Saturday, Week 2

Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
— Matthew 6:10 (BSB)

Prayer and poetry are the closest of kin. In poetry we say it; in prayer we become what we say.
— Eugene Peterson

Our Father, breathe upon us and give us a morning blessing. For keeping us through the night, we thank You. For the blessings which came to us in our sleep, we thank You. As a new day has dawned upon us, may new divine light and peace be poured upon us. Make our pathway full of gladness. We ask You to give us this day our daily bread. We ask not for luxury — but we ask for what we need. May Your blessing be upon what we receive. We ask for strength for our labor, that we may earn the food we require. We ask You to open our eyes, that we may see You as the Giver of all the good things we enjoy. Sometimes we forget that these mercies come from Your hand. We think we have gotten them ourselves. Show us Yourself as the giver of every good and perfect blessing, and give us grace to be grateful.

We desire to live cheerfully this day. Sometimes we complain and find fault, murmuring at the little trials that come to us. Forgive us all our complainings, and give us hearts that shall be always grateful. You have said that You work all things together for good, to those who love You. Help us to believe this promise; and when there are trials and losses, still to rejoice, because Your hand will surely bring good out of evil. Help us in all things to trust You, to lay all our cares in Your hand and leave them there, without anxiety.

You have promised to be with us always. Fulfill to us this word on which You have caused us to hope. We cannot go out into the new way of this day, without Your presence. We beseech You to walk beside us, and to give us Your protection, and Your guidance and help. We have never gone this way before, and we cannot find the path ourselves. All this we ask in Jesus' precious name. Amen.