Friday - The Letter of James (Psalm 37:1-7)

Welcome to Daily Prayer. This week we've reflected on the coming judgment of those who hoard wealth

and take advantage of others. Today we're reminded not to fret or be envious of the wicked,

but to trust in the Lord and do good.

As we begin our time together, let's quiet our hearts and minds before the Lord.

Father, thank you for this day.

Lord, you are our strength.

You are the great treasure of this life.

We stand before you blameless because of the work of Jesus.

We fix our gaze on you and give you our attention.

We resist the pull to turn away.

You are the author of life. You have the words of life.

We humble ourselves before you.

O Lord, inspire us to see and act on the wisdom of your Word.

A Scripture reading from Psalm 37:1-7:

Do not fret because of those who are evil or be envious of those who do wrong.

For like the grass they will soon wither. Like green plants they will soon die away.

Trust in the Lord and do good. Dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture.

Take delight in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart.

Commit your way to the Lord. Trust in Him and He will do this.

He will make your righteous reward shine like the dawn, your vindication like the noonday sun.

Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for Him.

Do not fret when people succeed in their ways,

when they carry out their wicked schemes.

A prayer of adoration:

Lord, we worship You for Your deliverance.

You're the Redeemer. You're the Restorer.

You satisfy us with good things. You transform the desires of our hearts and satisfy them.

You will vindicate those who trust in you.

A prayer of confession:

Lord, we confess that we've been envious of the prosperity of those who do evil.

We have worried about falling behind and have been anxious about not having enough.

We have seen and watched people succeed who don't honor you. or care about your ways.

Lord, we've worried about whether our lives will work out in the end.

Forgive us for doubting your Word.

You have proven yourself faithful over and over again.

And Lord, we've forgotten that our life in this world is a vapor, but eternity is forever.

And you have given us life forevermore.

A prayer of trust:

Lord, we entrust ourselves to you, and we trust your Word.

We trust your promises.

We hear your word saying to trust you and delight in you. We say yes.

Yes to you. Yes to waiting on you.

You will make our path secure. You will reward our faith. We trust in you.

You are the great reward.

We receive your invitation to draw near and to love those around us.

A prayer of intercession:

Lord, we pray that you would uphold all who are struggling in this season, all who have suffered loss.

Draw near to them, Lord.

Lord, give them eyes to see what will last forever.

Lord, for our community, transform our desires to delight in your will and to walk in your ways.

Direct us to walk in humility and faith.

A moment of reflection:

Lord, is there anything I've been holding back in fear that you're inviting me to commit to you in

faith?

As we listen to the passage again, let's listen with an intention and commitment to do God's will.

Do not fret because of those who are evil or be envious of those who do wrong.

For like the grass they will soon wither. Like green plants they will soon die away.

Trust in the Lord and do good. Dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture.

Take delight in the Lord. and He will give you the desires of your heart.

Commit your way to the Lord. Trust in Him, and He will do this.

He will make your righteous reward

shine like the dawn, your vindication like the noonday sun.

Be still before the Lord, and wait patiently for Him.

Do not fret when people succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes.

Let's listen and say our memory verse for the week one more time.

A closing prayer and song:

Lord, we commit our way to you and trust in you. We believe you'll do it.

You will ultimately satisfy the desires of our hearts. Even when it seems like the waters are

rising around us, we know that we'll see the goodness of the Lord and we will live.

You are the Resurrection and the Life and we put our hope in you.

We stand in faith through the name of Jesus,

Amen.

I love you Lord

O your mercy never fails me

all my days I've been held in your hand

From the moment that I wake up until I lay may head

I have lived in the goodness of God

From the moment that I wake up until I lay my head

I will sing of the goodness of God