Daily Prayers - December

[bluidkiti]

December 1

Confession

Have mercy on me, Oh Lord, for I am a humble and miserable sinner. [At this point, pause to remember specific sins you have committed during the week and speak or think them.] I renounce all of these sins, heavenly Father, and repent of them, and I promise to make every effort not to repeat them.

Have mercy on me, pardon me for these offences and any I might have omitted from forgetfulness or ignorance; in the name of Jesus Christ, my Lord and Savior, I pray for forgiveness. And I pray that your Holy Spirit may dwell with me today and throughout the coming week, to comfort me, to give me strength against temptation, and to guide me into the path of righteousness. Amen.

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For My Enemies

O God, the Father of all, whose Son commanded us to love our enemies: Lead me from anger, prejudice, and selfish pride to acceptance, love, truth, and sympathy for all people, and especially those who would be my enemies in this life; and if it is your will, enlighten those who hate me, and bring them into your holy truth, that they may find you. Deliver all of us from hatred, cruelty and revenge; and in your good time enable us all to stand reconciled before you; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

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Finally, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is gracious, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, let me think about these things. What I have learned and received, let me do; and the God of peace be with us all. Amen.

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Meditation

Father, as we enter this season of preparing for festivities and family get-togethers, we pause and meditate on the real reason we celebrate Christmas – his Name is Jesus. In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. In Jesus was Life, and the Life was Light to live by. This Life-Light continues to blaze out of the darkness, and the darkness cannot put it out. Thank You, Father, for giving us real (eternal) life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

John 1:1-9; Romans 6:23

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Lord Jesus, you treasure and hold a special place for each and every person, as though only that one individual exists, and you accept us as we are, in the reality of our lives this day. May I grow in the faith that you look steadily at me and love me. Amen.

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Dear Lord, thank you for this day. Thank you for helping me in this journey. Without you I would be lost.

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Father, we begin this new day and new month finding ourselves in need of conversation with You. We too need to find a place of solace to spend time alone with You in prayer. If our Lord Jesus found it necessary to rise early before dawn to pray while others were sleeping, how much more is it necessary for us to be alone with You? When we take time to listen to You, we will find that what You have to say to us is more important than any other conversation we will hear all day. May we not be so preoccupied with self that don’t take time today to listen to You in prayer. Amen.

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Make Me an Instrument of Your Peace
St. Francis of Assisi
Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.
Where there is hatred, let me sow love,
Where there is injury, pardon
Where there is doubt, faith,
Where there is despair, hope,
Where there is darkness, light,
Where there is sadness, joy.
O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much
seek to be consoled as to console,
not so much to be understood as to understand,
not so much to be loved, as to love;
for it is in giving that we receive,
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
it is in dying that we awake to eternal life.