Daylight Scripture – The people  who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shone.

Isaiah 9: 2

Daylight Prayer – Lord, some days can be so dim. It feels like the life has been drained out of them, and we must simply endure the minutes of them like one endures heartache. When those days come to pass, let us see the light of your presence in some little way, so that we can keep moving, keep living, keep learning. Amen.

Daylight Scripture – Make yourselves beautiful on the inside, in your hearts, with the enduring quality of a gentle, peaceful spirit. This type of beauty is very precious in God’s eyes.

1 Peter 3:4

Daylight Prayer – Lord, I am thankful you made each of us unique, with different physical characteristics, temperaments, personalities, and experiences. Instead of letting those differences separate us, help us to embrace each other in love and show the world how to live in peace. Amen.

Daylight Scripture – Make yourselves beautiful on the inside, in your hearts, with the enduring quality of a gentle, peaceful spirit. This type of beauty is very precious in God’s eyes.

1 Peter 3:4

Daylight Prayer – I am thankful that you have created us with differences, different physical attributes, temperaments, ideas, talents, and experiences. Help us to see beyond our differences. Help us to see your image created in every person, so that we may be better able to live in peace together. Amen.

Daylight Scripture – Make a mercy seat of pure gold, 45 inches long and 27 inches wide.

Exodus 25:17

Daylight Prayer – Lord, I am so grateful for the mercy that you show me everyday. I know I can take up every single space on your seat of mercy, plus much more. Help me today to show that same loving kindness to people I encounter who may be in need of it. Amen.

Daylight Scripture –  And I tell you: Ask and you will receive. Seek and you will find. Knock and the door will be opened to you.

Luke 11:9

Daylight Prayer – Lord, bless us while we continually knock, seeking answers to our heart’s questions. And steer us to the door from where our answers will come, because we are so often knocking on the wrong doors. Amen.

Daylight Scripture –  Protect me, God, because I take refuge in you.

Psalm 16:1

Daylight Prayer – Lord, even when the storm is heavy, and the clouds gather for the greater storm, continue to protect me and keep me under your sheltering love. Help me to have no fear of what may come my way, because of my confidence of your faithful love. Amen.

Daylight Scripture – People cry out because of heavy oppression; shout under the power of the mighty.

Job 35:9

Daylight Prayer – Lord, some days our bags of life feel so big, so heavy and so hard to carry. I pray for those of us whose hardships and heart aches are about to overwhelm us. Give us your strength, your grace to continue our walk. Show us your mercy in the face of all we must do. Amen.

Daylight Scripture – Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan River so that John would baptize him.  John tried to stop him and said, “I need to be baptized by you, yet you come to me?” Jesus answered, “Allow me to be baptized now. This is necessary to fulfill all righteousness.”So John agreed to baptize Jesus. When Jesus was baptized, he immediately came up out of the water. Heaven was opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God coming down like a dove and resting on him. A voice from heaven said, “This is my Son whom I dearly love; I find happiness in him.”

Matthew 3: 13-17

Daylight Prayer – Lord, when you were baptized, God spoke to announce exactly who you are and how God felt about you. Thank you for my baptism, for it is in that work that you save me, claim me, and name me…your child, beloved, blessed and whole. Thank you for the work of your sacraments where heaven and earth meet, and your presence makes miracles for each of us.  Amen.

Daylight Scripture –  Now, dear friends, I am requesting that we love each other. It’s not as though I’m writing a new command to you, but it’s one we have had from the beginning. This is love: that we live according to his commands. This is the command that you heard from the beginning: live in love.

2 John 5-6

Daylight Prayer – Lord, thank you for friends. Thank you for people who call occasionally to just see how we are doing, and those who bring us a hot meal when we feel bad, and even those whose lives we disagree with, but whom we love anyway…just because they are our friends. Help us today to see you as our savior, but also our great friend; one who is constantly with us, caring. Help us today to realize that we are not alone…ever. Amen.

Daylight Scripture – Jesus began to teach beside the lake again. Such a large crowd gathered that he climbed into a boat there on the lake. He sat in the boat while the whole crowd was nearby on the shore.  He said many things to them in parables.

Mark 4: 1-2a

Daylight Prayer – Lord of Heaven, I would like to have been on that shore that day. I would like to have seen you climb into that boat, take your seat, and teach. I would have loved to have heard your words with my ears and felt them in my heart. Even so Lord, I am grateful that men did hear you and have given us some of the words you said on the days you were here. I thank your for the Holy Bible. Keep me, keep us all ready to take up that book everyday. Help us to glimpse that seashore,  to catch the scent of the sea breeze, and feel the sand between our toes. Let the love of your grace transform us by the power of your presence that we can find in your word. Amen.