Morning Prayer for Monday, 21 June 2021

Opening Prayer

Gracious God,

as we begin this day and this new week,

we do so with you giving thanks for the promise of your abiding presence.

Help us, throughout this day, to not become anxious about anything.

Rather, help us to realize and accept that you are always in control.

Help us to find our security in your divine providence

and remind us that we can be fully dependent on your unconditional,

unending love for us.

Give us strength to face this day and this week; wisdom in our decision making;

clarity in our thinking; conviction in our resolve,

and a renewed commitment in our service to you.

Open our eyes to see the needs of others

and our hearts to act in solidarity and with compassion. Amen

♪ Akeko ofana no Jesu (There’s no one like Jesus) – Zambia

Responsive Psalm 9: 9 – 20

The Lord is a stronghold for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble.

And those who know your name put their trust in you,

for you, O Lord, have not forsaken those who seek you.

Sing praises to the Lord, who dwells in Zion. Declare his deeds among the peoples.

For he who avenges blood is mindful of them; he does not forget the cry of the afflicted.

Be gracious to me, O Lord. See what I suffer from those who hate me;

you are the one who lifts me up from the gates of death,

so that I may recount all your praises, and, in the gates of daughter Zion,

rejoice in your deliverance.

The nations have sunk in the pit that they made;

in the net that they hid has their own foot been caught.

The Lord has made himself known, he has executed judgment;

the wicked are snared in the work of their own hands.

The wicked shall depart to Sheol, all the nations that forget God.

For the needy shall not always be forgotten, nor the hope of the poor perish forever.

Rise up, O Lord! Do not let mortals prevail; let the nations be judged before you.

Put them in fear, O Lord; let the nations know that they are only human.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit,

As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be world without end. Amen.

Scripture Reading

Mark 4: 35 – 41 (read in Mambwe)

³⁵On that day, when evening had come, Jesus said to them, “Let us go across to the other side.” ³⁶And leaving the crowd behind, they took him with them in the boat, just as he was. Other boats were with him. ³⁷A great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that the boat was already being swamped. ³⁸But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion; and they woke him up and said to him, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?” ³⁹He woke up and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” Then the wind ceased, and there was a dead calm. ⁴⁰He said to them, “Why are you afraid? Have you still no faith?” ⁴¹And they were filled with great awe and said to one another, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?”

Li, izwi lyakwe Leza, The Word of the Lord,

Thanks be to God.