Daily Prayer for Monday, September 21, 2020

“Eternal Father, strong to save, whose arm has bound the restless wave…’”        
                                               —-William Whiting, 1860

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                                                              Philippians 2:11
Let every tongue confess the good news:
Jesus Christ is Lord; glory to God!

Prayer                                                      W.E.B. Du Bois, inspired by Psalm 121
Once they tell us, Jehovah, that in the great shadows of the past Thou hast whispered to a quivering people, saying, “Be not afraid.”  He watching over Israel slumbers not nor sleeps.  Grant us today, O God, that fearlessness that rests on confidence in the ultimate rightness of things.  Let us not be afraid neither of mere physical hurt, nor of the unfashionableness of our color, nor of the unpopularity of our cause; let us turned toward the battle of life undismayed and above all when we have fought the good fight grant us to face the shadow of death with the same courage that has let us live.  Amen.

Hymn of the Day
Amazing Grace, by the Harlem Gospel Choir.  Listen and pray.

Reading of the Day                                                               Genesis 16:1-6
1 Now Sarai, Abram’s wife, bore him no children. She had an Egyptian slave-girl whose name was Hagar, 2 and Sarai said to Abram, “You see that the Lord has prevented me from bearing children; go in to my slave-girl; it may be that I shall obtain children by her.” And Abram listened to the voice of Sarai. 3 So, after Abram had lived ten years in the land of Canaan, Sarai, Abram’s wife, took Hagar the Egyptian, her slave-girl, and gave her to her husband Abram as a wife. 4 He went in to Hagar, and she conceived; and when she saw that she had conceived, she looked with contempt on her mistress. 5 Then Sarai said to Abram, “May the wrong done to me be on you! I gave my slave-girl to your embrace, and when she saw that she had conceived, she looked on me with contempt. May the Lord judge between you and me!” 6 But Abram said to Sarai, “Your slave-girl is in your power; do to her as you please.” Then Sarai dealt harshly with her, and she ran away from her.

Prayers for self and others
Please pray today for those who are being affected by COVID 19 and by its side effects in our world. Pray for Dr. Marshall Cash, working directly with COVID patients in Shreveport, LA.  As we hear of more friends who are directly affected, or who are working in high risk places, we will list them here. Pray for everyone in the track of Tropical Storm Beta, that damages would be minimal.  Use this time to lift your joys, concerns, and hopes to God.

Benediction
Grow in the grace and knowledge
of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
To him be the glory
both now and to the day of eternity.
Amen.   ​