God of heaven and earth, we pray for faith, that confidence in You that surpasses all our doubts as we make our way down the road of life. Give us reason to feel that faith in our every step, our very bones. We are bombarded by simple words and phrases every day that don't have anything to do with the call of grace You have expended to us. We pray today that we choose the reality of You, not the convenient interpretation. Amen.

Dear God, sometimes our lives take on demands that we feel we will never be able to weather. The burden is too heavy, our hearts do not feel strong enough, our vision to see past its immediacy is dim. But You, our Sustainer, are always ready to help us shoulder the burden to make it lighter. You are always willing to strengthen our resolve. Your light leads our way, especially when the path seems most dark. We reach out to You now for You to lighten our load, to strengthen us and to be our vision. Amen.

Forgive us, our Redeemer, when we care more to be right than to hear Your voice or answer Your call. Despite not being as attuned to Your will or as responsive to Your will for us as You would like, You still offer grace to try again. Please continue to seek us out, even when we turn away. Amen.

Forgive us, our Redeemer, when we care more to be right than to hear Your voice or answer Your call. Despite not being as attuned to Your will or as responsive to Your will for us as You would like, You still offer grace to try again. Please continue to seek us out, even when we turn away. Amen.

Patent Teacher, please remind us when we are disturbed or upset that we have a choice on how to treat those around us. Help us be quicker to listen than we are to speak, help us be more interested in understanding than becoming angry. Amen.

Dear Savior, guide us to know You as the caring, loving Father that You are. Teach us to feel Your lovingkindness, to welcome the touch of Your warmth and acceptance. Help us to believe that we are truly loved. Amen.

Eternal Spirit, thank you that we are able to rely on you for all that is good, right, fair and honorable in our world. It is far too easy to focus on what we perceive as bad, wrong, unfair and dishonorable and come to believe that that is all there is and ever will be. We praise Your holy and righteous name. Amen.

While others come and go, Father, You are steadfast, immovable, unfailing. You are the solid rock on which our faith rests so firmly. Please teach us to trust this resting place as our foundation and our ever-present hope. Amen.

Mighty One, You are my strength. You have done and continue to do great things in my life and in the world. Please help me to focus on these great gifts and to offer the knowledge of Your presence to those I encounter today. Your strength is love in action. Amen.

Great Sustainer, thank you for Your readiness to assist me in anyway I need, every hour of every day, no matter what. I am excited to be here, ready to do Your will, knowing that You have empowered me with spiritual gifts just for me and my purpose on this planet. The mystery of how You know each of us and what we need to accomplish our goals and live with passion throughout our lives fills my heart and makes me want to dance with joy. Heaven sounds like a great place, God, but life feels incredibly wonderful too, and I am grateful for every moment of every day You have given me. Amen.

God, we yearn to hear You loving words of direction and guidance in our daily lives. Yes, we pretend to avoid You like the plague, but what we need so desperately is to know that what we hear is really Your voice, even if we are afraid, confused or downright defiant in following what we believe You are asking us to do. But what we also need to remember is that You don't ask us to do what we can't. You also don't leave us deserted with no help to accomplish the task at hand. Nor do you bully, prod or poke at us because that is not who You are. Most importantly, God, we need to remember that Your voice is based in love for us that is frequently loving toward us in just the way we need. Even if the world seems like a rough and tumble place, You are always beside us, not to chide, but to hold our hand as we cross the street. Amen.

Great Creator of All, Your warmth and kindness permeate everyone and everything You touch. Your imprint is so clearly evident, as obvious as a painter's brush strokes are her own and a designer's style is custom made only by them. Every creation with You as its source is filled with Your spirit. Thank You, God, for Your bold strokes and elegant designs. Amen.

This morning I was not quite ready to get out of bed, but I heard Your voice, God, and decided that dawn was not a bad thing. The sun rising and setting each day gives me plenty of time to care for myself, my loved ones, my work, my home. You speak to me through all of these activities, small gestures that add up to my life and my intention in serving You. Thank you for the ordinary things that weave my life, held together by the strength of Your spirit. Amen.

Thank You, God, for this day that reminds us what journeys are all about. We have finished packing up Christmas and entered a new calendar year, but the Wise Men, traveling across a wide and lonely desert have just arrived at the manger. They didn't take their time. They were moving as fast as they could, but they missed what we consider the main event. Or have we? Getting to know You takes time, patience, energy and imagination, qualities these three on camels probably exercised in their many days together before reaching Your son. Remind us of the lessons they can teach us about You. Amen.

When the sun shines we praise You, God from whom all blessings flow. When the stars twinkle and sparkle beyond our reach, we remember that You created everything and we are grateful. When we can meet our obligations, have a little left over to share with those we love and with those we don't yet know, we find that You are always present and active in our lives. Amen.

Today, Lord, let us see what others may not in another's heart and let us open ourselves to being for them what they cannot be fore themselves. Help us to be sincere in our loving, seeking to understand, care for and support each other in gentle, peaceful measures that will uphold Your word and uplift our fellow travelers' spirits. Amen.

What do we do, God, when we are alone?  Do we turn away from our lives, looking for whatever it takes to fill up empty space and time?  Do we pretend that what we really want doesn't matter?  Or do we stop in our tracks, think for a moment and really consider what a difference believing in You can make for us?  Amen.   

God of Warmth and Comfort, grant us a vision for the future, past the cold winds, snow and ice that blanket so much of the earth this day.  Give us a sense that those who suffer can find hope in Your love, the love in which we live and move and have our being.  Your love can change the world if we pick it up and use it to create miracles.  Please guide us to ways that we can break apart the ice of frozen relationships, damaged souls and crushed dreams.  Help us to hear the beating heart of Your strength in ourselves, trusting that we have everything we need in You to see past what is to what can be.  Amen.  

Loving Creator, thank You for the grace embodied in this new year. What it holds is yet to be determined, but we do know that You will be with us in whatever circumstances we find ourselves. for this we are truly grateful. Thank You for the blessings in our hands, in our hearts and in the days to come. Amen.