshing sleep as may fit us for the duties of the coming day. And grant me grace always to live in such a state that I may never be afraid to die; so that, living and dying, I may be yours, through the merits and satisfaction of your Son Christ Jesus, in whose name I offer up these my imperfect prayers.
Amen.
Confession
Have mercy on me, Oh Lord, for I am a humble and miserable sinner. [At this point, pause to remember specific sins you have committed during the day and speak or think them.] I renounce all of these sins, heavenly Father, and repent of them, and I promise to make every effort not to repeat them.
Have mercy on me, pardon me for these offences and any I might have omitted from forgetfulness or ignorance; in the name of Jesus Christ, my Lord and Savior, I pray for forgiveness. And I pray that your Holy Spirit may dwell with me in the coming day, to comfort me, to give me strength against temptation, and to guide me into the path of righteousness.
Amen.
Prayer for Family and Friends
Blessed are you, loving Father, for all your gifts to me and those close to me. Blessed are you for giving me family and friends to be with me in times of joy and sorrow, to help me in days of need, and to rejoice with me in moments of celebration.
Father, I praise you for your son Jesus, who knew the happiness of family and friends, and in the love of your Holy Spirit. Blessed are you for ever and ever.
Amen.
Benediction
May the God of hope fill me and all of us with the joy and peace that comes from believing, so that we may abound in hope, by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Give ear, O Lord, to my prayer;
And attend to the voice of my supplications.
In the day of my trouble I will call upon You,
For You will answer me.
Among the gods there is none like You, O Lord;
Nor are there any works like Your works.
All nations whom You have made
Shall come and worship before You, O Lord,
And shall glorify Your name.
For You are great, and do wondrous things;
You alone are God.
John 16:20-24 (NASB)
Joy to Come
esus said, “Very truly, I tell you, you will weep and mourn, but the world will rejoice; you will have pain, but your pain will turn into joy.
When a woman is in labor, she has pain, because her hour has come. But when her child is born, she no longer remembers the anguish because of the joy of having brought a human being into the world. So you have pain now; but I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you. On that day you will ask nothing of me.
Very truly, I tell you, if you ask anything of the Father in my name, he will give it to you. Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be complete.”
Notes on the Scripture
Christianity is the ultimate expression of ‘delayed gratification.’ Many martyrs have given their lives for their faith in Christ, and anyone who believes in Christ will take some action in this life that is contrary to his self-interest in the world, because of his belief in the joy that will come to his eternal soul.
In today’s passage, Christ speaks words of enormous comfort to the apostles, who are disconsolate at the approach of Jesus’ cruel death. The example he gives, of a woman in labor, is wonderful; it is something that everyone can understand and appreciate, for birth can indeed be terribly painful (and in that time, dangerous) to the mother; yet the result is one of the happiest moments in the woman’s life.
For most of us, Christ’s burden is light and the reward is great. People often decry that life is not fair, and it isn’t; but in this instance, the unfairness runs in our favor. We are given the same eternal salvation as those who were crucified, those who were thrown to lions, and those who spend their entire adult lives as monks and nuns, living in poverty and discomfort.
In fact, sometimes Christ’s “burden” is an earthly blessing, especially for those who feel God’s Holy Spirit in their lives. Every person’s life is full of cares and woes. When we really can grasp the significance of our salvation, they do not hurt so much. Christ did say, “Come to me, those of you who labor and carry heavy burdens, and I will refresh you.”
This is a message all Christians should take to heart. True faith, especially letting the Holy Spirit enter our lives, takes an enormous weight off our shoulders. Whenever we are feeling down, we should take time to meditate and pray for this enormous blessing we can receive during our lives.
Souvenir Prayer Card (Catholic) from Bethlehem, Italian ca. 1950.
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About Us
Daily Prayer is volunteer publication of Daily Prayer Ministries, Inc., a nondenominational ministry dedicated to the glory of Jesus Christ. No person associated with us receives any form of monetary compensation. Please consider a donation to help keep Daily Prayer online and spread the word of God. (Tax deductible in the U.S. and possibly elsewhere.)
Today in Daily Prayer
Memory Verse
Jeremiah 29:11: For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.
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Daily Quiz
Top score(s) on the Daily Quiz for Apr 03, 2020 were:
Keith Langley (12) Sylvia Banda (12) Norman Daniels (12) Linda Surber (12) randall martin (11) Jeanne Hoy (11)
Top score(s) on Match-a-Verse:
Pam Carpenter (9 out of 9) Greg Flippin (9 out of 9) Sylvia Banda (9 out of 9) Norman Daniels (9 out of 9) Kathryn Halfman (9 out of 9) randall martin (9 out of 9)
