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Morning and Evening Prayer: An Introduction

As part of the discipline of prayer, these traditional orders of worship offer a time to hear scripture, reflect and pray. If you are doing this liturgy with others or your family consider assigning parts to each member (leader, candle lighter, reader, reflection leader, prayer leader).During Morning Prayer each day we will be introduced to the Word of the Day. Take time to think through the day ahead and offer to God those moments of concern or give thanks for the things you are looking forward to. During the prayers pray through different countries and pray for the churches in that country that are ministering to the people. You can also do some research into the Lutheran church in that country and lift up the specific ministries it supports. Consider hanging a world map that shows the countries you will be praying for each day.Seek out a picture or image to represent the Word as you encounter it during the day. You can draw a picture, cut a picture out of a newspaper or magazine, or take a picture with your camera.During Evening prayer each day there will be a time to reflect on your day and where you saw the Word of the Day play out. If you would like, we encourage you to post the picture to Facebook, either on your own page and/or on First’s page at www.facebook.com/firstlu. During the prayer you may lift up different church bodies. You can make it a fun project each day for the prayer leader to look up a church body to pray for.

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Morning PrayerBelow is a suggested liturgy for beginning your day in prayer. Find a quiet spot in a comfortable, but not too comfy chair. Give yourself at least 5-10 minutes to be with your God.

Light a candle.

Opening Sentences: O Lord, open my lips. And my mouth shall proclaim your praise.

Arise, shine, for your light is come! The glory of the Lord is risen upon you! Nations shall come to your light, and rulers to the brightness of your dawn. They shall come from Sheba, bearing gold and incense, singing the praise of God.

Psalm Read one of the morning psalms: 95:1-7; 100; 63:1-8; 51:1-12 (found on pages 2–5)

Scripture Reading (found on pages 8–20) Reflection Reflect on the Scripture reading and the word for the day. What situations will you encounter today that may exemplify the word? Don’t forget to take a picture and post it to Facebook.

Prayers of Thanksgiving and Intercession Prayers may be given for moments in your day that are causing worry, or joy. Prayers for various countries, churches and ministry being done may be given.

Lord’s Prayer

Blessing May the God of hope fill us with all joy and peace through the power of the Holy Spirit. Amen. Bless the Lord. The Lord’s name be praised.

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Psalm 95:1-7

O come, let us sing to the Lord; let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation!

Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving; let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise!

For the Lord is a great God, and a great King above all gods.

In his hand are the depths of the earth; the heights of the mountains are his also.

The sea is his, for he made it, and the dry land, which his hands have formed.

O come, let us worship and bow down, let us kneel before the Lord, our Maker!

For he is our God, and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand.

O that today you would listen to his voice!

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Psalm 100

Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth. Worship the Lord with gladness; come into his presence with singing.

Know that the Lord is God. It is he that made us, and we are his; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.

Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise. Give thanks to him, bless his name.

For the Lord is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations.

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Psalm 63:1-8

O God, you are my God, I seek you, my soul thirsts for you;

my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water.

So I have looked upon you in the sanctuary, beholding your power and glory.

Because your steadfast love is better than life, my lips will praise you.

So I will bless you as long as I live; I will lift up my hands and call on your name.

My soul is satisfied as with a rich feast, and my mouth praises you with joyful lips

when I think of you on my bed, and meditate on you in the watches of the night;

for you have been my help, and in the shadow of your wings I sing for joy.

My soul clings to you; your right hand upholds me.

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Psalm 51:1-12

Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love;

according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions.

Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin.

For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me.

Against you, you alone, have I sinned, and done what is evil in your sight,

so that you are justified in your sentence and blameless when you pass judgment.

Indeed, I was born guilty, a sinner when my mother conceived me.

You desire truth in the inward being; therefore teach me wisdom in my secret heart.

Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.

Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones that you have crushed rejoice.

Hide your face from my sins, and blot out all my iniquities.

Create in me a clean heart, O God, and put a new and right spirit within me.

Do not cast me away from your presence, and do not take your holy spirit from me.

Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and sustain in me a willing spirit.

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Evening PrayerBelow is a suggested liturgy for the closing of your day. Remember to give yourself sufficient time and space to be present with your God.

Light a candle.

Opening Sentences The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light.The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. Those who dwell in the land of deep darkness, on them has the light shined. We have beheld Christ’s glory, glory as of the only Son of the Father. For to us a child is born, to us a Son is given. In him was life, and the life was the light of all people.

God who said, “Out of darkness the light shall shine!” is the same God who made light shine in our hearts to bring us the knowledge of God’s glory shining in the face of Christ.

Psalm 141 (opposite page) Scripture Reading (found on pages 8–20) Reflection Reflect on your day and the scripture reading and the Word of the Day. What did you see, where did you see God at work, what did you take a picture of? Post the picture on Facebook.

Prayers of Thanksgiving and Intercession Give thanks for all the blessings you received. Pray for those in need. Pray for a different church body and the work they do.

Lord’s Prayer

Blessing May the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, guard our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen. Bless the Lord. The Lord’s name be praised.

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Psalm 141

I call upon you, O Lord; come quickly to me; give ear to my voice when I call to you.

Let my prayer be counted as incense before you, and the lifting up of my hands as an evening sacrifice.

Set a guard over my mouth, O Lord; keep watch over the door of my lips.

Do not turn my heart to any evil, to busy myself with wicked deeds

in company with those who work iniquity; do not let me eat of their delicacies.

Let the righteous strike me; let the faithful correct me.

Never let the oil of the wicked anoint my head, for my prayer is continually against their wicked deeds.

When they are given over to those who shall condemn them, then they shall learn that my words were pleasant.

Like a rock that one breaks apart and shatters on the land, so shall their bones be strewn at the mouth of Sheol.

But my eyes are turned toward you, O God, my Lord; in you I seek refuge; do not leave me defenseless.

Keep me from the trap that they have laid for me, and from the snares of evildoers.

Let the wicked fall into their own nets, while I alone escape.

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1 Heart Psalm 19:14 Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable to you, O LORD, my rock and my redeemer.

2 Forever 2 Samuel 7:16 Your house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever before me; your throne shall be established forever.

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3 Trust Proverbs 3:5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not rely on your own insight. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.

4 Warm John 18:25 Now Simon Peter was standing and warming himself. They asked him, “You are not also one of his disciples, are you?” He denied it and said, “I am not.”

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5 Joy Psalm 51:12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation,and sustain in me a willing spirit.

6 Care Job 10:12 You have granted me life and steadfast love,and your care has preserved my spirit.

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7 Help Matthew 15:25 But she came and knelt before him, saying, “Lord, help me.”

8 Compassion Luke 7:13 When the Lord saw her, he had compassion for her and said to her, “Do not weep.”

9 Heal Acts 4:30 ...While you stretch out your hand to heal, and signs and wonders are performed through the name of your holy servant Jesus.”

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10 Create Isaiah 45:18 For thus says the LORD, who created the heavens (he is God!), who formed the earth and made it (he established it; he did not create it a chaos, he formed it to be inhabited!): I am the LORD, and there is no other.

11 Comfort Psalm 119:76 Let your steadfast love become my comfort according to your promise to your servant.

12 Protect John 17:11 And now I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them in your name that you have given me, so that they may be one, as we are one.

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13 Praise Psalm 150:2 Praise him for his mighty deeds; praise him according to his surpassing greatness!

14 Thank Psalm 107:15 Let them thank the LORD for his steadfast love for his wonderful works to humankind.

15 Serve Joshua 24:15 Now if you are unwilling to serve the LORD, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served in the region beyond the River or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living; but as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD.”

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16 Safe Psalm 22:9 Yet it was you who took me from the womb; you kept me safe on my mother’s breast.

17 Patience Ephesians 4:2 ...With all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love....

18 Wise Psalm 90:12 So teach us to count our days that we may gain a wise heart.

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19 Hope Romans 15:13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

20 Persevere Romans 12:12 Rejoice in hope, be patient in suffering, persevere in prayer.

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21 Humble 1 Peter 3:8 Finally, all of you, have unity of spirit, sympathy, love for one another, a tender heart, and a humble mind.

22 Peace John 14:27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid.

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23 Light John 3:21 But those who do what is true come to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that their deeds have been done in God.”

24 Dance Ecclesiastes 3:4 ...A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance....

25 Green Psalm 23:2 He makes me lie down in green pastures; he leads me beside still waters....

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26 Gift 1 Peter 4:10 Like good stewards of the manifold grace of God, serve one another with whatever gift each of you has received.

27 Awe Mark 4:41 And they were filled with great awe and said to one another, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?”

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28 Beautiful Acts 7:20 At this time Moses was born, and he was beautiful before God.

29 Persist 2 Timothy 4:2 Proclaim the message; be persistent whether the time is favorable or unfavorable; convince, rebuke, and encourage, with the utmost patience in teaching.

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30 Slow 2 Peter 3:9 The Lord is not slow about his promise, as some think of slowness, but is patient with you, not wanting any to perish, but all to come to repentance.

31 Prayer Philippians 4:6 Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.