A Day to Give Thanks
Lord, ‘Thank You’ is something we should say every day,
perhaps even without realising it,
in the shops, on the phone,
at work or home,
especially when someone is kind to us.
Yet how often do we stop to thank you,
Lord, to really thank you in our hearts,
or do we take you for granted too often,
even forget about you altogether?
Lord, help us to give thanks today
for all the joys you give us
through the Saviour’s birth. Amen
A Day to Rejoice
Joy in a baby’s cry,
Hope in the Saviour’s birth,
Glory to God on high,
Peace to those on earth.
Emmanuel, the God who is with us,
not the God who is against us.
The God who is mercy and love,
not the God who punishes.
The God who saves us,
not the God who condemns us.
Yes, Lord, you came into the world
not to condemn the world but to save us.
For this we rejoice. Glory to God on high!
A Day for the Children
Lord, what love you have lavished on us
by letting us be called your children!
What hope you have given us
by revealing to us that your kingdom belongs to mere children!
What joy you have bestowed on us
by sending your only Son to live as a child among us.
Lord, bless the children in our families,
keep them in your care,watch over them that they may not be lost,
but through all the trials of life
they may find their home with you. Amen.
A Day to Build Bridges
Lord we can feel very hurt by the way people treat us,
so much so that we keep out of their way,
pass them by, cross the road, anything.
Then a gap can open up between us,
and the longer the hurts lingers,
the wider the gap becomes,
until it seems like an impassable river.
We all need to mend broken relationships.
Help me, Lord to build bridges,
to reach out, to take the initiative,
and show love and friendship,
rather than wait until it is too late. Amen.
A day to feel encouraged
We all need a little encouragement in life
especially when faced with an uncertain future,
for ourselves, for our families, even for our world.
Mary was encouraged to trust in you and not to be afraid,
not to despair for our world!
You will not leave it untended.
Lord, help me to feel encouraged today. Amen
A Day to Count Blessings
How often have I heard someone say:
‘ I count my blessings every day’
A thankful heart is a blessing in itself.
There are days all I seem to do is count my woes!
I’m so full of how busy I am,
how stressed I am,
how there’s no time to count my blessings!
Lord, may today be a day I stop to count
all the blessings, all the good things,
you have given me in life. Amen
A day to Pray for Others
Lord, I have so many loved ones,
and so many people that I care about,
or others that I should care more about.
But I don’t often pray about or for them.
So today I want to bring them all
before you in prayer:
Family, relatives, friends,companions,
neighbours, acquaintances, colleagues,
and all the others I meet in the day.
I’m so thankful for the many kindnesses
I receive from them, and ask you, Lord,
to be kind to them and to bless them. Amen.
A Day to Make Amends
Lord, there are those who come to mind
in an odd moment of the day,
those whom we may have hurt
or offended, however unwittingly,
perhaps in an unthinking moment.
Perhaps today is the day
not only to bring someone to mind,
but to show some little act f kindness,
some gesture of friendship.
Lord, help me to find a way
to make amends to someone today.
Amen
A Day of Preparing
Lord, may today be a good day
for preparing for Christmas
for clearing the way within
for you to enter our lives,
just as we clear a path in the snow
for visitors to our homes.
Clear our hearts of things that stop you getting to our doors,
clear our minds of the distracting things
that come with the build-up to Christmas.
Lord prepare our hearts
that we may rejoice in you this Christmas.
Amen.
A Day of New Beginning
I know you never give up on me,
never give up believing in me,
just as you never gave up
on the disciples.
Today I would like to be
more thoughtful about pleasing you
rather than myself,
more desirous about getting out of my old ways
and making a go of being better
towards others.
Lord, send your Spirit to renew me this Advent
.Amen
