Winning vs Whining

"Do Everything without complaining or arguing. Then you will be innocent and without any wrong."

Philippians 2:12-14 NCV

Lord, deliver us from attending our daily gripe sessions. Forgive us for all of the time we've spent on self- pity and inviting others to our pity parties. Create in us a winning attitude instead of a whining attitude. Help us today to paint a beautiful picture on the canvas of life full of vibrant ideas to improve and move forward, the Lord being our helper.

It is with grateful hearts that we are determine to live fully today. Thank you Lord for all you have been, all you are right now and all you shall be. In Jesus Name, Amen.

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Body Temple

"Don't you know that you are God's temple and that God's Spirit lives in you?

I Corinthians 3:16

O Lord, my God thank you for the gift of your Son Jesus, the Christ. Help us to remember today that we are apart of something bigger than our individual lives - your holy living temple. Grant us wisdom, grant us courage to build up this temple as we are beautiful and precious in your sight.

We choose today, to be a living temple founded on Christ and transformed by the Holy Spirit; a place of character where God resides and a sanctuary where God is welcomed.

Strength For Today

"Every morning he wakes me. He teaches me to listen like a student. The Lord God helps me learn." Isaiah 50: 4-5- NCV

Lord, teach me to resist the temptation to go along with the crowd or do my own thing my own way ignoring your way, will and word. Teach me not to allow my desires or the desires of friends and co-workers to guide me through the day. God, be my guide! I trust you with my future!

Give me the strength to face any challenge today and the courage to face every trial. In Jesus name, Amen.

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Entheos

Let us pray together:

O God, the holy source of energy, enthusiasm and excitement, renew our faith in your eternal compassion and commitment to humanity. Life’s travails have beleaguered us beyond measure. We are over burdened by our work experiences. We are overwhelmed by our family responsibilities. We are overloaded by our religious commitments. We are most grateful that the power to overcome our dilemmas rests in you, God alone. We praise the wisdom of recreation and relaxation, moments of renewing divine purpose and intent in our lives. Help us to envision your divine mission for each of us and all of us. Allow us to divert daily to devote ourselves to your presence, to withdraw weekly to worship your providence, and to abandon annually to adore your purpose. Amen.


Dr. Daryl B. Ingram
Executive Director
Christian Education Department
"Teaching Christ Globally"

Back on Track

"You are my strength and my song; You are my Counselor and my Friend." Psalm 118

Out of my distressed Lord, I called upon You. Thank you for answering me and helping me to get back on track. The stone that the builder rejected has become the foundation for my life. I give thanks to you for the invitation to a new life!

You have been with me; You live within me helping me to face the fears that well up inside me. Now, I'm not consumed by worry and fear that I may get off track again. I acknowledge your Presence within me and Your love surrounds me so that I am no longer overwhelmed.

Today, I shall live in peace and give witness to your saving grace. You are my strength and my song; You are my Counselor and Friend.

(Based on Psalm 118, VMM)

Begin Again

O God, we begin again. We begin again a new week and a new day. Old things have passed away, behold everything has become new again. Help us to use this new beginning wisely. Help us to make the most of the time you have graciously given us.

Let your Spirit come with conviction and cleansing. Wash us with the pure water of repentance. Create in us a clean heart O God and renew a right spirit within us.

Keep us from putting our confidence in the flesh so that we are neither barren or unfruitful. Our confidence is in you, our infinite Lord and Savior. In Jesus Name, Amen.

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Into God's Hands

"Hope means to keep living
amid desperation
and to keep humming
in the darkness
Hope is knowing that there is love,
it is trust in tomorrow
it is falling asleep
and waking again
when the sun rises.
In the midst of a gale at sea,
it is to discover land.
In tje eyes of another
it is to see that you are understood...
As long as there is still hope
There will also be prayer...
and you will be held
in God's hands."

Henri J. M. Nouwen
"With Open Hands"

Spending Time

Let us pray this personal petition together:

O God, I rejoice today that I can spend time just being with you. No matter how much I love those you placed in my life, I love being alone in your presence for this moment. Let me fall into your arms, again. Let me taste and see that you are good, again. Let me drink deeply from your refreshing pools of living water, again. Feed me, O bread of heaven until I want no more.

Keeping company with you, the source of all wisdom, knowledge and power, leads to a greater revelation beyond human achievement.
Tutor my spirit, when I need to be challenged
Assure my heart when fear seeks to overtake my faith; and
Satisfy our hunger for certainty and control.

Just being with you helps us to entrust our lives to you more and more each day realizing that you are closer to us than we are to ourselves.

In Jesus name,
Amen
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Infuse My Life

Let us prayer together:

Gracious Lord and lover of my soul,

Let hope so infuse my life that all I am, all I think, all I do is a testimony to your power in my life. Let me face the challenges of the day discerning your guiding hand; Let me face the world's problems with a fresh vision, passion, energy and the perspective of the one who knows that you are the hope of the world. For in this hope we are saved.

In Jesus name, Amen

Romans 8: 18-25

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Holy Boldness

Praise God who is a merciful redeemer. Forgive us of our self centeredness. Help us to push beyond the me,myself and I of today with a new spirit to serve side by side with you for the redemption of the world. Strengthen us to be your covenant people and faithful witnesses. Give us a boldness to share what we have heard and come to know of you. And with the Lord being our helper, may we do so in words and deeds acceptable to you. In Your name, Amen.

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Weekend Wisdom

Let us pray together:

O God, the holy source of energy, enthusiasm and excitement, renew our faith in your eternal compassion and commitment to humanity. Life’s travails have beleaguered us beyond measure. We are over burdened by our work experiences. We are overwhelmed by our family responsibilities. We are overloaded by our religious commitments. We are most grateful that the power to overcome our dilemmas rests in you, God alone.

We praise the wisdom of recreation and relaxation, moments of renewing divine purpose and intent in our lives. Help us to envision your divine mission for each of us and all of us. Allow us to divert daily to devote ourselves to your presence, to withdraw weekly to worship your providence, and to abandon annually to adore your purpose. Amen.


Dr. Daryl B. Ingram
Executive Director
Christian Education Department, AMEC
"Teaching Christ Globally"

Ordinary Extraordinary

O God, who meets us in ordinary places, doing ordinary things and at ordinary times, empower us to be extraordinary in this uncertain season. Fill our lives with wonder as we witness extraordinary mercies instead of judgement and extraordinary miracles instead of the usual mess.

Give us open hearts to perceive your presence. Give us joyful words to proclaim the good news so that it may be heard above the cacophony of the world's fears. In Jesus' name, may the Holy Spirit energize us to proclaim hope and then be hope in a darkened world. Amen.

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In the Morning when...

Let us Pray together:

Early we seek you this morning to pause in your presence; to breath out impurities and breath in whatsoever is kind, good, and lovely, to think on these things before the intrusion of whatsoever is deep, dark and real. Strengthen us for the journey ahead; equip us to stand before our adversaries as we humble ourselves before you. Lift us up to live the abundant life you came to give us and help us to lift others, the lonely, least and left out so that they may have a vision beyond what their eyes can see to what is promised in Your word.

In the name recognized in heaven, earth and hell, Amen.
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Unfathomable Grace

O lord, our God, how excellent is your name in all the earth. Forgive us for coming too often with our petitions for our right now and tomorrow needs without proclaiming your great and mighty acts or thanking you for the joy of our salvation.

We rejoice this morning for your unfathomable amazing grace, unequaled peace and endless love. Help us to make known today all the marvelous things you have done in us and in the lives of those we know and love.

We pray for the victims of earthquakes and tsunamis; gang violence and acts of hate; victims of AIDS and other diseases; those who risk their lives on the fields of conflict and those who live in the gap between what is promised and what is delivered. Giver of every good and perfect gift, help us to share with the hungry and marginalized; help us to bless those who can't bless us back.

In Jesus name, Amen
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Tending Souls

Let us prayer together:

Lord, we come into your presence with an open heart, an open mind and open hands. Listening, our ears are like an open box, available to receive divine instructions and every good and perfect gift.

Thank you for the invitation to taste your infinite goodness, glimpse new mercies on the horizon of a new day and feast on a grace that is not earned or deserved.

Forgive us for attending to everyone and every need with little time to tend to our souls. Forgive us when we ignore the spiritual landscape of the interior life.

Help us to be still in these precious moments and know. Help us to return to our quiet core to hear your voice, the voice that transforms the mind and heart so that we may enter again stronger, better and wiser to do what pleases you rather than what pleases us.

In Jesus name, Amen.
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Search Party

Search me and know me, O God, and know my heart. See if there is any wicked way in me. Try me, test me and know my thoughts. Lead me in the way everlasting. Guide me along the pathways of righteousness.

Your power goes beyond physical boundaries. Your love sustains us no matter where we go. Help us to accept your faithful love and share that love to those we meet today.

In Jesus name, Amen
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Peace, Perfect Peace!

Dear God,

We praise you today for the courage of our nation's leader to end a military conflict so that our sons and daughters, husbands and wives are able to come home; a nation to rebuild and a nation to recover - ours, there's and everyone else's. Thank God for those who sacrificed everything and those who paid the ultimate price on fields of conflict.

We know that the war may be over, but there is still a fight on our hands. The fight for the souls of men and women. The fight for the future of our children and their children's children. The fight for the hearts and minds of our people who are being led astray by misinformation that fan the fires of fear.

Blessed are the peacemakers. Bless those who are able to bring calm in the midst of a chaotic world. Thou, O Lord be a shield around them! Help us today to be agents of peace, vendors of mercy and articulators of freedom in the face of any oppression.

In Jesus Name, Amen.

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