Daily Prayer – Dec 1
(Download PDF of Dec 01 Guided Daily Prayer)
Setting aside even a brief time each day to pray helps us create a stable spiritual center in our lives. This guided prayer is largely based on the Morning, Noon and Evening Prayer cycle found in the Book of Common Prayer.
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Online Text Version
INSTRUCTIONS: The underlined text are headings and do not need to be read. [Brackets] are instructions to be followed but not necessarily read. FOR INDIVIDUAL PRAYER:I suggest you read the prayer sheet aloud, but reading silently is fine too. FOR GROUP PRAYER: have one person act as leader. The leader reads the regular print and everyone reads the Bold Italic Type together.
Daily Prayer for – 1st Wednesday of Advent
Opening Sentences:
Almighty God, give us grace to cast away the works of darkness, and put on the armor of light, now in the time of this mortal life in which your Son Jesus Christ came to visit us in great humility; that in the last day, when he shall come again in his glorious majesty to judge both the living and the dead, we may rise to the life immortal; through him who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.ff
The angel Gabriel appears before Zechariah in the sanctuary and prophesy’s the birth of John: “He will be great in the sight of the Lord…with the spirit and power of Elijah he will go before him…to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.” (Luke 1:5-25 excerpted)
Praying Together:
For God alone my soul waits in silence.
From him comes my salvation. (Psalm 62:1)
Amen.
Confession:
Were I to imagine the punishments all my sins deserve, I would fall into despair, O Lord, my Saviour:
I have disobeyed your high commands, wasting my life in extravagance. Wherefore I beseech You: cleanse me with the showers of forgiveness and strengthen me with fasting and supplications, for You alone are compassionate.
Reject me not, All-Bountiful One whose goodness exceeds every measure.
Amen**
Based on Psalm 62:
God alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be shaken.
On God rests my deliverance and my honor…my refuge is in God.
Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your heart before him;
God is a refuge for us.
[Silent Prayer; or Music may be listened to; or a Hymn is sung.]
Prayers of the People:
God of refuge and strength, we pray for those in harm’s way this day that they may be strengthened by your presence.
Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer. [Silent Prayer]
Heavenly Father, we pray for those who are sick and those with long illnesses that they may healed.
Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer. [Silent Prayer]
We pray, dear Lord, for those who are lonely that they may find comfort and companionship in you.
Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer. [Silent Prayer]
We pray for those who are hungry, dear Lord, that you provide them sustenance for both their body and their soul.
Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer. [Silent Prayer]
We pray, O Holy One, for those who are oppressed and downtrodden that they be lifted up into your amazing light of love. Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer. [Silent Prayer]
We pray for your love and forgiveness to infuse our world, knowing with full assurance that those are the only ways to peace.
Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer. [Silent Prayer]
Hear our prayer O Lord as we pray together:
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, for ever and ever. Amen.
Closing prayer:
And now as we leave this place and commence our day, prepare our hearts to share your love, open our minds to receive your peace, give us wisdom to provide hope to the hopeless; and lead us in your way everlasting. In the hope of Christ we pray. Amen.
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*Missionstclare.com
ff From Book of Common Prayer, p. 211, Collects for Advent. .
**Byzantine Liturgy, in Lenten Messages from the Old Testament, p. 27
Music Selection from The Hymnal Project
Special thanks to Rev. Wendy Depew Partelow, Vice President of the American Baptist Churches of New York State Board of Missions for her invaluable help in preparing the daily prayers and writing potions of the material.
Also thank you to www.missionstclare.com, a longstanding online project that helps people pray the daily offices of the Book of Common Prayer. It is a wonderful tool to help you deepen your prayer life. They also have a very convenient cell phone App!