The Methodist Book of Daily Prayer
Deluxe Edition
Matt Miofsky, General Editor and Contributing Writer
Laceye Warner, Contributing Editor
Abingdon Press Nashville, TN
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Advent Week 1 Hope
Morning Prayer of Petition
God, as I start a new day I renew my hope in you and belief that you are at work in my life. There is a gap between the way the world is and the way you want it to be. That same gap exists in me. May I look beyond, hoping and working alongside you for what will be. Today I name:
• my hopes for what you might do in my life,
• my hopes for what you might do in my relationships and friendships,
• my hopes for what you might do in my church,
• my hopes for what you might do in my neighborhood and community,
• my hopes for what you might do in our country and world.
As I name my hopes to you, enlist me to play a role in the work you are already doing. Amen.
Evening Prayer of Gratitude
God, as the day draws to a close, I confess that I did not always live out of a sense of hope. Forgive me for the way that today I:
• chose cynicism over promise,
• assumed the worst instead of the best in others,
• gave up or gave in instead of standing up or stepping out,
• acted as if your power is not real instead of believing you are able.
As this day draws to a close and as I sleep, renew in me a sense of hope and possibility. Amen.
Day 1
Morning
Therefore, once you have your minds ready for action and you are thinking clearly, place your hope completely on the grace that will be brought to you when Jesus Christ is revealed. (1 Peter 1:13)
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Reflection
The source of our hope is a consequential matter. We sometimes find ourselves believing in God but not acting like it. This is called functional atheism, which Parker Palmer defines as “the belief that ultimately responsibility for everything rests with me.” We might pray, go to church, read scripture, and sing songs about the power of God. But then we stress, over-function, and burn out, all under the misguided notion that our lives are shaped by our own efforts. We place our hope in God, but only in part. Peter reminds us to rely on Jesus—on grace—as our source of complete hope, trusting that God is worthy, not only of our partial faith but all of it.
~Prayer of Petition~
Evening
But I will hope continually and will praise you yet more and more. (Psalm 71:14)
Reflection
What does it mean to “hope continually”?
Perhaps the way to embody hope is to disconnect it from an expected outcome and, instead, to take on a posture that declares a movement toward some alternate reality. Hope can be so fleeting, present one moment and then gone the next, leading to disappointment and discouragement.
But when hope is a posture, hope is rooted in the onward movement toward that alternate reality. It accepts that life will have its ups and downs. This posture allows for one to hope continually because the end of the journey is belovedness, when all would know God’s hope, joy, peace, and love.
What is interesting is the way that the psalmist ties these two actions in the future tense. Despite the experiences that have brought the psalmist to write these words, and despite the circumstances that bring the psalmist to cry out for rescue and relief, there is a commitment to hope and praise. It isn’t conditional; it is simply a declaration of what is to come.
May our hope be continual, firmly grounded in God’s promise of God’s preferred future.
~Prayer of Gratitude~
Day 2
Morning
The expectations of the righteous result in joy, but the hopes of the wicked will perish. (Proverbs 10:28)
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1: Hope
Reflection
Hope and hopefulness are not intrinsically good. Money can be both the object and source of hope for a greedy heart. Physical security could be the source of hope for a fearful heart, achievement for a selfish heart, or acclaim for an insecure heart. Each one is fading and temporal, bringing at best only fleeting happiness. And there are many others, of course, but none are worthy objects of our deepest hope, none are truly a source of enduring hope. The proverb challenges us to consider the nature of our own hearts. It calls us to question where our hope comes from and what we hope for. It prompts us to recognize God—God’s wisdom and God’s presence—as our true sources of hope. This hope leads to deep and lasting joy.
~Prayer of Petition~
Evening
And all who have this hope in him purify themselves even as he is pure. (1 John 3:3)
Reflection
For were you to be disappointed of your Hope, still you lose nothing. But you shall not be disappointed of your Hope: it will come, and will not tarry. Look for it then every Day, every Hour, every Moment. Why not this Hour, this Moment? Certainly you may look for it now. If you believe it is by Faith.
—John Wesley, Scripture Way of Salvation
~Prayer of Gratitude~
Day 3
Morning
Return to the stronghold, prisoners of hope. Moreover, declare today that I will return double to you. (Zechariah 9:12)
Reflection
Perhaps you’ve heard a version of the idea that Christians are never allowed to give up hope. Believers in Jesus are hopelessly hopeful! We cannot stop trusting that God is at work in our lives and in the world. We cannot stop believing that the same spirit that raised Jesus from the dead is at work in our lives as well. We cannot stop putting our confidence in a God who is making all things well. If Christ is risen, if the Holy Spirit is present, if death has been defeated, and if God is reconciling all things to Godself, then pain, suffering, and evil are on a timer. Real though they are, they will not last. To believe in Jesus is to be, as the prophet says, a “prisoner of hope.”
~Prayer of Petition~
Evening
I meet the predawn light and cry for help. I wait for your promise. (Psalm 119:147)
Reflection
Whatever may be the tensions and the stresses of a particular day, there is always lurking close at hand the trailing beauty of forgotten joy or unremembered peace.
—Howard Thurman, Meditations of the Heart
~Prayer of Gratitude~
Day 4
Morning
Lord, show us favor; we hope in you. Be our strength every morning, our salvation in times of distress. (Isaiah 33:2)
Reflection
What does it mean to place our hope in God? Why would such a hope give us strength and salvation during times of distress? Part of the answer lies in the difference between something that is temporary and something that is eternal. Many people struggle with seasonal affective disorder. When the air is cold and the sky is gray, a depression sets in. If you experience this condition, you learn something over time. The winter season may seem to drag on, but we know it is temporary. It will change, and it will break forth into spring. You can place your hope not in the day-to-day weather, but in the confidence that spring is coming. In life, our hope comes not from our day-to-day circumstances, which can vary, but from a strong confidence that even today, God is working for our good and that something better is coming.
~Prayer of Petition~
Evening
This hope, which is a safe and secure anchor for our whole being, enters the sanctuary behind the curtain. (Hebrews 6:19)
Reflection
Do you ever wonder if Jesus had hope?
Into a world of oppression, a world defined by the rules of empire, Mary births the one called Emmanuel, God with us, and with him would arrive the hopes of all the
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nations. He would go on to shoulder the burdens of imagining a new and better way, one that is different than the kingdoms of earth, one centered on belovedness, togetherness, and oneness with God and with community. . . .
Through it all, did Jesus himself have hope? Did he experience this human emotion of expectancy for a world that could be?
Too often, it is the human condition to connect hope to an uncertain outcome, to assume that hope requires a component of unknowing. And, therefore, one’s Christology might then disqualify Jesus from having hope.
But I need Jesus to have had hope so that he might fully be the embodiment of humanity’s hope. I need a hope-filled Jesus who lived his life and died his death with the expectancy of a world not yet, so that the ways we model our lives—anchored in his ways—might move us from a world not yet, into a world that could be.
~Prayer of Gratitude~
Day 5
Morning
We even take pride in our problems, because we know that trouble produces endurance, endurance produces character, and character produces hope. This hope doesn’t put us to shame. (Romans 5:3-5)
Reflection
Hope is forged in the midst of hardship and struggle. If life were always to unfold the way you expect, then there would be no need for hope. You don’t need to long for something that you already have. But life is full of surprises, changed plans, disappointments, and problems. These challenges can either be the occasion for despair or the beginning of a pathway that leads to hope. These troubles can produce perseverance and strength. This kind of strength can shape and mold our hearts and lives. And in the midst of this persistent determination to keep moving forward, we can craft a hope that comes not from a trouble-free life, but from knowing that God is more powerful than our current trials.
~Prayer of Petition~
Evening
I hope, Lord.
My whole being hopes, and I wait for God’s promise. (Psalm 130:5)
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Reflection
Come thou long-expected Jesus, Born to set thy people free, From our fears and sins relieve us, Let us find our rest in thee: Israel’s strength and consolation, Hope of all the earth thou art, Dear desire of every nation, Joy of every longing heart.
Born thy people to deliver, Born a child and yet a king, Born to reign in us forever, Now thy gracious kingdom bring; By thine own eternal Spirit Rule in all our hearts alone, By thine all-sufficient merit Raise us to thy glorious throne.
—Charles Wesley, “Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus”
~Prayer of Gratitude~
Morning
Day 6
Our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father loved us and through grace gave us eternal comfort and a good hope. (2 Thessalonians 2:16)
Reflection
When someone asks you what you want for Christmas, do you have a difficult time responding? Many of us are better at giving gifts to others than receiving them. After all, would you rather help someone else or need to receive help? Would you rather be in a position to give someone else money or need financial help from others? Most of us want to be the one who provides, not the one who must receive. That is why Christmas can be hard. Because it is primarily a story about what God wants to give and what we are called to receive. Paul describes our hope as a product of God’s grace in Jesus. That means that hope is not something we must find, muster, or create on our own. Hope is instead a gift that we simply must receive. In times when it is difficult to find hope in our lives, or drum it up in our spirit, perhaps what we may try is praying to God that we would be more open and able to receive it.
~Prayer of Petition~
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Evening
Where then is my hope?
My hope—who can see it? (Job 17:15)
Reflection
The deeper our faith, the more doubt we must endure; the deeper our hope, the more prone we are to despair; the deeper our love, the more pain its loss will bring: these are a few of the paradoxes we must hold as human beings. If we refuse to hold them in hopes of living without doubt, despair, and pain, we also find ourselves living without faith, hope, and love.
—Parker Palmer, A Hidden Wholeness
~Prayer of Gratitude~
Week 2
Peace
Morning Prayer of Petition
Holy God, your son is called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace. Today I pray for peace, plead for peace, and ask you to fill the places in my life and in our world that need your peace:
• I pray for peace in my inner spirit where I am distracted and anxious.
• I pray for peace in my relationships with family, friends, coworkers, neighbors.
• I pray for peace in my community, city, and country where divisiveness seems to reign.
• I pray for peace among people globally, especially where conflict and war are an expected way of life.
As we prepare to celebrate the coming of your son into the world, may the peace He embodies and offers be made real on earth as it is in heaven. Amen.
Evening Prayer of Gratitude
Gracious God, as I look back on this day, it is too easy to focus on places of discord and division. Instead, I give you thanks for the ways you are working in my life for peace and wholeness. Today God, I thank you for:
• the ways you are working to bring peace to my emotional and mental being,
• the way you are working my relationships, especially those that are strained or fractured,
• the ways you are offering a picture of peace in my church or community.
As I rest and look forward to a new day tomorrow, may I have the eyes to see where you are at work for peace in the world, and may I have the courage to join you in that work. Amen.
Day 1
Morning
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Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. (Isaiah 9:6)
Reflection
One of the words most often associated with the coming Messiah is peace. In a world of division, anger, strife, and conflict, the coming of the Messiah means a coming of peace. Of course, peace is not merely the absence of conflict. But the peace of Jesus is deeper and more challenging. The peace of Christ is a reconciliation, a putting back together of relationships and realities that have been torn apart by sin and suffering. This kind of peace, or wholeness, is radical because it signifies that even the lion will lie down with the lamb, and that even enemies will eat at a common table. The ones far off will be brought near, and the disparities in our world will be made level. The coming of Jesus is the beginning of this kind of peace, and while not yet complete, it only grows as we welcome Christ more into our lives and world.
~Prayer of Petition~
Evening
To give light to those who are sitting in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide us on the path of peace. (Luke 1:79)
Reflection
“Oh!” I said, “I see it.” And somehow I seemed to sink down out of sight of myself, and then rise; it was all in a moment. I seemed to go two ways at once, down and up. Just then such a wave came over me, and such a welling up in my heart, and these words rang through me like a bell: “God in you, God in you,” and I thought doing what? Ruling every ambition and desire, and bringing every thought unto captivity and obedience to His will. How I have lived through it I cannot tell, but the blessedness of the love and the peace and power I can never describe. O, what glory filled my soul! The great vacuum in my soul began to fill up; it was like a pleasant draught of cool water, and I felt it.
—Amanda Berry Smith, from In Her Words (edited by Amy Oden)
~Prayer of Gratitude~
Morning
Let the Lord give strength to his people!
Day 2
Let the Lord bless his people with peace! (Psalm 29:11)
Reflection
While peace is an external reality among peoples, countries, and tribes, it is also an internal reality. Conflict resides not only in the world but also in our own hearts. The peace that the Lord offers is at once at work in the world and in our own spirits. As much as it may seem like peace is making slow progress in our world, scripture indicates that it can happen quickly in our lives. The Lord blesses us with a kind of peace rooted in God’s presence, which we can experience right here, right now, even in the midst of a conflicted and troubled world. This kind of peace is a gift, one that we can ask for, one that we are told to pray for, and one that can be received even now.
~Prayer of Petition~
Evening
Peace I leave with you. My peace I give you. I give to you not as the world gives. Don’t be troubled or afraid. (John 14:27)
Reflection
In 1955 a songwriter, Jill Jackson, penned these words: “Let there be peace on earth and let it begin with me.” Her words invite us to take a moment of sacred pause. In that pause, we are called to ask ourselves, “Are we creating an atmosphere where we are cultivating peace or are we cultivating chaos? Are we leading with peace or are we leading with anxiety?” Jesus tells us in John 14:27, “Peace I leave with you. My peace I give to you. I give to you not as the world gives. Don’t be troubled or afraid.” Jesus understood that we would experience seasons of restlessness and dis-ease. He understood that there will be moments when our peace will be shaken because of death, divorce, injustice, war, oppression, depression, or simply life. Yet, he propels us to have faith in a God who does not leave us comfortless, but gives us the ability to tap into a relationship with a God whose very presence ushers in peace.
~Prayer of Gratitude~
Day 3
Morning
Faithful love and truth have met; righteousness and peace have kissed. (Psalm 85:10)
Reflection
Another word for righteousness is justice, and here the psalmist reminds us of the inextricable relationship between justice and peace. There is an unbreakable connection
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between love and truth. One cannot be present without the other. A peace that covers over hurt, ignores the realities of sin, or fails to name sources of brokenness is not peace at all. Love that does not want to name the truth is not authentic love. Christ’s peace is not a superficial focus on everyone getting along and being polite. Christ’s peace brings with it righteousness and justice, a naming of what is broken, and making right what is wrong. In Jesus, righteousness and peace are wed together, and wholeness only comes when both are present.
~Prayer of Petition~
Evening
There will be vast authority and endless peace for David’s throne and for his kingdom, establishing and sustaining it with justice and righteousness now and forever.
The zeal of the Lord of heavenly forces will do this. (Isaiah 9:7)
Reflection
Though opposed, I went forth laboring for God, and he owned and blessed my labors, and has done so wherever I have been until this day. And while I walk obediently, I know he will, though hell may rage and vent its spite.
—Julia A. J. Foote, “A Brand Plucked from the Fire”
~Prayer of Gratitude~
Day 4
Morning
Glory to God in heaven, and on earth peace among those whom he favors. (Luke 2:14)
Reflection
The angelic announcement of Jesus’s birth was a proclamation of peace. This is not the promise of peace but the declaration that what had been waited for was finally here. The birth of Jesus is also the arrival of peace. The natural question is, then: Why is so much conflict still present? The answer is that the work of peace is present but not yet complete; it has been born, but it is not yet fully grown. But the mere arrival offers those who have been waiting for it a reason to celebrate, to be joyful, and to sing. For the peace that comes with Jesus, as the story will eventually show, is one that cannot be stifled, stunted, or stopped.
~Prayer of Petition~
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Evening
Pray that Jerusalem has peace: “Let those who love you have rest. Let there be peace on your walls; let there be rest on your fortifications.” (Psalm 122:6-7)
Reflection
Psalm 122 is one of the songs of ascent. This means that those who were traveling to Jerusalem to celebrate one of the Jewish festivals would sing them as they were traversing uphill to get to the house of the Lord. In this psalm, the singers are petitioning God for peace because they carry with them intergenerational trauma. Their collective memory has been shaped by slavery, exile, and persecution. Yet, they sing this song of praise. The singers are literally inviting peace to rest on the holy city. They are praying for the walls to be fortified and for God’s peace to reign. During the Advent season, we are invited to pray the words of Psalm 122 for our own cities, communities, and churches. We struggle with our own collective memory of trauma and we all need God’s peace to rest on us so that we can overcome it.
~Prayer of Gratitude~
Day 5
Morning
Peace I leave with you. My peace I give you. I give to you not as the world gives. Don’t be troubled or afraid. (John 14:27)
Reflection
When kids are little, they are often afraid of the dark. Sometimes, when we were young, we might have even been afraid to enter a dark basement or to be left alone in a dark bedroom, afraid that there were monsters there. But if someone, usually a parent, would go with you to that dark basement, or sit beside you as you fell asleep, well, that made everything better. Their presence didn’t make the dark go away, and presumably it didn’t mean the monsters weren’t still there, but not being alone was powerful enough to give you a peace that allowed you to move forward. The same is true of Jesus. He is Emmanuel, God’s very presence always with us. That means that we are not alone. We do not walk the path by ourselves, and we do not face the challenges of life with no one by our side. Instead, we have the power and presence of God with us always. Knowing we are not alone is powerful enough to give us a peace that we can move forward, even in the dark.
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Evening
Yes, you will go out with celebration, and you will be brought back in peace. Even the mountains and the hills will burst into song before you; all the trees of the field will clap their hands. (Isaiah 55:12)
Reflection
Lord, make me an instrument of thy 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; And where there is sadness, joy.
—Francis of Assisi, “Lord, Make Me an Instrument”
~Prayer of Gratitude~
Day 6
Morning
Happy are people who make peace, because they will be called God’s children. (Matthew 5:9)
Reflection
During the pandemic of 2020, people who spent so much time at home had to find practices that helped them through the day. Bread baking suddenly went viral as people with little experience in the kitchen suddenly were baking loaves of fresh bread. If you have ever baked sourdough bread, then you know that a starter is necessary. While you can grow your own, making a loaf of bread is much easier and faster if you receive a starter from a friend. The burden of making peace is not ours to bear alone. While we can try to pour ourselves out in this work, peace comes more naturally and freely if we first receive it. The coming of Christ is not just a gift to be received but a light that is to be reflected. As we prepare to receive a peace that surpasses our understanding, scripture reminds us that we are also to reflect that peace in the world. This is a peace not of your own making, but one that is first shared with you by Christ.
~Prayer of Petition~
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Evening
Let the mountains bring peace to the people; let the hills bring righteousness. (Psalm 72:3)
Reflection
Mountains were strategic in ancient times. Villages and settlements were usually established at the base of mountains for several reasons. First, mountains were literally a source of life-giving needs—fresh water, vegetation, and mild weather. Mountains were also protective, providing shelter from severe storms, oppressive heat, or wind. Mountains were defensive, offering people security from enemies and an ability to keep watch. The psalmist reminds us that God is like a spiritual mountain offering peace and righteousness to those who stay close to the base. The further you move from the mountain, the less able you are to reap the protective, defensive, and lifegiving benefits of it. But if you stay close, indeed if you make you settlement there? Then the mountain will bless you in innumerable, and often imperceptible ways, every single day.
~Prayer of Gratitude~