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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.

Prayer to Live this Day with God

Dear Lord, I thank you for this day. I thank you that I can see or hear your Word this morning. Let me give thanks all day for what I have, especially your eternal love, and forgive me this day when I go astray, by my thoughts or actions; my only aim is to please you, to know and do your will. Guide my every step.

Help me to live this day with wisdom and discretion so that I may not fall short of your glory. Protect me from danger, both in the world and in my attitude. Give me the gift of a clear mind, that I might hear the quiet voice of your Spirit. Help to massage away resentments and blame for things gone by, that would eat my energy and poison my mind; but instead, help me to look to the moment, to what I can do, to work for the future. And let me never become frustrated where I lack control of events, for you are in charge, not me; and I put my entire faith in your power, your knowledge, your plan for humanity.

Your are my leader and my coach, Lord. I am on your team. Help me to keep this in mind for just today, in Christ's name I pray,

by Mason Barge

Prayer for Protections (from Psalm 3)

O  Lord, how many are my foes! Many are rising against me; many are saying of my soul, there is no salvation for him in God. But you, O Lord, are a shield about me, my glory, and the lifter of my head. I cry aloud to you, and you answer me from your holy hill. I lie down and sleep, and I wake again, for you have sustained me. I will not fear the men of this world, even if thousands set themselves against me.

Arise, O Lord! Save me, O my God! For salvation belongs to you alone. May your blessing be ever on your people.

Meditation

[The Lord is a shield against my foes.]

Parting Prayer

O  good shepherd, seek me out, and bring me home to your fold again. Deal favourably with me according to your good pleasure, until I may dwell in your house all the days of my life, and praise you forever and ever with them that are there.

from a prayer of St. Jerome, 408 A.D.

Think of the day ahead in terms of God with you, and visualize health, strength, guidance, purity, calm confidence, and victory as the gifts of His presence.

St. Francis Giving His Cloak to a Poor Man, Giotto ca. 1299.

Psalm 119:9-16 (Beth)(NKJV)

Galatians 4:19-20 (Daily Prayer Bible)

Up Close and Personal (Galatians #49)

18-20 And by all means, do strive for good always, my children; and not only when I am there with you. For even apart from you, I suffer for you. I suffer like a woman giving birth. I cannot even tell what tone to take in my letter; I am unsure about how to explain all of this to you, because the second-hand reports I hear are confusing. How I wish I were there, so that I could hear your questions and problems myself. Then I could answer directly. But I cannot be, so perhaps this will help:

Verbatim Bible

Notes on the Scripture

We can hear the actual pain in Paul's writing. He suffered great physical tribulation bringing the Gospel to Galatia which left him permanently disabled, not to mention the time and labor, the long ordeal, of traveling throughout central Anatolia without funds or friends, preaching a message guaranteed to evoke the wrath of those in power. Now, he has heard that they have wandered from the path: he is in pain again.

ere he says, “I am wanting to be present with you now, and to change the voice of me, because I am confused about you.” While he doesn't elaborate, his meaning seems to be clear enough. When someone is in turmoil, trying to help them long-distance can be frustrating, especially if they are on the wrong path and need help straightening out their life. If you are with them, in person, you can ask them questions and clarify the problem; you can read their voice and face; you can respond to their words and gestures, and you can change your tone and your argument.

So when Paul says “I want to change my voice” this is almost surely what he means. He wants to be able to talk to them in person, so that he can fit his advice, admonishments, and tone of voice to fit the situation.

We all learn this during our lives. If somebody is in serious pain or trouble, there is no substitute for being there in person. Sometimes, in fact, simply being physically present — letting someone know that what they are going through is sufficiently important that you will come to them in person — is the entire message we send. We can only be in one place; to be with a friend (or even a stranger) when they are in need, is a unique gift, often the greatest gift we can give. It says, “Your problem is the most important thing in the world to me.”

Daily Inspiration

“ Joyful Long-time Friendships ”

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