December 31
New Year's Eve
And another said: I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to prove them;
I pray thee have me excused. — Luke 14:19
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| Photo: Shaun Gill |
FATHER
in Heaven, let not our material blessings confound our mind and fill us with a
false sense of security, nor suffer us to be enamored by the dazzling prospects
of temporal gain and carnal joy. Let us be mindful that the world's chalice of
sweet wine is inevitably converted into a cup of bitterness, and that the joy
of today becomes the remorse of tomorrow. Thou canst not be denied, O God! All
things are Thine, and man is accountable to Thee. Grant that we may be faithful
stewards of Thy possessions, and that the things of this world may never take
precedence in our life over the glorious riches which Thou hast prepared for Thine
own from the foundations of the world. If there is any hardness of heart among
us, we beseech Thee for the touch of Thy Spirit, that our hearts may yield to
Thee in obedience, reverence, and confidence. Thou, whose grace is sufficient unto
Thine own, suffer none of Thy children for any cause to depart from the faith
this day, but strengthen them, that their faith in Thy goodness and the merits
of Christ's redemptive love may remain beautiful and strong. Make us strong
according to the inward man, strong in our Christian convictions, strong in
faith, strong in our advocacy of righteousness and truth, and strong in our
loyalty to Thee. Above all, keep us from dishonoring Thee by any secret or open
sin. Through Christ, our Redeemer. Amen.
Rev. J.P. Meyer,
St. Louis,
Missouri
December 30
The Lord is good to all: and His tender mercies are over all His works. — Psalm
145:9
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| Photo: Colin Brough |
O
GOD, our Father, we are about to enter upon a new day. To meet well all duties
and responsibilities that come to us; to resist firmly every distraction and
temptation that seeks to draw us from our path; to be utterly prepared for any
danger or any crisis that may this day befall us; to be found, when the evening
is come, pure and holy--this is our desire.
And we would be friendly with all men; strength to the weak,
hope to the despondent, joy to the sorrowing, power to the tempted.
We wait, therefore, our Father, for the coming of Thy Spirit
upon us ere we venture into all that this day holds for us. In the quiet of
this early morning hour, bowed before Thee, our souls wait. Touch us with that
hand which has been laid in blessing upon others before us; speak to us with
that still, small voice of power; fill us with Thine own righteousness.
Give us of Thyself, that we may this day so live for
ourselves and before men that through us Thy Kingdom may in part come, and Thy
will more fully be done among men. For Jesus' sake. Amen.
Rev. Seeley K. Tompkins,
Cincinnati,
Ohio
December 29
For the love of Christ constraineth us. — 2 Corinthians 5:14
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| Photo: Dian Diaconu |
OUR
Father in Heaven, we are Thy children, redeemed by Christ our Savior and Elder
Brother, and we come to Thee in His name. Forgive our sins. Deliver us from all
the guilt and power of sin, and from its consequences. Take the love of it out
of our hearts. Make our love of Thee to glow. Let it burn out all the dross of
evil, and impel us constantly to gracious acts of kindly ministry done to
others in the Master's name and for His sake. Give us a clear vision of our
ever-present Savior as an abiding Friend. Grant that we may be transformed by
thus beholding Him, growing daily more and more like Him in the desires of our
hearts, the words of our lips, and the things we do and refrain from doing.
Bless with us all others, supplying their every need, and
giving them grace and guidance. Make the Gospel light shine out brightly in all
lands, bringing peace and spiritual prosperity, and drawing all men to Christ,
and together in the bonds of Christian unity and brotherliness. We ask all
this, as we pray for grateful hearts, in the name of Him Who died on Calvary. Amen.
J.H. Bomberger, D.D.,
Cleveland,
Ohio
December 28
Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father, in the name of
our Lord, Jesus Christ.— Ephesians 5:20
But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord, Jesus
Christ. — 1 Corinthians 15:57
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| Photo: Bryan Wintersteen |
OUR
Heavenly Father, for all Thou hast given and all Thou hast forgiven, we thank
Thee. For every gift of nature, and Thy favoring providences, and Thy great
salvation through Christ, we thank Thee.
For blessings within us and around us; for everything by
which Thou hast brought good and drawn us to Thyself through all our lives and
the lives of our kin; for our power of understanding, of loving, of homemaking,
of sharing friendships; for the good hope concerning loved ones who have gone
from the ways of earth, and for our own expectation of sharing heaven's joy
with them through Christ's saving merit--we thank Thee.
Help us, O Father, to live and work with the cheer of a
grateful spirit, overcoming all trouble by the patience of hope and the wisdom
of love. So may we share the fellowship of all who follow Christ, both near
about us and in all the world. Amen.
Rev. William Allen Knight, LL.D.,
Boston,
Massachusetts
December 27
And He said to them all, "If any man will come after me, let him deny
himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me. For whosoever will save
his life shall lose it, but whosoever will lose his life for My sake, the same
shall save it. For what is a man advantaged, if he gain the whole world, and
lose himself, or be cast away? — Luke 9:23-25
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| Photo: Markus Biehal |
O
LORD, Thou Whose eye seest everything, even into the secrets of our hearts,
and with Whom is all wisdom and power, be not silent to our petition. In our
suffering let us observe Thy presence, and, out of pain, teach us submission.
We cannot always understand what Thou art doing with us, but
O Thou Watcher of men, make our souls to know that Thou art always just and
good, ever long-suffering in Thy mercy. Give us Thy strength to bear the
burden.
Teach us that if we would be most serviceable to Thee, we
must be marred and hurt and made to bleed. The we shall come forth as gold
tried in the furnace, and Thy righteousness shall be our robe, and Thy glory
our diadem. Amen.
Peter Ainslie, D.D.,
Baltimore,
Maryland
December 26
We have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. — Romans 5:1
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| Photo: Christian Fenech |
OUR
Father, Thou Who sitteth upon a throne high and lifted up, Whose glory fills
the Heavens, make us conscious this morning that Thou art not far from any one
of us, Thy children. Thou has revealed Thy nearness to us in Jesus Christ our
Lord. Help us to see that our selfishness is the only thing that can separate
us from Thee. Take out of our hearts every selfish impulse, and fill them with
a holy love for Thee. Then we know that there shall be fulfilled for us the
promise of Jesus, that Thou, our Father and He, our Brother, shall come in and
dwell with us this day. Speak to us by Thy still, small voice.
Christmas day has come and gone. We have given and we have
received the tokens of friendship and love. We cannot repeat these gifts every
day, but we earnestly beseech Thee that the Christmas spirit may abide in our
hearts and in the hearts of mankind everywhere. Take out of our hearts every
trace of jealously and hatred toward any of Thy children, and give us the
attitude toward all mankind which was in Jesus Christ our Lord. Hasten the day
when our ears shall hear the morning stars singing together and all the sons of
men joining with the angelic choir in the anthem of the first Christmas
morning, "Peace on earth among men of good will." Through Jesus
Christ our Lord. Amen.
Rev. Frank W. Padelford,
Boston,
Massachusetts
December 25
Christmas Day
And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for behold, I bring you good tiding
of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in
the City of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. — Luke 2:10-11
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| Photo: © Jenny Rollo |
We
are filled with joy and gratitude this morning for the gift of the Savior,
Jesus. We are especially thankful that He is not a Savior afar off, but linked
to our nature in the manner of His birth, in childhood, in humility, in love
and sympathy. He who saw the light of day in the midst of the beasts of burden
when first He threw the mantle of humanity over Himself, has lifted us from the
burdens of sin and anxiety. In Him we are glad.
With all the angels who celebrated His nativity we add our
voice of joy. With the humble who inquired what these things meant, we still
search for the truth of the incarnation. Give joy this day to all people, we
earnestly pray. Bless all children, the babes of the land. Be with the poor,
and give to us all, and to all others, the spirit of good will and of charity.
Bring peace to earth, a reception of the good tidings also. May the gifts of
love manifest the spirit of Jesus, we ask in His name. Amen.
Rev. Robert W. Thompson,
Pittsburg,
Kansas
