OPENING PRAYER
O God, come to my assistance; O Lord, make haste to help me. Glory to you, Creator, Redeemer, Sanctifier. Now and forever. Amen. Psalm 70:1
THE REFRAIN
You hem me in, behind and before, and lay your hand upon me. Psalm 139:5
THE WORD OF GOD/A READING
Isaiah 45:5-13 NIV
I am the Lord, and there is no other; apart from me there is no God. I will strengthen you, though you have not acknowledged me, so that from the rising of the sun to the place of its setting men may know there is none besides me. I am the Lord, and there is no other. I form the light and create darkness, I bring prosperity and create disaster; I, the Lord, do all these things. You heavens above, rain down righteousness, let the clouds shower it down. Let the earth open wide, let salvation spring up, let righteousness grow with it; I, the Lord, have created it.
Woe to him who quarrels with his Maker, to him who is but a potsherd among the potsherds on the ground. Does the clay say to the potter, “What are you making?” Does your work say, “He has no hands”? Woe to him who says to his father, “What have you begotten?” or to his mother, “What have you brought to birth?”
“This is what the Lord says–the Holy One of Israel, and its Maker:
Concerning things to come, do you question me about my children, or give me orders about the work of my hands? It is I who made the earth and created mankind upon it. My own hands stretched out the heavens; I marshaled their starry hosts. I will raise up Cyrus in my righteousness: I will make all his ways straight. He will rebuild my city and set my exiles free, but not for a price or reward, says the Lord Almighty.”
THE REFRAIN
You hem me in, behind and before, and lay your hand upon me. Psalm 139:5
PRAYER
O God, thank you for the power which you give to the faint. I know that it will not be long until I once more can run and not be weary, and walk and not faint. Until then, O Father, teach me to be patient. Give me the grace and wisdom to conserve my energies for the most important tasks. In Jesus’ name I ask this. Amen. – Helen Good Brenneman, Meditations for the New Mother (wording slightly adjusted to be more modern)
CONCLUSION
The Collect of the Day (BCP, p 89)
Heavenly Father, send your Holy Spirit into our hearts, to direct and rule us according to your will, to comfort us in all our afflictions, to defend us from all error, and to lead us into the truth; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.