Morning prayer · 27 December

Shine on the page

An open book on a stand catches a single beam of light falling directly onto its blank page, illuminating the words only where the light touches.

Lord, your word is in front of us. Give us a humble, respectful mind, ready to learn as we read and study it. Open its holy truths to us, and help us receive it not as human words, but as the word of God, which is alive and lasts forever. Holy Spirit, be our teacher. Light up our minds and prepare our hearts. Shine, Lord, on your own holy page and make it clear to us. Show us what we can’t see, and correct us where we’re wrong. Bring some part of it home to our souls, and so make us wise enough to be saved. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

And we continually thank God because, when you received the word of God that you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but as it truly is, the word of God, which is also now at work in you who believe.

1 Thessalonians 2:13 (BSB)

Adapted from Ashton Oxenden, via A Chain of Prayer Across the Ages (1913), in plain words. The verse is from the Berean Standard Bible (public domain). Drawing: Mutter.