Daily Prayer for Monday, June 1, 2020

I’m gonna live so God can use me anywhere Lord, anytime!
                                                —-African-American Spiritual


Preparation for worship
Sit in a relaxed position. Take a slow, deep breath (or 2 or 3 or as many as needed) until you feel your body, mind, and soul begin to relax and rest in the Spirit.  Take time to reflect as you move through this time of worship…


Opening Sentences                                                                       Rev. 3: 20
Behold, I stand at the door and knock;
if you hear my voice and open the door,
I will come in to you and eat with you,
and you with me.


Prayer                                             based on the Gelasian Liturgy (8th century);
                                                 Presbyterian Book of Common Worship (1906)
O God,
light of the minds that know you,
life of the souls that love you,
strength of the thoughts that seek you:
Help us so to know you
that we may truly love you,
so to love you
that we may fully serve you,
whose service is perfect freedom;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

Hymn of the Day
Alison Krauss plays and sings “Amazing Grace.”  Pray as you listen to this beloved hymn. 


Reading of the Day:                                Matthew 13: 44-52
44 “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which someone found and hid; then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.
45 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls; 46 on finding one pearl of great value, he went and sold all that he had and bought it.
47 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was thrown into the sea and caught fish of every kind; 48 when it was full, they drew it ashore, sat down, and put the good into baskets but threw out the bad. 49 So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come out and separate the evil from the righteous 50 and throw them into the furnace of fire, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.


51 “Have you understood all this?” They answered, “Yes.” 52 And he said to them, “Therefore every scribe who has been trained for the kingdom of heaven is like the master of a household who brings out of his treasure what is new and what is old.”


Prayers for self and others
Please pray today for those who are being affected by COVID 19. Please pray for nursing home residents who, even as many of us can leave our homes, are still confined to rooms.  As we hear of more friends who are directly affected, or who are working in high risk places, we will list them here.  Use this time to lift your joys, concerns, and hopes to God.


Benediction:
God has shown you what is good.
​What does the Lord require of you?
To do justice, to love kindness,
and to walk humbly with your God.
Amen.