Glenn Memorial UMC
Thursday, September 09, 2010
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Prayer GuidePrayer should become a regular part of our day. This prayer guide is written to help you explore prayer, to provide a structure for you to use as you pray, and to help you develop a daily prayer "habit."
“… keep up the life of simple prayer and inward worship. Keep it up throughout the day. Let inward prayer be your last act before you fall asleep and the first act when you awake.”
-Thomas R. Kelly, A Testament of Devotion, Harper Collins Publishers, Inc. 1992.
Scripture
To start each prayer time, a Scripture passage is listed for each day during the week. For Sundays, the lectionary Scripture passages are listed under the scripture portion and the Psalm is the closing prayer.
Praying the Scripture
Two options for praying the Scripture are given for the Scripture passage. They are Lectio Divina and The Ignatian Method. Both are ancient and offer rich rewards for those who develop a regular practice of prayer using them. Following is a brief description of both of these options.
Lectio DivinaLectio Divina (sacred reading) is the slow, reverent reading of scripture, pausing briefly as one is moved to prayer and then returning to the reading. It is not Bible study nor is it the same as reading the Scriptures for the purpose of private edification. It is not spiritual reading. Several forms are practiced. Described here is the scholastic form and is comprised of four steps. When the daily Scripture is long, only a part of it should be used for this option. (Suggested verses noted.) Read the entire passage and then use the suggested verses for Lectio.
The Ignatian MethodThis approach invites you to enter the narrative, picturing the situation and identifying with a character that populates the drama. It is sometimes called Dialogue/Imagination. Read the passage and choose a character to be in the scene. Then free your stream of consciousness to flow into the dialogue between characters as you read it again. This may eventually lead you to dialogue beyond what is given in the text, a dialogue that becomes part of your prayer. It is difficult to use this method when passages of Scripture do not have characters in them. One then must place the self in the time and place. Suggestions are given in either case. These approaches to praying the Scriptures are rich and fruitful for people who can readily exercise their God-given imagination. Pick one of them and try it.
Prayer SuggestionsSpecific suggestions for inclusion in your prayers are given. These suggestions include prayers of thanksgiving, petition, intercession, and examen. The suggestions are just that, suggestions. They are not meant to exclude your prayers of the heart but, hopefully, will broaden your prayers. If you feel they are inappropriate, or if you are uncomfortable with any of them, do not use them. Remember Glenn Church and its ministries as you pray. Write any prayer concerns or people who you want to include in your prayers on the pages in the back. Also, write any answers on the back page.
Closing PrayerA Scripture selection is listed to close each day's prayer session. Instead of reading the Scripture for information or inspiration, lift the Scripture up to God as a prayer offering.
Different people have different prayer needs and/or concerns and many have time restraints. Feel free to use the options and prayer suggestions however, you feel comfortable. But do pray.
We invite you to join our new e-mail prayer service so you can receive prayer requests and know about those who are sick or grieving, new members, and any specific prayer concerns at Glenn. Call the office or send an e-mail giving your e-mail address requesting to be added to the prayer list server. Prayers can be requested by sending an e-mail to bettyjoc@glennumc.org.
Copyright 2008, Luther Lewis September Prayer GuideSeptember 1, 2010Scripture
Luke 9:21-27. Praying the Scripture
Lectio Divina (verses 23-25) or The Ignatian Method (You are a disciple.) Prayer Suggestions
Give thanks for God’s faithfulness, constancy, and love. Confess that faith is a gift rather than an achievement. Pray that you be given the ability to have true faith in God, in Jesus Christ, in life, and in yourself. Pray that your mind may be full of God’s great thoughts and that you want to live, think, and act only as God would have you to do. Pray that all who seek God’s mercy receive God’s mercy. Closing Prayer
Psalm 105:11-6, 23-26, 45c. September 2, 2010Scripture
Philippians 3:1b-11. Praying the Scriptures
Lectio Divina (verses 7-9) or The Ignatian Method (You are a Philippian.) Prayer Suggestions
Thank God for watching over you from the beginning of your life to this day. Confess that resentment and grudges are deeply embedded in you and that you need to release them. Pray for strength to forgive as Jesus forgave. Pray not to be tempted with quick answers but to look inward for eternal truths. Ask God’s blessings on each person, by name, that you dislike or resent. Closing Prayer
Psalm 74:18-23. September 3, 2010Scripture
Malachi 1:2-5. Praying the Scripture
Lectio Divina (verses 2-5) or The Ignatian Method (You are Malachi.) Prayer Suggestions
Give thanks for the Bible and ask for help to understand it and faith to believe, obey, and love it. Ask God to pardon your sins and cleanse your heart. Ask God for your daily bread and that God bless whatever you do. Pray that neither prosperity nor the world wean your thoughts or faith from Jesus. Ask God to comfort the disconsolate, to cheer the sad, to bring friends to the friendless, to teach the ignorant, and to give vision to those with trembling faith. Closing Prayer
Psalm 76 September 4, 2010Scripture
Matthew 10:34-39. Praying the Scriptures
Lectio Divina (verse 34-39) or The Ignatian Method (You are listening to Jesus.) Prayer Suggestions
Give thanks for being endowed with love. Confess your sinfulness and failure to render a full measure of service to God and your fellow persons. Pray for fresh inspiration when your morale is low. Pray that you give the world far more spiritual blessings than you receive in material gain. Ask to be delivered from asking for those things that will minister chiefly to earthly pleasure. Closing Prayer
Psalm 78:1-8. September 5, 2010Scripture
Jeremiah 18:1-11; Philemon 1-21; Luke 14:25-33. Praying the Scripture
Lectio Divina (Luke verses 26-27) or The Ignatian Method (You are in the crowd.) Prayer Suggestions
Give thanks for the place in which you dwell. Confess that you are unworthy to receive anything from God. Pray that you will not become so busy you forget God or so content that you do not feel the need for God. Pray for a tender conscience. Pray for your family. Closing Prayer
Psalm 139:1-6, 13-18. September 6, 2010Scripture
Luke 5:27-32. Praying the Scriptures
Lectio Divina (verses 30-32) or The Ignatian Method (You are Levi.) Prayer Suggestions
Give thanks for the peace accorded to you today. Ask for forgiveness for forgetting your dependence on God. Ask God to be your security when the world is shaken. Ask God to grant you heavenly wisdom that you may learn to seek God above all things and that you may understand all things as they are. Pray for all those who long for the new life that only God can bring, especially . . . Closing Prayer
Psalm 78:17-31. September 7, 2010Scripture
Matthew 9:9-13. Praying the Scripture
Lectio Divina (verses 11-13) or The Ignatian Method (You are Matthew.) Prayer Suggestions
Give thanks for the friends that are as close as a brother or sister. Pray for forgiveness for everything in you that offends God. Pray that your home will always be a dwelling place for God. Pray for help to be kind, loving, and forgiving and to be ever watchful so you do not to offend God by word, deed, or thought. Ask for blessings on each and all toward whom our hearts turn with a great love. Closing Prayer
Psalm 125. September 8, 2010Scripture
Jeremiah 31:1-10. Praying the Scriptures
Lectio Divina (verses 7-10) or The Ignatian Method (You are Jeremiah.) Prayer Suggestions
Give thanks for the love that watches over you and protects you from every kind of danger and provides for your every need. Confess that you dare not walk alone – the tempter is too subtle, the pleasures of the world too alluring, and the lusts for riches too strong. Ask to be taught the joy of serving God. Pray that you do not darken the days of others by uttering doubting words. Ask God to give help to those in want and to give strength to the weak. Closing Prayer
Psalm 149 September 9, 2010Scripture
Ezekiel 34:11-31. Praying the Scripture
Lectio Divina (verses 11-31) or The Ignatian Method (You are Ezekiel.) Prayer Suggestions
Give thanks for God sharing not only your sorrows but also your joys. Confess that you do not want to enter upon the duties of a single day without the nourishment and support of God. Pray to become a channel of blessing to those about you. Pray for the gifts of contentment and of being satisfied with what you have received. Ask God to remember all who are dear to you according to their needs. Closing Prayer
Psalm 78:40-55. September 10, 2010Scripture
Psalm 119:169-176. Praying the Scriptures
Lectio Divina (verses 169-176) or The Ignatian Method (You are the Psalmist.) Prayer Suggestions
Give thanks for the common mercies that you receive so regularly that you forget who gives them to you. Confess that you have a shortness of vision, an imperfection of judgment, and a weakness of effort. Ask for wisdom and guidance to become a blessing to all with whom you come in contact. Pray that the Spirit will guide and direct our ministers to ascertain what the Lord wants conveyed to the congregation this week. Ask God to find a place in the hearts of those who reject God’s word so that they may come to know him as their personal Savior. Closing Prayer
Psalm 78:56-72. September 11, 2010Scripture
Luke 19:1-10. Praying the Scripture
Lectio Divina (verses 1-10) or The Ignatian Method (You are Zacchaeus.) Prayer Suggestions
Give thanks for the good things you enjoy. Confess that often you forget the purpose for which you were created. Pray to be given some work for others, some kind word to speak, and some helpful, unselfish deed to do. Pray for the grace to live, as God would have you live. Pray for God’s blessings on the lonely, the weeping, and those who struggle alone. Closing Prayer
Psalm 79:1-8. September 12, 2010Scripture
Jeremiah 4:11-12, 22-28; 1 Timothy 1:12-17; Luke 15:1-10. Praying the Scriptures
Lectio Divina (Luke verses 8-10) or The Ignatian Method (You are the woman.) Prayer Suggestions
Give thanks that you are in a world that needs what you can give. Confess that often you do not see God in every person you meet or in every experience you have. Pray that, as you grow in years, you may grow in the beauty of holiness. Pray that in days of prosperity you do not forget God and that in days of affliction God does not forget you. Ask God to deliver anyone tempted, sustain anyone in sorrow or affliction, and comfort anyone in pain. Closing Prayer
Psalm 14. September 13, 2010Scripture
John 12:27-36. Praying the Scripture
Lectio Divina (verses 34-36) or The Ignatian Method (You are one of the crowd.) Prayer Suggestions
Be thankful for every good and perfect gift that comes from above. Confess that your feet go down forbidden paths when you forget God. Pray that God’s kingdom will come more perfectly in your heart and throughout the world. Pray for a sensitive conscience that will lead to right decisions. Pray for those who do not know or have not accepted God and Jesus. Closing Prayer
Psalm 81:1-7. September 14, 2010Scripture
Ephesians 5:3-20. Praying the Scriptures
Lectio Divina (verses 8-14) or The Ignatian Method (You are an Ephesian.) Prayer Suggestions
Give thanks for the joy of living, for the powers of mind and heart, and for the wisdom that comes to you from those filled with God’s spirit. Confess that you seldom look for God in your life. Ask that your heart may be filled with songs of expectation and your face flooded with the morning light. Pray that you will so shine that all people will see that you have been walking with God. Ask God to help you bring comfort to those in sorrow and strength to those who are tempted. Closing Prayer
Psalm 19. September 15, 2010Scripture
1 Timothy 1:3-11. Praying the Scripture
Lectio Divina (verses 1-5) or The Ignatian Method (You are Timothy.) Prayer Suggestions
Give thanks that you are alive and living in a world of beauty and wonder. Confess that you have not been good although you have tried. Pray to be strong in trial and temptation, to be meek when others wrong you, and to readily forgive them. Ask to be saved from forgetting God and God’s claim on you. Ask God to heal and save the broken homes in your community. Closing Prayer
Psalm 4. September 16, 2010Scripture
1 Timothy 2:1-7. Praying the Scriptures
Lectio Divina (verses 1-3) or The Ignatian Method (You are Timothy.) Prayer Suggestions
Give thanks that God knows you better than you know yourself and for letting you know yourself better than others know you. Confess that you have been careless, cowardly, and sometimes all but mutinous toward God. Ask God to give you the strength and ability to witness for God to those who live near you. Pray for support when grief silences your voice and for comfort when woe bends your spirit. Pray for those who are pray-ers - those who have a desire to pray. Closing Prayer
Psalm 83. September 17, 2010Scripture
Ephesians 6:10-20. Praying the Scripture
Lectio Divina (verses 18-20) or The Ignatian Method (You are Paul writing the letter.) Prayer Suggestions
Give thanks for God's leadership. Confess your shortcomings and your failure to do what you should do and for doing those things that you should not have done. Pray that you will be fruitful in every good word you speak and work you do. Pray that you be given not only a clearer light but also the grace to walk in that light. Petition that Glenn's leaders and all in the Glenn congregation who seek will discern God's will in the decisions they must make. Closing Prayer
Psalm 84:1-4. September 18, 2010Scripture
Galatians 3:19-29. Praying the Scriptures
Lectio Divina (verses 25-29) or The Ignatian Method (You are a Galatian.) Prayer Suggestions
Give thanks for God's sustaining grace and goodness. Give thanks for faithful congregations and individuals who reach out to bring healing and hope to the brokenness of our world. Ask God to sustain them and be with them. Ask for forgiveness for the many times you have disappointed, failed, wearied, or saddened those who love you. Pray for those who this day face decisions that must be made. Entreat Jesus to loosen a spirit of corporate prayer in Glenn Church. Closing Prayer
Psalm 84:5-9. September 19, 2010Scripture
Jeremiah 8:18-9:1; 1 Timothy 2:1-7; Luke 16:1-13. Praying the Scripture
Lectio Divina (Luke verses 10-12) or The Ignatian Method (You are listening to Jesus.) Prayer Suggestions
Thank God for all of God’s people whatever their race, sex, origin, or appearance. Ask God to forgive what you have been, sanctify what you are, and order what you shall be. Pray for David, Jessica, Susan and Hyo to grow spiritually this month. Pray to become more and more aware of the fellowship and the communion of the Holy Spirit in your life. Pray for a group of intercessors who will pray for Glenn and its ministry. Closing Prayer
Psalm 79:1-9. September 20, 2010Scripture
Ezekiel 16:44-49. Praying the Scriptures
Lectio Divina (verses 44-49) or The Ignatian Method (You are listening to Ezekiel.) Prayer Suggestions
Thank God for his redeeming and healing presence. Ask for pardon for unkind words, impatient gestures, hard and selfish deeds, and failure to show sympathy and kindly help when you had the opportunity. Pray for your own life and witness and those in your care, especially... Beseech Jesus to bless our Methodist leaders throughout the world. Appeal to the Holy Spirit that all missionaries are protected and given strength for their work, especially those supported by Glenn. Closing Prayer
Psalm 86:1-4. September 21, 2010Scripture
Acts 2:37-42. Praying the Scripture
Lectio Divina (verses 37-42) or The Ignatian Method (You are listening to Ezekiel.) Prayer Suggestions
Thank God for the gift of life, loved ones, and all those who support you. Ask God to tell you what impure thoughts you have. Ask for forgiveness. Pray that the Glenn congregation will be willing to receive and obey the Word of the Lord that the pastor shares with them today. Ask God to let you love all humankind no matter how you feel about them. Think of a friend who is in a cold, dark, cloudy place. Ask God to shine his light on him/her and warm him/her up. Closing Prayer
Psalm 86:5-7. September 22, 2010Scripture
1 Timothy 4:6-16. Praying the Scriptures
Lectio Divina (verses 11-16) or The Ignatian Method (You are Timothy.) Prayer Suggestions
Give thanks for God's leadership during your life and especially during days of discernment. Ask God to forgive your sins, cleanse your heart, and disarm your will. Pray for the broken places in your community. Pray for the schools in your community and ask God to be with them and the teachers. Pray for peace in the world, especially in those places where there is conflict. Closing Prayer
Psalm 105:1-6, 37-45. September 23, 2010Scripture
Acts 15:15-21. Praying the Scripture
Lectio Divina (verses 19-21) or The Ignatian Method (You are Simeon.) Prayer Suggestions
Give thanks for your home, your job, your health, your family, and your community. Pray for all who have lost parents or children. Pray for all who work with those who are sick and dying. Pray for all who have AIDS and for their families and friends. Pray for those ministries of Glenn involved in caring for the sick and dying.. Closing Prayer
Psalm 86:8-10. September 24, 2010Scripture
John 5:37-47. Praying the Scriptures
Lectio Divina (verses 37-47) or The Ignatian Method (You are listening to Jesus.) Prayer Suggestions
Thank God for clothes to wear, for food to eat, for a home from which to go out and return, and for loved ones who ever care for you and give thought for all things for your comfort. Ask God for forgiveness if today you have failed a friend, hurt a loved one, shamed yourself, or grieved God. Ask God for guidance for all those in public office. Entreat God to loosen a spirit of prayer at Glenn Church. Pray for those who are suffering physically, mentally or spiritually - by name if known. Closing Prayer
Psalm 86:11-17. September 25, 2010Scripture
Matthew 5:21-26. Praying the Scripture
Lectio Divina (verses 21-26) or The Ignatian Method (You are in the crowd.) Prayer Suggestions
Thank God for the world, for night and day, for light and dark, for sunset and for dawn. Ask for forgiveness for questioning God about things you did not understand, for things you did not like, and for failing to follow God's commandments. Ask to be taught that nothing can hurt you if, with true loyalty and affection, you keep God’s commandments and take refuge in God. Pray for all who seek to walk in faithfulness, justice, and righteousness. Pray for all denominations and the Methodist church, especially for Glenn Church where God has called you to live your discipleship. Closing Prayer
Psalm 87. September 26, 2010Scripture
Jeremiah 32:1-3a, 6-15; 1Timothy 6:6-19; Luke 16:19-31. Praying the Scriptures
Lectio Divina (Luke verses 25-26) or The Ignatian Method (You are one of the Pharisees.) Prayer Suggestions
Thank God for any lovely thing that you have seen, for any wise thing that you have heard, and for any good thing that you have been enabled to do. Ask God for forgiveness if you have lost your temper with any person who got on your nerves, who disagreed with you, or whom you perceived as not acting godly. Pray that you will fight against evil and not heed the wounds received in the fight. Pray for peace in all nations and justice for all people. Pray for boards and agencies, colleges and seminaries, hospitals, care centers, and all ministries that offer healing love and justice of Jesus. Closing Prayer
Psalm 91:1-6, 14-16. September 27, 2010Scripture
Matthew 13:31-32. Praying the Scripture
Lectio Divina (verses 31-32) or The Ignatian Method (You are listening to Jesus.) Prayer Suggestions
Thank God for Jesus Christ and for the inspiration, guidance, and hope that Jesus brought into your life. Ask for forgiveness for not trusting in God when things are not as we want them to be. Pray for help to resist every temptation, especially those that assail your thoughts. Pray for those who work with the suffering: social workers, doctors, nurses, counselors, pastors, and volunteer workers. Pray that all who suffer or who are dying will not suffer or die alone. Closing Prayer
Psalm 88:9b-18. September 28, 2010Scripture
Luke 13:18-19. Praying the Scriptures
Lectio Divina (verses 18-19) or The Ignatian Method (You are in the synagogue.) Prayer Suggestions
Give thanks for those who teach you, for those to whom you go for advice, and for those whose wisdom and experience you draw upon to help you. Ask for forgiveness for not thanking those who have taught you, who have helped you, and who have lent you a helping hand. Pray to be delivered from anxieties about the future. Pray for God to heal hurt feelings, confusion, bitterness, pride, or discouragement with the church, especially Glenn Church. Ask God to send his grace to Glenn Church. Closing Prayer
Psalm 124. September 29, 2010Scripture
Matthew 21:18-22. Praying the Scripture
Lectio Divina (verses 18-21) or The Ignatian Method (You are a disciple.) Prayer Suggestions
Ask for forgiveness for yielding to temptation, for lapses in faith, or for being discouraged when things did not go as you wanted. Pray for God to send a spirit of forgiveness and the Holy Spirit to permeate Glenn's committee and business meetings. Ask God for the strength and courage to be a witness as a follower of Jesus to those you are in contact with each day. Pray for those who are discouraged for whatever reason and ask God to bless them. Pray for those who have not heard or have rejected the "Good News." Closing Prayer
Psalm 78:1-4, 12-16. September 30, 2010Scripture
Mark 9:14-29. Praying the Scriptures
Lectio Divina (verses 23-24) or The Ignatian Method (You are the father.) Prayer Suggestions
Thank God for your loved ones, your family, your home, and for living in America. Ask for forgiveness if you have been cross, irritable, bad-tempered, fault finding, and difficult to live with. Ask God to bless those lonely and empty because someone they loved has been taken away, for those ill or weak, and for those worried about the people they love. Ask God to help you to forgive others, as you would wish them to forgive you. Pray for those who are suffering physically, mentally or spiritually - by name if known. Closing Prayer
Psalm 89:5-8. |
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