An Order for Morning and Evening Prayer

March 3rd, 2020

Theologians and Scholars of Methodist Worship

This article is featured in the Christian Worship and Devotion during Social Distancing: A Resource for United Methodists issue of Ministry During The Pandemic

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This brief order may be used individually, by families, or by other small groups, either in person or by some form of digital connection. This text is available as a PDF download below.

Call to Prayer and Praise

Morning:
Lord, open my lips;
And my mouth will proclaim your praise. (Ps 51:15 CEB)

Evening:
God, come to my assistance.
Lord, make haste to help us. (Ps 70:1 NRSV)

Hymn

We stand to sing or read a hymn.

Morning: Christ, whose glory fills the skies (United Methodist Hymnal 173)

1 Christ, whose glory fills the skies,
Christ, the true, the only Light,
Sun of Righteousness, arise,
triumph o'er the shades of night;
Dayspring from on high, be near;
Daystar, in my heart appear.

2 Dark and cheerless is the morn
unaccompanied by thee;
joyless is the day's return
'til thy mercy's beams I see;
'til they inward light impart,
glad my eyes, and warm my heart.

3 Visit, then, this soul of mine;
pierce the gloom of sin and grief;
fill me, Radiancy divine;
scatter all my unbelief;
more and more thyself display,
shining to the perfect day.

Evening: God, that madest earth and heaven (United Methodist Hymnal 688)

1 God, that madest earth and heaven,
darkness and light:
who the day for work have given,
for rest the night:
may thine angel guards defend us,
slumber sweet your mercy send us;
holy dreams and hopes attend us,
this live-long night.

2 When the constant sun returning
unseals our eyes,
may we, born anew like morning,
to labor rise.
Gird us for the task that calls us,
let not ease and self-enthrall us,
strong through thee whate’er befall us,
O God most wise!

3 Guard us waking, guard us sleeping,
And, when we die,
May we in your mighty keeping
All peaceful lie.
When the trumpet's call shall wake us,
Then, O Lord, do not forsake us,
But to reign in glory take us
With you on high.

Opening Prayer

The prayer may be said by one person or by all.

Morning:
New every morning is your love, Great God of light,
and all day long you are working for good in the world.
Stir up in us a desire to serve you,
to live peacefully with our neighbors,
and to devote each day to your Son, our Savior,
Jesus Christ the Lord. Amen.

Evening:
As you have made this day, O God, you also make the night.
Give light for our comfort.
Come upon us with quietness and still our souls
that we may listen for the whisper of your Spirit
and be attentive to your nearness in our dreams.
Empower us to rise again in new life to proclaim your praise,
and to show Christ to the world.

Scripture

Daily readings for morning and evening might be drawn from one of the following daily lectionaries. The Revised Common Lectionary Daily Readings helps us prepare for and reflect back on the Sunday readings. The lectionary suggests a psalm for each day, which can be used both morning and evening, as well as readings from the Old and New Testaments.

Silence

We silently reflect upon God’s Word for us this day. Our reflection might follow a pattern of lectio divina, possibly repeating the readings of the text at each step. You may also share your answers at each step:

As you or another reads the passage slowly, what word or phrase that catches your attention?
How does this passage touch your life today?
From what you have heard and shared, what do you believe God wants you to do or be?
Pray for yourself and those with you that you may respond to God’s word.

A Song of Praise

We stand to sing or say a biblical song of praise:

Morning: The Canticle of Zechariah (Luke 1.68-79; United Methodist Hymnal 208 or 209)

Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel,
who has come to his people and set them free.
The Lord has raised up for us a mighty Savior,
born of the house of his servant David.
Through the holy prophets, God promised of old
to save us from our enemies,
from the hands of all who hate us,
to show mercy to our forebears,
and to remember his holy covenant.
This was the oath God swore to our father Abraham:
to set us free from the hands of our enemies,
free to worship him without fear,
holy and righteous before him,
all the days of our life.
And you, child, shall be called the prophet of the Most High,
for you will go before the Lord to prepare the way,
to give his people knowledge of salvation
by the forgiveness of their sins.
In the tender compassion of our God
the dawn from on high shall break upon us,
to shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death,
and to guide our feet into the way of peace.

Evening: The Canticle of Mary (Luke 1:46-55; United Methodist Hymnal 199 or 198)

My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord,
my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
who has looked with favor on his lowly servant.
From this day all generations will call me blessed:
the Almighty has done great things for me,
and holy is his name.
God has mercy on those who fear him,
from generation to generation.
The Lord has shown strength with his arm
and scattered the proud in their conceit,
casting down the mighty from their thrones
and lifting up the lowly.
God has filled the hungry with good things
and sent the rich away empty.
He has come to the aid of his servant Israel,
to remember the promise of mercy,
the promise made to our forebears,
to Abraham and his children forever.

Prayers of Intercession

We pray for the church and the world:

For the people of our congregation...
For those who suffer and those in trouble…
For the sick, the hospitalized, and those who care for them...
For those who mourn…
For the concerns of our communities...
For the world, its people, and its leaders...
For the Church universal—its leaders, its members and its mission...
For other concerns that we name aloud or in our hearts…

We gather our prayers into one with the Lord’s Prayer:

The Lord's Prayer

(The most familiar version may be used.)

Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us.
Save us from the time of trial and deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours
now and forever. Amen.

Blessing

We may raise our hands in a gesture of blessing toward one another.

Morning: May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in faith so that you overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. (Rom 15:13) Amen.

Evening: The grace of Jesus Christ enfold you this night. Go in peace. Amen.

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Some other resources for Daily Prayer

https://www.methodistprayer.org