Daily Prayer for Thursday, June 11, 2020

​         Breathe on me, Breath of God, until my heart is pure…
                                             —-Edwin Hatch, 1886


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                                                                   1 John 4: 16
God is love, and those who abide in love,
abide in God, and God abides in them.


Prayer                                                         Book of Common Worship, PC(USA)
Grant, O God,
that your holy and life-giving Spirit
may so move every human heart,
that the barriers which divide us may crumble,
suspicions disappear,
and hatreds cease,
and that, with our divisions healed,
we might live in justice and peace;
through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.   


Hymn of the Day

“Farther Along,” sung by Johnny Cash. May God speak to you as you listen to this song of comfort.
 


Reading of the Day:                                                         Galatians 5: 16-24
     16 Live by the Spirit, I say, and do not gratify the desires of the flesh. 17 For what the flesh desires is opposed to the Spirit, and what the Spirit desires is opposed to the flesh; for these are opposed to each other, to prevent you from doing what you want. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not subject to the law. 19 Now the works of the flesh are obvious: fornication, impurity, licentiousness, 20 idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, anger, quarrels, dissensions, factions, 21 envy, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these. I am warning you, as I warned you before: those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
      22 By contrast, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against such things. 24 And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.

Prayers for self and others
Please pray for those who are being affected by COVID 19. Today please pray for those who grieve the 113,000 children of God who have died from the virus in the United States.  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:
May the blessing of the triune God--
holy, holy, holy Lord--
be with you now and always.
Amen.