AVON WITH CHI

Morning Prayer

A Song of degrees of David. I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the LORD. ⏤ Psalm 122:1

True prayer is not asking God for what we want, but what He wants. ⏤ Wesley L. Duewel

Father, as we pause to rest this day with You, the great feverish world keeps throbbing on. May something of Your blessed Sunday peace flow out into this restless world and quiet it. Let this day be a true blessing to all Your people, and may the influence of this day reach far and wide, making its power felt throughout the world.

We ask that Your grace be given so that all who worship You today may receive a blessing. Let Your blessing be upon all assemblies that gather for worship and upon all Sunday schools. May there be divine power in the preaching of Your word. May lost sinners be convicted and led to repentance. May Christians be strengthened and encouraged. May those who are sorrowful be comforted. May this day bring new strength and heavenly impulses to children and young people. May our home be blessed and enriched by this day of rest and worship. May Your life from Heaven come down and make our land holier, purer, and sweeter.

O God, Your cause on earth sometimes seems to falter. Your church does not always appear to be earnest. The world is earnest; every energy of evil is active. Wicked people are busy in their wickedness, while the followers of Jesus seem to be asleep! Your kingdom does not seem to be advancing among the nations. We pray again, "May Your kingdom come." Pour out Your Spirit upon all who bear the name of Jesus. Ignite revival fires in all parts of the church. We pray for ourselves, that we may be quickened in our spiritual life.

Let a blessing be upon Your whole church, and may Your cause receive a divine impulse that will be felt around the world. Revive Your work among Your people. Hear our prayers and give us Your blessing through Jesus Christ our Lord Amen

Life Bible Daily Verse, Devotionals, Study Bibles and Commentaries

Morning Prayer

And whatsoever ye do, do [it] heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men; ⏤ Colossians 3:23

The great thing in prayer is to feel that we are putting our supplications into the bosom of omnipotent love. ⏤ Andrew Murray

We come into Your presence, O great and glorious God, to begin the day at Your feet. Without Your blessing, we dare not venture into the twisting paths of the world. We desire to do good work today. Keep us from being satisfied with merely fulfilling our duties; may we do even the smallest tasks with excellence, so as to please You.

We also desire to live well in our family life. Sometimes we fail to do our best at home. We grow careless, and we do not speak as affectionately as we should. We are less courteous and kind than we might be. We do not always give the best expressions of love to those closest to us. Teach us, Father, to love at home—and to show our love. Preserve us from impatience, irritability, and frustration in our interactions as a home, and give us the spirit of love.

We also desire to show love in all our relationships with the world. Give us a generous heart toward our neighbors. Help us to be like Jesus, who, when reviled, did not revile in return—who bore injury and insult with meekness and gentleness. May we have the same patient love that He had. If we suffer wrong from others, may we bear it quietly, without resentment, returning good for evil and kindness for unkindness.

May we have the spirit of helpfulness toward all our neighbors. May we be like the Good Samaritan to anyone we find in distress or need. Enable us to carry the love of Jesus to every life we touch. Make us good interpreters of Jesus' divine love and kindness. May our neighbors see in us the holiness of Jesus. Let our day be one of beauty and grace, full of Jesus and full of goodness to others. We ask this in the blessed name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

Morning Prayer

The LORD [is] my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, [and] my high tower. ⏤ Psalm 18:2

We must begin to believe that God, in the mystery of prayer, has entrusted us with a force that can move the heavenly world and bring its power down to earth. ⏤ Andrew Murray

O God, You are our Rock, our Fortress, our Deliverer, the horn of our salvation, and our Redeemer. You are a proven Savior, and we know we can trust You. We have placed our confidence in You in the past, and You have never once failed us.

We give You heartfelt thanks this morning for all the blessings of the night. We thank You most of all for revealing Yourself to us in Jesus Christ our Savior, in whom we see the exact image of Your being. We thank You that in Him we have learned of Your fatherhood, grace, and mercy. May the Holy Spirit teach us more and more of the blessedness and preciousness of this divine revelation, opening our eyes to see it and our hearts to receive it.

We ask You, O God, to draw us near to You this morning and to hold us close to You all day long. We want to run the race set before us without faltering. Help us to lay aside every weight that would hinder us, and every sin that so easily entangles us, and fix our eyes on Jesus as our goal. We want to live as Christians should live. Let us not be drawn away by the world’s allure.

Help us to conduct our daily business righteously. Teach us to do even the most mundane tasks for Jesus’ sake, with Jesus in mind. Help us to be honest and truthful in all aspects of our lives:
In our business,
In our social interactions,
In our conversations,
In every part of our lives.

May the fruits of the Spirit abound in our lives. May we also abound in good works. Send us all the help we need for the day’s demands. Bless our loved ones, whatever their circumstances, and everyone for whom we should pray. We ask all this in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen

Morning Prayer

A Song of degrees of David. Behold, how good and how pleasant [it is] for brethren to dwell together in unity! ⏤ Psalm 133:1

Prayer is the language of a man burdened with a sense of need. ⏤ E.M. Bounds

Our Heavenly Father, You have told us that You love us and care for us. We gather at our family altar again to embrace the assurance of Your love and care. We are Yours—not our own. You made us, and You redeemed us. Your marks are upon us—the marks of the Lord Jesus. We are confident in Your keeping, so we entrust our lives to Your care.

Help us to be good children. Let us not grieve You by our sins, unbelief, or by straying from the way of Your commandments. May we be:
Faithful in all our duties,
Diligent in all our tasks,
Constant in our devotion to You,
And helpful among Your children.

Please make our home increasingly happy and loving. Protect us from the quarrels and strife that ruin the sweetness of so many homes. Help us to live together as a family with patience and kindness. May we bear with one another’s faults and weaknesses, and not provoke each other with our words and actions. In this way, may we each contribute to the happiness of our home and the good and edification of one another.

Make our home a center of holy influences. May its light shine out to brighten other homes and make other lives safer, stronger, and truer. Help us to be:
Sweeteners of the world’s bitterness,
Comforters of its sorrow,
Strength for its weakness,
And life for its death.

We confess our sins before You. We look to You for protection and guidance. Walk with us throughout the day and keep us from stumbling. Bring us safely home at last. We ask this through Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen.