#MorningPrayer
Make us ready, Lord,
like Simon of Cyrene,
to take your yoke upon us
and share with you
in the work
of your kingdom.
Open us fully
to the truth
of your love,
that we may seek
not to dress you
in garb of our
own devising,
but to reveal
your glory
and majesty
to all.
#MorningPrayer
Before Pilate, Lord,
the crowd shouted
for Jesus Barabbas
rather than
Jesus of Nazareth.
The one fitted
their idea
of a messiah,
the other
broke their mould.
Help us always
to be moulded
into your image,
rather than seeking
to mould you
into an image
of our making.
#MorningPrayer
Remind us, Lord,
that we are
the dwelling-place
of your Spirit,
a temple of
living stones
formed and built
to your glory.
Help and strengthen us,
that we may live lives
worthy of your kingdom;
full of your love,
radiant with your light,
sharing your life
with all.
#MorningPrayer
Inspire us, Lord,
to be people
of your kingdom,
your compassion,
your promises,
your purposes,
your love.
Open the eyes
of our hearts,
that we may
see one another
as you see us,
love one another
as you love us,
and serve
one another,
as you were
the servant
of all.
#MorningPrayer
Strengthen, Lord,
our faith and trust in you
and open our hearts
to your Spirit,
that we may have
courage to stand for the truth
and passion for true justice.
May our words and deeds
not deny you
but proclaim
you, your kingdom and your love
to all, powerful or not.
#MorningPrayer
Give us understanding
of your ways, Lord,
and of your calling
upon our lives
and upon your Church.
Help us rise
to the challenge
you give us,
to walk the ways
of your kingdom,
not the ways
of the world,
in following you.
May your love be seen
in us and through us.
#MorningPrayer
Keep us awake, Lord,
to your call upon our lives,
and to the love and the promise
on which it rests.
May we always seek
your purposes
and your kingdom,
that your will may be done
in us, among us and through us,
as we mind the gap
between what is
and what should be.
#MorningPrayer
Give us, Lord,
a kingdom perspective
on life and living.
Help us to discern
where worth and value lies
from your perspective,
and to pursue only things
which are precious in your sight:
not money, status, and power,
but love, community,
peace, integrity,
justice…
#MorningPrayer
Give us such depth of faith, Lord,
that we may be ready
to offer you the best
of who we are
and what we have,
to show to all
our love for you,
and to show your love for us
in all we say and do and are.
Keep us from seeking
to possess you;
may your love
possess us.
#MorningPrayer
Give us grace, Lord,
that we may see others
as you see them.
Grant that
our eyes of faith
may perceive
your image,
your presence
in each person
we encounter,
near or far,
friend or stranger,
ally or enemy.
May we see
one another
with kingdom eyes
of love,
of peace.
#MorningPrayer
Lord, give us eyes of love,
that we may see your image
in each other.
Give us hearts of faith,
that we may love your image
in each other.
Give us hands of compassion,
that we may tend your image
in each other.
Give us your words,
help us to speak
your peace
to all.
#MorningPrayer
Lord, help us
to deploy our abilities,
take our opportunities,
harness our passions
and invest our energies,
for the furtherance
of your mission among us.
Inspire us to love you
with all that we are,
to show your love to others,
because
we know
your love
ourselves.
#MorningPrayer
Give us a passion
to deepen our relationship
with you, Lord,
day by day and year by year.
Keep us ever alert
to your presence with us
and your promises to us;
keep us attuned to your word,
to your purposes,
to your challenges and your call.
Keep us ready to follow.
#MorningPrayer
Open the eyes
of our hearts and minds, Lord,
that we may perceive
the signs of your working
among us,
discern the buds and shoots
of new things
and see the prospect
of your harvest.
Fit us to live your kingdom now;
help us to bring its blessings
to those around us.
#MorningPrayer
Make us adept, Lord,
at reading the signs
of your working among us;
help us to be unencumbered
by the priorities and possessions
of the world;
rather help us to be free
for the purposes and promises
of your kingdom,
that we may always be ready
to follow your call.
#MorningPrayer
Keep our focus firmly on you, Lord,
and let us not be distracted
by the people, things and issues
which would draw us
away from your kingdom.
Rather, may our hearts
be so full of your love
and our minds
so full of your wisdom,
that our lives
may draw others
to you.
#MorningPrayer
Guide our journeys, Lord,
our thoughts and plans;
help us to remain open
always to your Spirit,
to be tuned in to your call,
that we may be drawn
to the places and people
you put before us.
Make us ready to engage,
sensitive to your presence,
and full of your love.
#MorningPrayer
Instil in our hearts, Lord,
and infuse our desires with,
the law of your kingdom,
the law of love.
With all that we are,
all that we do,
all that we say,
and all that we pursue in life,
enable us truly to love you
with our whole being,
and to show your love to all.
#MorningPrayer
Free our understanding, Lord,
that we may not
fall into limiting
your kingdom
or our discipleship
by the mundanities
of our worldly perspective.
Lift our hearts and minds
to see with your eyes
of love, life and light,
to perceive the blessings
you seek to show us.
#MorningPrayer
Keep us alert
to your calling
upon our lives, Lord;
ever responsive
to your Spirit,
always ready
to follow where you lead
and rejoice in your love.
May the
preoccupations
and priorities
of our egos
never get in the way
of the purposes
and promises
of your kingdom.
#MorningPrayer
As you entrust us, Lord,
with the mission
of your kingdom,
so help us to be
trustworthy stewards
of your promises
and purposes.
Strengthen our faith in you
and deepen our love for you
that we may never turn away
from our discipleship
in order to serve
selfish ends.
#MorningPrayer
Lord,
give us your gifts
of wisdom
and discernment;
help us
and guide us
to see
what is of you
and your kingdom,
and what is not.
Fill us with passion
to pursue
your purposes,
and faith
to flourish
in following you;
to give our ‘yes’ to you,
and to bear good fruit.
#MorningPrayer
Keep us, Lord,
from assuming
that our own
understanding
of your will
must be right;
rather, help us
to remain ever open
to your Spirit,
to your leading.
Where anything in us
holds us back
from following you,
turn the tables
of our hearts;
release us
into your love.
#MorningPrayer
Remind us daily, Lord,
of who we are
and whose we are.
May we hear in our hearts
your word to us:
‘You are my beloved child,
and I delight in you’.
As your baptism
manifested your commitment
to the mission of the kingdom,
so may ours embody
our solidarity
with you.
#MorningPrayer
Keep us, Lord,
from seeking our own will
above your will,
from seeking our own glory
above your glory,
from judging the motives
we assume in others,
rather than submitting
our own lives to you.
Give us kingdom hearts,
not worldly egos,
that we may love
as you love.
#MorningPrayer
You call us, Lord, into your service;
you call again and again to find us,
to encourage us to respond.
You offer us the same reward
no matter when we finally
respond to your call:
you offer us love and life.
Help us to hear your call today,
and joyfully to say yes.
#MorningPrayer
Give us wisdom, Lord,
to discern the signs of your activity
among us and around us,
and grace to reveal you to others.
May all we are, all we do and say,
point people to you
and reveal your love,
your promises,
your purposes
and your kingdom,
that all may find you.
#MorningPrayer
Fill our hearts, Lord,
with longing for you
and your kingdom.
May we yearn to deepen
our relationship with you,
truly to be a people of prayer;
not asking you to do our bidding,
but opening ourselves
to your will, your call, your love,
your daily seasoning of life.
#MorningPrayer
Craft our character, Lord,
as the potter forms the clay.
Increase in us those qualities
which are Christlike;
diminish those which are
not of your kingdom.
Deepen our commitment
to right relationships
and help us see others
as you see them.
May we love
as you love.
#MorningPrayer
Inspire and enable us, Lord,
to fix our hearts
and set our minds on you,
the source and sustenance
of our lives;
to grow
ever more Christlike
and ever less worldly,
as we rejoice in the
freedom, fruits and fellowship
of your kingdom
where all are one
in your love.
#MorningPrayer
Keep us attentive, Lord,
open to your Spirit,
that we may look for the signs
of your presence, activity,
and blessing among us;
and that looking, we may see,
that seeing we might discern,
that discerning we might
follow your leading,
as you call us
to your service.
#MorningPrayer
As we begin this new year, Lord,
we recall the proclamation
of your name
at your circumcision.
May we faithfully
proclaim your name
this year,
not out of duty
but out of love
for you and for others;
and not just in word
but in action also.
Fill our hearts with you.
