Daily Prayer for Wednesday, January 13, 2021

​“Baptized in water, sealed by the Spirit, dead in the tomb with Christ, our King…”        
                                                                     —Michael A. Saward, 1981

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                                                                      Isaiah 43:1
Do not fear, for the Lord has spoken:
I have called you by name; you are mine.

Prayer                                               Book of Common Worship, PC(USA), 2018
Holy God,
you sent your Son to be baptized among sinners,
to seek and save the lost.
May we, who have been baptized in his name,
never turn away from the world,
but reach out in love to rescue the wayward;
by the mercy of Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and forever.  Amen.

Hymn of the Day                            
People Get Ready, written by Curtis Mayfield, performed by Eva Cassidy.  Listen and pray. 

Reading of the Day                                                                 Isaiah 43:1- 7
1 But now thus says the Lord,
    he who created you, O Jacob,
    he who formed you, O Israel:
Do not fear, for I have redeemed you;
    I have called you by name, you are mine.
2 When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;
    and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you;
when you walk through fire you shall not be burned,
    and the flame shall not consume you.
3 For I am the Lord your God,
    the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.
I give Egypt as your ransom,
    Ethiopia and Seba in exchange for you.
4 Because you are precious in my sight,
    and honored, and I love you,
I give people in return for you,
    nations in exchange for your life.
5 Do not fear, for I am with you;
    I will bring your offspring from the east,
    and from the west I will gather you;
6 I will say to the north, “Give them up,”
    and to the south, “Do not withhold;
bring my sons from far away
    and my daughters from the end of the earth--
7 everyone who is called by my name,
    whom I created for my glory,
    whom I formed and made.”

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 the thousands who are still being diagnosed positive in the U.S. each day.  Please pray especially for Susan Smith's family upon the death of her brother-in-law John Krueger, after a long battle with the Covid virus.  Please pray for nurses and aides who are treating Covid patients in hospitals, including Becky's cousin Marcy Szeliga.  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 God of hope
fill you with all peace in believing,
so that you may abound in hope
by the power of the Holy Spirit.  Amen.