​Household Prayers
Prayer is a spiritual exercise that helps build a personal relationship with God. It is also an opportunity to both speak with and listen to God.  

Sometimes the words come naturally, sometimes they don't. For the times when they don't, you can find prayers here that you can use. They are related to our Sunday Scripture readings.

Not every prayer will resonate with every person every week. But when they do, they can help each of us build a life of meaning and purpose in relationship with God.

Week of May 22, 2022

Household Prayer: Morning[1]
Holy Spirit, enliven in us a faith and witness like Lydia’s, that through deepened prayer we might rise to action in service of the gospel. Amen.

Household Prayer: Evening
God, it is night and the time for rest has come.  We have served you in love this day and for this we give you thanks.  Do not leave us comfortless, but send your Spirit to abide with us as we trust in you this night. Amen.

Questions for Reflection
When Lydia hears the gospel, she becomes the first Christian in Europe. Led by the Spirit, Lydia’s faith is decisive and her witness is immediate. The word opens her heart in love, and she opens her house in hospitality in service of the gospel. How might Lydia’s witness excite your sense of ministry and mission this day? Where might you find someone searching for God’s word?

Daily Awareness Reflection[2]
At the end of the day, I’ve been asking myself the following questions.  I jot down the answers and ask them again the next evening.  I’ve found it helps me to remain centered as well as increasing my awareness of God in my life.  It takes about 10 minutes.
  1. Slow down.  Stop.  Prepare yourself to pray by becoming aware of the love with which God looks on you …
  2. Note the gifts God has given you today.  Give thanks to God for them …
  3. Ask God that this be a time of special grace and revelation …
  4. With God, review the day.  Look at the stirrings of your heart, your thoughts, and your choices as the day progressed.  Which have been of God?  Which have not?  What does God want to say to you about both? …
  5. Ask for forgiveness for failures/omissions, for healing from their effects …
Look forward to the following day, and plan concretely with God how to live it according to God’s desire for your life …


[1] The Morning & Evening Prayer and Question for Reflection are reprinted by permission of Westminster John Knox Press from Feasting on the Word® Worship Companion. Copyright 2014.

[2] Elizabeth Liebert, The Soul of Discernment (Louisville, KY: John Knox Press, 2015), 31.
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Prayers reprinted by permission of Westminster John Knox Press from
Feasting on the Word ® Worship Companion. Copyright 2013.