Our Father, this is the day that You have made, let us rejoice and be glad in it. It is the only day that we have. We cannot return to the past, and we are not guaranteed a tomorrow. This day, and this day alone, is the day in which to be obedient to You, to be thankful, and to give You praise and worship.
We pray that this day we will seek Your will to be done in our world, just as it is done in heaven. Let us see that the way that we conduct ourselves today, this day, has an impact on the Kingdom to come. Give us wisdom as Your Holy Spirit directs us to perform Your will. Crucify our evil desires, reorder our priorities, and use us for Your glory.
For this day we ask for the daily bread that we need. We thank You that You have promised to provide for all of our needs. We thank You that even though You are under no obligation to do so, that You also provide for us much of what we desire. We know that every good thing is a perfect gift from You. Let us be good stewards of the riches that You have placed in our hands.
Give us this day truly forgiving hearts for those who have done us wrong. Let us love our enemies, just as You loved us when we wee Your enemies. Allow us to see that the anger of man does not accomplish Your righteousness, and that vengeance is reserved for You alone. Allow us to experience Your forgiveness as You soften our hearts in order that they not take offense at the slights of others.
Keep us safe from the evil one, and deliver us from the evil forces that are at work in our world. Deliver us from self-deception and the sins of the flesh. Allow us to walk in the Spirit and fulfill the law of love. Let us see that we have been bought with a price, a precious price, and that we are no longer our own. Reveal to us our sins, the ones that we try to hide from ourselves as well as from You. Give us true repentance as we confess our sins to You as well as seek to make restitution to others. Humble us under Your mighty hand.
Let us not dwell, this day, on the errors of the past. Show us that we are not defined by these, but rather by our present exalted position in You as You have seated us with Christ in the heavenlies. Do not let us be anxious for the days to come, knowing that they are evil, but that You are good, and that You will be faithful to us in those days, just as You have been faithful to us in days past.
Give us boldness for the living of these hours. Open our mouths to proclaim the good news of the Gospel of Christ. Let us trumpet forth the message that He has come in the flesh, has defeated sin, death, and the grave, and now calls out to all men everywhere to repent and believe. Do not allow us to be silenced by those who consider the preaching of the cross to be foolish, knowing that the foolishness of God is wiser than the wisdom on men. Do not allow us to modify the truth of the Gospel in order to make it more palatable to those who are already dead in trespasses and sins. Do not allow us to succumb to the spirit of the age and call good evil or evil good. Let us hold fast to Your truth, today, this day.
This is Your day, the day that You have given us. Let it be a day of rejoicing, for You are good, You are mighty, You are gracious, You are loving. You, in the person of our Lord Jesus Christ, are our eternal reward. We want nothing if we cannot see Him. Allow Him to come quickly. We pray this in His holy name, Amen.