It’s Yours and It’s Gift-Wrapped

We give you hearty thanks for the rest of the past night

and for the gift of a new day, with its opportunities of pleasing you.

Grant that we may so pass its hours in the perfect freedom of your service,

that at eventide we may again give thanks to you.  Amen.

— #676 in The United Methodist Hymnal, current edition

We began this week with this prayer having us give thanks for a night of rest.

The prayer ends with anticipation of being able to again give thanks to God.

Gratitude wrapping up a day?  Sounds to me like we’re talking about a gift…the gift of daily living.

Join the rest of us in this significant prayer:

We give you hearty thanks for the rest of the past night

and for the gift of a new day, with its opportunities of pleasing you.

Grant that we may so pass its hours in the perfect freedom of your service,

that at eventide we may again give thanks to you.  Amen.