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Gracious God,

I thank you for your blessing and presence in my life.

The gift of faith that you have given me

is precious and fragile.

So much in this world threatens

its growth and its potential to bear fruit.

Guard me and strengthen me

in your grace and love

so that I might withstand the challenges and threats to my spirit.

Give me the wisdom

to tend my soul each day

in prayer and devotion to you.

Embolden my response

so that I live my life with openness and trust.

Send me out with renewed zeal to care for others.

Through Christ, amen.

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Gracious God,

you provide for all creation. 

Make me aware this day

of both your care and provision.

Each breath I take comes as a gift.

Each occurrence of shelter,

food,

warmth,

family,

and protection

come as blessings.

As I am grateful for these things,

make me aware of those who don’t have.

Empower generosity within me

so that I might share what I have with others. 

Let me be a conduit of your grace and love

so that others might sing your praises. 

Through Christ, amen.

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Gracious God,

be present to me

in the worn out and broken places of my life. 

Forgive me where I have not loved or cared for others.

Renew my worn-out spirit

so that I might find new strength

to live as you would have me live.

Guide me anew

in the paths of your grace

so that I might participate

in your justice and peace.

Through Christ, amen.

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Gracious God,

let me not hide your light or love.

Give me the courage to shine brightly

so that others might know of your care for them.

Shine your grace,

love,

and forgiveness

through me.

Through Christ,

amen. 

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Gracious God,

sometimes the night is scary.

Darkness hides things.

We can’t always see a clear path.

Fear enters our hearts and we shut down.

Shine your light of love in our night.

Brighten the space around our hearts

so that we might find the wisdom and courage

to open up beyond ourselves.

Make us instruments of your light

so that others might know of your love and care.

Through the Light of Jesus Christ,

amen.

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Gracious God,

burn within my heart

with the flames of your compassion.

Ignite within my spirit

a passion for your life.

Let me see by your light

the truth

of your love and care for all people.

Illumine a space

in the darkness of fear,

prejudice,

hatred,

and separation

so that I might be able

to see a path toward peace,

reconciliation,

and hospitality.

Through Christ,

amen.  

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Gracious God, awaken my senses. At the start of this day, open within me a space for your creative spirit. Fill me with your love so that I might be a vessel to carry your compassion, hospitality, kindness, and grace to others. Refresh me anew for work in your kingdom in which I will live, work, travel, and play today. Through Christ, Amen.

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Enduring God, you are the shelter of my life. Protect me from the storms that rage outside my window and within my heart. Let me find in you the courage to push back my fears. Renewed in my strength, inspire me to provide shelter and comfort to others. Through Jesus, amen.

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Gracious God,

make me ready

to welcome your coming. 

Prepare in my heart

a space for love,

kindness,

forgiveness,

and humility. 

Through Jesus Christ, amen.

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Creative God, underneath the image I project to the world, there are a bunch of insecurities, fears, and worries.  Give me the strength today to trust in you.  Allow your love to push away the things that keep me from you.   In their place, allow your grace to fill me up with new courage, wisdom, and focus.  Make me bold in my response to you as I reach out to help and love others.  Through Jesus, amen.

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Gracious God. You created me out of your great love. You shaped my being with great care and precision. I am unique. In all of creation, there is not another body like mine. And yet, I share a connection with all creation. All life bears the mark of its Creator. All life is wonderfully made. Give me the wisdom in my daily walk to appreciate and wonder, honor and respect all life. Strengthen me as a creature of clay to respond as a caretaker of all that you have made. Through Christ, Amen.

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Gracious God, let me be a part of your work of transformation. Help me to identify those things in my life that prevent me from experiencing your love and joy. Let me see the rust and decay of my biases, prejudices, and shortcomings that separate me from others. Give me the courage to move beyond nostalgia and the past so that I may be more present at this moment. Strengthen me to respond in new ways to your life in my life. Guide the hard work of clearing and discarding so that I might plant and plan for what is to come. Through Christ, Amen.

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God of Transformation, there are parts of my life that are rotten and decaying. Although I try my best, I can’t escape the reality of my brokenness. With you, O God, there is hope. Through your great love for me, I am created anew. Your love and grace are always at work in my life, bringing about change and resurrection. Help me to recognize your presence and action in this day so that I might participate in what you are doing. Guide my focus and efforts beyond myself and let me be an instrument of your transformation in the lives of others. Through Christ, Amen.

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Gracious God, help me to get going and put my hands to work, tending life's soil.  Motivate me to participate in your creative action that produces abundantly.  Give me a generous heart so that I might share with others.  Through Christ, amen.

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Gracious God, you command us to treat others as we would like them to treat us.  Guide us in our loving so that we might make a difference in the place where we live.  Strengthen us to be a good neighbor and to share Jesus's love in what we say and go.  Through Christ, amen.

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Gracious God, your love is contagious. Try as I might contain your love as a private treasure, it moves me to share with others. Your loving presence will not rest for long. Instead of resisting or limiting or being stingy with your grace, forgiveness, and compassion motivate me to increased generosity. Strengthen my giving so that others might know of your love through my words and deeds. Let me not stop. Guide my living according to your radical hospitality. Use me to love others - family, friends, strangers, enemies. Through Jesus Christ, Amen.

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Gracious God, too often I don't think that I'm significant enough or big enough to make much of a difference. There are other voices that are louder. There are others with more power and position. Still others are more outgoing and have larger networks. I forget the mustard seed. I forget the ability of small seeds to grow into large shrubs and trees. I also forget that I have work to do in your kingdom - work that is filled with compassion and provides for those in need. Help me remember, O Lord. Remember and respond. Remember that I do have agency, influence, and resources that are filled with potential to do great things. Empower me to respond by employing what I have in service to you and my fellow humans. Through Jesus Christ, Amen.

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Gracious God, nurture me in your steadfast love so that I might grow as your child. Root me in your justice so that I might pursue right relationships with everyone that I meet. Settle my restless soul in you so that I might dwell in your shalom. Through Jesus Christ, Amen.

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Gracious God, your kingdom continues to grow around me. Give me the vision to see and delight in it. Give me the courage to participate in your love and grace. Through Jesus Christ, Amen.

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Gracious God, you surprise me. Sometimes in the strangest places and oddest times, I capture glimpses of your love and grace. When I least expect it, you bring a smile to my heart, and I’m filled with joy. At other times, when I try to conjure up your presence with religious thoughts and incantations, it seems like you are nowhere around. You elude my control. It appears that you refuse to play by my rules and follow my carefully laid plans and manipulations. Forgive my blasphemous attempts to harness your power for selfish desires. Enable me to just trust in your presence and providence. Open my spirit so that I am available for your purposes and direction. Remind me that I’m not the center of the universe and that I don’t need to be as your child. Redirect my energies and efforts outward so that I may be found in the places of hurt, struggle, and restlessness. In the unlikely places of this world and my soul, let me discover you anew. Through Christ, Amen.

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