Daily Prayer
Our Faith
RHF is a faith-based organization, affiliated with the United Church of Christ (UCC). We were founded by two UCC clergy and a layperson in 1961. We are an organization that began with $7,000 and a vision to provide affordable housing to those who needed it. That vision has grown to include 198 communities in 29 states, Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico, and the U. S. Virgin Islands. We have more than 22,500 residents that call an RHF community “home.”
While our faith tradition is an important part of who we are, we offer our housing and services to those of every faith tradition or those with no faith tradition at all.
Our faith created RHF and that faith has helped us through the challenges we have faced as an organization over the nearly 60 years we have been in existence.
Our country, indeed the world, is facing an enormous challenge right now. We are asking that you strictly adhere to government mandates . . . practicing Social Distancing, frequently washing your hands, and self-isolating if you are not feeling well.
We are inviting you to join us, daily, in prayer. We would like to acknowledge those who are contributing to this effort:
Rev. Dr. Laverne R. Joseph – Former RHF President & CEO
Rev. Dr. David S. Moyer – Chair, RHF National Board of Directors
Rev. Dr. Norma DeSaegher – Vice-Chair, RHF National Board of Directors
Ray East – Director (and Past Chair) – RHF National Board of Directors
Brian Magnone – CIO and V.P. of Treasury, RHF
We ask that you stay safe. Know that you are not alone. As a community, as an organization, and as a country, we will get through this crisis together.
June Daily Prayers
June 4, 2021
Reading:
Psalm 62: 1-2, 8
“For God alone, my soul waits in silence, from God comes my salvation. God alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress. I shall never be shaken….Trust in God at all times, O people, pour out your heart before God. God is a refuge for us.”
Prayer:
O God, I put my trust in you, because there is much around me that causes me to be “shaken.” The pandemic has taken so many lives and made danger zones of the most common and treasured settings of our lives. The global changes in social accords threaten peace and security. Please be my saving rock on which I may build a solid foundation of hope.
Amen
Provided by Rev. Dr. David Moyer, Chair – RHF National Board of Directors
June 3, 2021
Reading:
I John 2:28,29
And now dear children, continue in him, so that when he appears we may be confident and unashamed before him at his coming. If you know that he is righteous, you know that everyone who does what is right has been born of him.
Prayer:
Where is the hope? Isn’t it in You and Your coming? Life is not easy, and we often struggle. However, we look forward to each day that we abide with You—now and in your glory to come. We trust you to lead us in righteousness and forgiveness. Help us confidently come to your throne to seek grace and mercy in our time of need (Heb 4:16). In Christ’s name,
Amen
Provided by Brian Magnone, CIO & VP of Treasury – RHF
June 2, 2021
Reading:
“This is the first, the wildest, and the wisest thing I know: that the soul exists and is built entirely out of attentiveness.”
Mary Oliver (1935–) American poet
Prayer:
O God, how often my prayers are asking for something, a petition for myself, an intercession for another. May you enter my heart through this prayer today and simply make me aware that your Spirit is all around me and in me and that it works through me. May I find joy and peace in only seeking to recognize your holy and empowering presence.
Amen
Provided by Rev. Dr. David Moyer, Chair – RHF National Board of Directors
June 1, 2021
Jeremiah 33:3 has been lightheartedly called “God’s telephone number.” He always hears us when we give Him a ring on His telephone line. Have you called Him lately?
Reading:
Jer 33:3
Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and might things which you do not know.
Prayer:
I have heard that You always hear me. This verse says you WILL LISTEN, AND ANSWER. Help me to hear You! You answer me: “Yes, No, Wait…” I am so thankful for the times in the past you hear my cries for something only to give me something else… something better… something different than what I expected. You did not give me something that would hurt me or others. Help me to mature and trust you to show me mighty things. There is so much I do not know. Help my unbelief! In your loving name.
Amen
Provided by Brian Magnone, CIO & VP of Treasury – RHF
May Prayers
May 31, 2021
Reading:
“Leisure”, W.H. Davies (1871-1940)
“What is this life if, full of care, we have no time to stand and stare?
No time to stand beneath the boughs and stare as long as sheep or cows.
No time to see, when woods we pass, where squirrels hid their nuts in the grass.
No time to see, in broad daylight, streams full of stars, like skies at night.
No time to turn at Beauty’s glance, and watch her feet, how they can dance.
No time to wait till her mouth can enrich that smile her eyes began.
A poor life this, if, full of care, we have no time to stand and stare.”
Prayer:
What do I miss, O loving God, when I do not take the time to look and see in the busyness or the sameness of every day? Do I fail to see little miracles that you place right in my view and countless graces just around the corner? Give me eyes filled with patience and curiosity today and a heart prepared to give thanks for that which is right in front of me.
Amen
Provided by Rev. Dr. David Moyer, Chair – RHF National Board of Directors
May 28, 2021
Reading:
“The people I love best jump into work head first, Without dallying in the shallows….They seem to be natives of that element.
I love people who harness themselves, as an ox to a heavy cart, Who pull like water buffalo, with massive patience, Who strain in the mud and the muck to move things forward, Who do what has to be done again, and again.
I want to be with people who submerge in the task, who go into the fields to harvest. The work of the world is common as mud. Botched, it smears the hands, crumbles to dust. But the thing worth doing well done has a shape that satisfies, clean and evident.
(Vessels) were made to be used. The pitcher cries for water to carry and a person for work that is real.”
“To be of use”—Marge Piercy, poet (1936–) (selections)
Prayer:
O God, give me work to do, even if I am older and retired, give me something to give meaning and purpose to my days. But also give me deep appreciation for those who do essential work all around me each day, not asking for recognition, humble in their tasks, and honest in their effort. Let me find a way today to be thankful: for things I can do and for those whose work helps me.
Amen
Provided by Rev. Dr. David Moyer, Chair – RHF National Board of Directors
May 27, 2021
Reading:
Psalms 37:5
Delight yourself in the Lord and He shall give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord, trust also in Him, and He shall bring it to pass.
Prayer:
Oh, how I desire to delight in You! Remove heaviness from me today. Help me turn from darkness and embrace Your light. So many things do not satisfy. Help me to draw near to You and commit my ways to You. I trust that You will give me the desires of my heart. Help me to seek You and see the “good in everything.” For only You can work all things together for good (Romans 8:28). In your loving Son’s name.
Amen
Provided by Brian Magnone, CIO & VP of Treasury – RHF
May 26, 2021
Reading:
Isa 41:10
Fear not, for I am with you. Be not dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you, yes, I will help you. I will uphold you with the right hand of my righteousness.
Prayer:
Oh, Lord I come to you. I am grateful that you strengthen me when I call out. Oh, how often I need You when I am weak and afraid. I trust You to help me with your strong right hand of righteousness. Help me learn from You, and continue in a right relationship with You. In your Sons’ name,
Amen
Provided by Brian Magnone, CIO & VP of Treasury – RHF
May 24, 2021
Reading:
“Jonathon Edwards (1703-1758), the great early American preacher, teaches that the intellectual life and the passionate life should be friends, not enemies…it is possible to be both tough-minded and tenderhearted. What we learn to do is to descend with the mind into the heart and there wait in anticipation for the heavenly Whisper. We worship God with brain and affections.”
Richard Foster, a Christian theologian in the Quaker tradition. 1942 –
Prayer:
Holy God, you have given us humans a mind, but too often we see our minds at odds with our faith or our religion. We set up artificial barriers between what we believe and what we seek to know of the physical nature of this world. Help us to see that mind and spirit work together in discerning truth and shaping our perception of reality. Make us thankful for the gift of our minds and let our love of you grow as we study and learn about and appreciate the scientific order of the world.
Amen
Provided by Rev. Dr. David Moyer, Chair – RHF National Board of Directors
May 21, 2021
Reading:
Ruth 1:15-17
In the book of Ruth in the Hebrew Bible, Naomi leaves the land of Judah to escape a famine and goes to Moab, a land east of the Dead Sea. Naomi’s husband and sons die, leaving her with two daughters-in-law, both native to Moab and not Hebrew women. When Naomi decides to return to Judah, she tells her daughters-in-law to remain in their native land. One does, but the other, Ruth, responds with this beautiful commitment: “Entreat me not to leave you…for where you go I will go, and where you lodge I will lodge; your people shall be my people, and your God my God.”
Prayer:
Teach my heart the expansive bounds of love, O loving God. Help me to see that love calls out new commitments. Let me to discover a holy humanity that sees beyond conventions and cultural identities and religious traditions and even family ties and lives toward a shared identity as your beloved children.
Amen
Provided by Rev. Dr. David Moyer, Chair – RHF National Board of Directors
May 20, 2021
Reading:
Isaiah 43: 1-2; 18-19
“But now says the Lord who created you….’Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine. When you pass through the waters I will be with you, and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you….Remember not the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth. Do you not perceive it?’”
Prayer:
Eternal God, promise-giver and promise-keeper: help me to trust in your promises to do a new thing. Turn my mind from excessive worry about the rising tides of conflict and threat and sharpen my eyes to see small signs of your new things right in the midst of current troubles. Then strengthen my confidence that your purposes will finally shape a just and a peaceful future. Help me to claim my place in working toward it.
Amen
Provided by Rev. Dr. David Moyer, Chair – RHF National Board of Directors
May 19, 2021
Reading:
“Begin watching for the motivation behind your actions. Are you doing a certain thing out of duty, reward, rebellion, or love? Try going about your tasks without being concerned with the outcome of your efforts. Instead, simply enjoy the doing of the task without looking at the ‘scoreboard.’ Enjoy God in simple ways. Allow God’s presence to season every aspect of your life. Be more open to the gentle breezes of the Spirit, and less controlled by routine. Let the inner motivation of the Spirit empower your actions.”
Richard Foster, Christian theologian in the Quaker tradition. 1942 –
Prayer:
Help me, O God, to learn that true freedom comes when I can clear away my dependence on my image or my material possessions or my sense of obligation to so many things. Help me to find a merciful grace in just taking the time to identify your Spirit within me and to listen for its whispers and watch for its vision for my life.
Amen
Provided by Rev. Dr. David Moyer, Chair – RHF National Board of Directors
May 18, 2021
Reading:
First verse, “It is Well With My Soul,” traditional hymn
When peace like a river attendeth my way, When sorrows like sea billows roll,
Whatever my lot; Thou hast taught me to say. It is well, it is well with my soul.
Prayer:
When sorrows roll over me like waves tossed to and fro; when things don’t turn out as I’d hoped. Bring your peace like a river; help me say, “It is well with my soul.” Whatever my lot, Oh, teach me to say, “It is well with my soul.” In Your caring name.
Amen
Provided by Brian Magnone, CIO & VP of Treasury – RHF
May 17, 2021
Reading:
“Happiness”—“So early it’s still almost dark out. I’m near the window with coffee and the usual early morning stuff that passes for thought, when I see the boy and his friend walking up the road to deliver the newspaper…………..They wear caps and sweaters, and one boy has a bag over his shoulder. They are so happy…………. They aren’t saying anything, these boys. I think if they could, they would take each other’s arm…………..It’s early in the morning, and they are doing this thing together……….They come on, slowly. The sky is taking on light, though the moon still hangs pale over the water…………..such beauty that for a minute death and ambition, even love, doesn’t enter into this………..Happiness. It comes on unexpectedly. And goes beyond, really, any early morning talk about it.
Raymond Carver, American writer, and poet. 1938-88
Prayer:
To be able to find happiness, O God, that is my desire, and my prayer is that this day I may have an eye for the simplest delights; the revealing moments in which all that complicates life moves to the side, like the parting of waters, and I can see the transcendent joys that you place right there in my path.
Amen
Provided by Rev. Dr. David Moyer, Chair – RHF National Board of Directors
May 14, 2021
Reading:
Psalm 23 (“The Message”) Eugene Peterson
“God, my shepherd! I don’t need a thing. You have bedded me down in lush meadows. You find me quiet pools to drink from. True to your word, you let me catch my breath and send me in the right direction. Even when the way goes through Death Valley, I’m not afraid when you walk at my side. Your trusty shepherd’s crook make me feel secure. You serve me a six-course dinner right in front of my enemies. You revive my drooping head; my cup brims with blessing. Your beauty and love chase after me every day of my life. I’m back home in the house of God for the rest of my life.”
Prayer:
O loving and giving God, I know myself, and I wander in my life. I know fear and danger. I stray into error and hurtful places. I become tired and ready to give up. But you are always right beside me and pick me up and direct me in healing and lovely paths that, if I trust you, lead me home.
Amen
Provided by Rev. Dr. David Moyer, Chair – RHF National Board of Directors
May 13, 2021
Prayer is the way that many of us seek his guidance in our own personal way. At different times of the day and in so many ways but it is prayer.
Reading:
Mark 14:32
Jesus said to his disciples, “Sit here while I pray.”
Prayer:
Great Spirit guide us in the times when we face doubt and uncertainty. May we reach to you in his holy name.
Amen
Provided by Raymond E. East, Former Board Chair, Director – RHF National Board of Directors
May 12, 2021
Reading:
Psalm 84: 1-4
“How lovely is thy dwelling place, O Lord of Hosts! My soul longs, yea faints for the courts of the Lord….Even the sparrow finds a home, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may lay her young….Blessed are those who dwell in thy house, ever singing thy praise!”
Prayer:
Ever loving God, I too often seek my security in material things or in my own competence or abilities. Give me confidence that I may trust you to secure my life. Allow my spirit to rest when I have done my best and to lie down peacefully and full of praise.
Amen
Provided by Rev. Dr. David Moyer, Chair – RHF National Board of Directors
May 11, 2021
Reading:
Genesis 28.17
“How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven.”
Prayer:
Holy and amazing God, how wonderful to realize that every moment in our lives is a doorway to your eternal purposes and a portal to your truth. I just walk by so many opportunities to learn of the reality of your goodness and wisdom. Keep me alert today for the places that are open to your loving presence
Amen
Provided by Rev. Dr. David Moyer, Chair – RHF National Board of Directors
May 10, 2021
This is a bible verse that through the years many of us have been reminded of how we should treat our parents and how expected our children treat us. It does not always work out that way.
Reading:
Ephesians 6:2-3
Honor your father and mother that it may be well with you, and you may live long on the land.
Prayer:
Loving God may we show the love that you have always shown us. In his name,
Amen
Provided by Raymond E. East, Former Board Chair, Director – RHF National Board of Directors
May 7, 2021
Reading:
Romans 14:1,3,4-5,13
“As for the person who is weak in faith, welcome them, but not for disputes over opinions…for God has welcomed them. Who are you to pass judgment on the servant of another…for the Lord is able to make them stand….Let us therefore no longer pass judgment on one another but resolve instead never to put a stumbling block on hindrance in the way of another.”
Prayer:
Gracious and loving God, grant me the gift of hospitality in my home but most especially in my heart. Help me to respect and try to understand the views of other persons before I judge. Move me to acceptance of the person, even if I disagree with their opinion.
Amen
Provided by Rev. Dr. David Moyer, Chair – RHF National Board of Directors
May 6, 2021
Reading:
Malachi 1:2
“I have loved you” says the Lord. But you say, “How have you loved us?”
Prayer:
Oh, God. Sometimes I question your love. How have you loved me when I go through trying times such as a health crisis? I trust you are with me, but I often have doubts. Help my unbelief. Heal me when I need healing. Forgive me… daily… hourly. Guide me. I trust in Your love to get me through. I know you hold my future as well as my past. I trust in your gracious and loving name.
Amen
Provided by Brian Magnone, CIO & VP of Treasury – RHF
May 5, 2021
Reading:
“O Lord, in thee have I trusted: let me never be confounded.” Concluding words of ancient (387 AD) Christian hymn often sung at daily prayers. Years ago I went to pick up a daughter from junior choir practice at church. I went into a hallway outside their rehearsal room. They were rehearsing to sing with the adult choir or Sunday, and this was the line they sang over and over. To hear these beautiful young and innocent voices sing this line, “in thee have I trusted: let me never be confounded” is something I remember to this day.
Prayer:
O God, there is much in the world today that I find deeply confusing and troubling. I am often perplexed and wonder, “How could that happen? How could that be?” Please don’t ever let me give in to my confusion. Keep me seeking after truth and searching for clarity. Give me a powerful hope.
Amen
Provided by Rev. Dr. David Moyer, Chair – RHF National Board of Directors
May 4, 2021
Reading:
Matt 6: 67-68
“You do not want to leave too, do you?” Jesus asked the Twelve. Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.”
Prayer:
Oh Lord, sometimes I don’t know where to go or what to do when things get difficult. I tend to wander away from your loving care. Oh, Good Shepherd, help me to hear words of eternal life and hope. Where else can I go? Help me return to You. I thank you for forgiveness and peace that only You can give. In your holy and caring name.
Amen
Provided by Brian Magnone, CIO & VP of Treasury – RHF
May 3, 2021
Reading:
Richard Rohr, (1943-) American author and a Franciscan
“Faith is a word that points to an initial opening of the heart space or the mind space from our side….Faith is our small but necessary offering to any new change or encounter.”
Prayer:
O God, I am taught to trust you for the grace and mercy that leads to a life rich and full. Remind me that I also have to provide that space where your goodness can enter my life. Help me take time to pause and allow my spirit to quiet enough that your “still, small voice” can speak to me. Amen
Provided by Rev. Dr. David Moyer, Chair – RHF National Board of Directors
April Prayers
April 30, 2021
Reading:
“The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious. It is the source of all true art and all science. The one to whom this ‘emotion’ is a stranger, who can no longer pause to wonder, or stand rapt in awe, is as good as dead. Their eyes are closed.”
Albert Einstein, 1879-1955, German-born theoretical physicist
Prayer:
God of this incredible and expanding universe; God of the greatest complexity, forces like gravity, yet God of the simple beauty in a rose, keep my eyes open to seeing your hand in all of life; in the eyes of a child or in the pictures of the far galaxies. Grow appreciation within me and help me daily say over and over, “thanks………..thanks!”
Amen
Provided by Rev. Dr. David Moyer, Chair – RHF National Board of Directors
April 29, 2021
Reading:
“Healing begins where the wound was made.”
Alice Walker, American Novelist, “The Way Forward Is With a Broken Heart”
Prayer:
Healing God, source of hope and power for change, please give me the strength to lift up my wounded places to you and your restoring spirit. I do not want to cover over my hurts, and I do not want to dwell on them but to allow the injured places in my life to be renewed.
Amen
Provided by Rev. Dr. David Moyer, Chair – RHF National Board of Directors
April 28, 2021
Reading:
Micah 7:8
“…when I fall, I shall rise; when I sit in darkness, the Lord will be a light to me.”
I Thessalonians 5:5
“…for you are all children of light and children of the day; we are not of the night or of darkness.”
Prayer:
O God who is creator of the rising sun and of its setting, be close to us throughout all hours of the day and all times of our lives. Let us always live in a bright hope, even if life is shadowed by trouble or illness or injustice. Show me enough light to find the path where you lead.
Amen
Provided by Rev. Dr. David Moyer, Chair – RHF National Board of Directors
April 27, 2021
We must accept that things will not always go well for us and this is where we need to rely on our faith to see us through. This is what Jesus is saying to his Disciples.
Reading:
John 9:2-3
Jesus’ disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” Jesus answered, “Neither this man nor his parents sinned; he was born blind so that God’s works might be revealed in him.”
Prayer:
God of love and our redeemer guide us in these challenging times of testing our faith. We ask in his name.
Amen
Provided by Raymond E. East, Former Board Chair, Director – RHF National Board of Directors
April 26, 2021
Reading:
“I believe in Christ, like I believe in the sun—not because I can see it, but by it I can see everything else.”
C.S. Lewis (1898-1963), British writer, famous for “The Chronicles of Narnia” and “The Screwtape Letters”
Prayer:
O bright morning Sun, illuminate all of my life, so that I may see the touch of your hand in everything in creation and may see the signs of your spirit in every other person I encounter. Enlighten me, so that I see life clearly enough to name injustice and to work toward greater fairness and equity and also to grow in appreciation for those places I see good, through the light of your love.
Amen
Provided by Rev. Dr. David Moyer, Chair – RHF National Board of Directors
April 23, 2021
We all fall short of the glory and must seek mercy form God in order to not keep repeating those things that will hurt others. Give them a smile instead of a tongue lashing.
Reading:
Psalm 51:1-3
Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions. Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin.
For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me.
Prayer:
Lord may we always feel your hand guiding us as we struggle to work thought the days that we feel so low. In Jesus’s name.
Amen
Provided by Raymond E. East, Former Board Chair, Director – RHF National Board of Directors
April 22, 2021
Reading:
“Not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed until it is faced.”
James Baldwin, American Novelist, 1924-1987.
Prayer:
O God, my help in all my years and my hope for this day and the days ahead: Reconcile my past and empower the present in my life that I may live into a future that is pleasing to you, redeeming for me and caring of others.
Amen
Provided by Rev. Dr. David Moyer, Chair – RHF National Board of Directors
April 21, 2021
Reading:
“When day comes, we ask ourselves:
Where can we find light
In this never-ending shade?
The loss we carry, a sea we must wade.
And yet the dawn is ours before we knew it.
Somehow we do it.
Somehow, we’ve weathered and witnesses
A nation that isn’t broken, but simply unfinished.”
Amanda Gorman, (1998-) American Poet, “The Hill We Climb”
Prayer:
Good and loving God, today I am thankful for voices that I don’t hear so often, voices from the young and from the margins or from communities different from my own. Help me to hear and take in truth that I may not ever have considered and to grow to respect and trust it.
Amen
Provided by Rev. Dr. David Moyer, Chair – RHF National Board of Directors
April 20, 2021
These words are so encouraging and through God’s divine love we shall make it.
Reading:
Philippians 4:6
Do not worry about anything, but in everything, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.
Prayer:
Forgive Lord as we stumble in our walks. We ask it in his name.
Amen
Provided by Raymond E. East, Former Board Chair, Director – RHF National Board of Directors
April 19, 2021
Reading:
Luke 6:46
“Jesus said, ‘Why do you call me, ‘Lord’, ‘Lord’, and do not do what I tell you?”
Prayer:
God of justice and righteousness, there is always a temptation to offer words of faith that sound more like only lip service. I want to be sincere in my faith and hope, genuine in my trust in your word and your guidance and real in my efforts to serve your call to me. Help me to live honestly in simple obedience and trust.
Amen
Provided by Rev. Dr. David Moyer, Chair – RHF National Board of Directors
April 16, 2021
Reading:
I John 2:9-11
Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates a brother or sister[b] is still in the darkness. Anyone who loves their brother and sister[c] lives in the light, and there is nothing in them to make them stumble. But anyone who hates a brother or sister is in the darkness and walks around in the darkness. They do not know where they are going, because the darkness has blinded them
Prayer:
Oh God, what causes us to have a blind spot? Isn’t it hatred or emotion? Is it NOT listening to others? Help us to have light in areas where we are blind. Help us to love enough to hear those with differing views and hear their concerns. May we learn to love and persevere through, and grow together. Oh God, our country needs Your help in such a divisive time. In Christ’s name.
Amen
Provided by Brian Magnone, CIO & VP of Treasury – RHF
April 15, 2021
Reading:
I Peter 2:5
“Like living stones, let yourself be built into a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God in Jesus Christ.”
Prayer:
O God, you laid a foundation for my life. You provided the building blocks for a full life with your love. Help me to keep building and remodeling, because I am always unfinished, always looking to the divine architect’s eye and in need of the holy builder’s skilled hand.
Amen
Provided by Rev. Dr. David Moyer, Chair – RHF National Board of Directors
April 14, 2021
May we be ever mindful of where our world came from and how we must protect from any form of destruction.
Reading:
Psalm 102:25-26
Long ago you laid the foundation of the earth and made the heavens with your hands. They will perish, but you remain forever.
Prayer:
Guide us oh loving God as we learn to protect your handy work.
In the name of our Lord
Amen
Provided by Raymond E. East, Former Board Chair, Director – RHF National Board of Directors
April 13, 2021
Reading:
“Like as the waves make toward the pebbled shore
So do our minutes hasten to their end.
Each changing place with that which goes before
In sequent toil all forwards do contend….
And Time that gave, doth now his gift confound….
And yet to times, in hope, my verse shall stand
Praising thy worth, despite his cruel hand.”
-William Shakespeare, (1564-1616) “Sonnet 60”
Prayer:
Holy and eternal God, beyond time, I trust and thank you that my time is in your hands. Help me to embrace the limits of time and strengthen me to see each hour as a gift and each day as an opportunity to offer you praise and to live fully and joyfully.
Amen
Provided by Rev. Dr. David Moyer, Chair – RHF National Board of Directors
April 12, 2021
Reading:
Proverbs 9:10-12
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding. For by me your days shall be multiplied, and the years of your life shall be increased. If thou be wise, thou shalt be wise for thyself: but if thou scornest, thou alone shalt bear it.
Prayer:
Do I revere or hold God in great esteem? How do I consider His ways when I need to depart from evil? In my own eyes… Am I more important that God? Than others? Help me to consider You as the high and holy God that can protect and bless me with many years and good days at that. Help me to respect you and others with love that you provide—a godly love. In Christ’s holy and loving name.
Amen
Provided by Brian Magnone, CIO & VP of Treasury – RHF
April 9, 2021
Is your light shining bright enough to help others find their way?
Reading:
Matthew 5;14-16
“You are the light of the world. … No one after lighting a lamp puts it under the bushel basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.”
Prayer:
God of all ages past and future and the provider of our lights, bless us as we share them with others that they might see the way. In the name of Jesus Christ,
Amen
Provided by Raymond E. East, Former Board Chair, Director – RHF National Board of Directors
April 8, 2021
Reading:
Matthew 6: 33 – 34
But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be provided to you. “So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
Prayer:
How easy it is to worry. I know it does no good. Like a rocking chair it does nothing to move me forward. Help me to recognize a way out and then do something…it is better than doing nothing—in worry. Please give me wisdom to seek Your kingdom and then pray. Yes, PRAY until you answer and guide me. Help me to lay down my burdens and worrying thoughts. For your yoke is easy and your burden is light. Help me walk with you and come into Your rest. In Christ’s name.
Amen
Provided by Brian Magnone, CIO & VP of Treasury – RHF
April 7, 2021
Reading:
“I had no time to hate, because the grave would hinder me . . . And life was not so ample I could finish enmity. Nor had I time to love, but since some industry must be. . . the little toil of love, I thought, be large enough for me.”
Emily Dickinson, American poet (1830-1886)
Poem: “I Had No Time to Hate”
Prayer:
Holy and gracious God, how often do I spend time holding onto hurts and slights and harboring grudges. Your gift of time is precious. May I use these hours and this day in offering “little gifts of love”, because that will be the best use of my time, and it will extend goodness to others and offer happiness and joy to me.
Amen
Provided by Rev. Dr. David Moyer, Chair – RHF National Board of Directors
April 6, 2021
Reading:
I John 1:1 – 4
That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched—this we proclaim concerning the Word of life. We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Christ. We write this to make our[a] joy complete.
Prayer:
Oh God, how we long for our joy to be complete. Thank you that eyewitnesses have brought your life and hope to us. We trust in a sure foundation that cannot be shaken even though life shakes us. Come break bread, and fellowship with us. In Christ’s strong and loving name.
Amen
Provided by Brian Magnone, CIO & VP of Treasury – RHF
April 5, 2021
This hymn speaks loudly to me and gives me peace during my times of doubt.
Reading:
“When upon life’s billows you are tempest-tossed, when you are discouraged thinking all is lost. Count your blessings, name them one by one, and it will surprise you what the Lord has done.”
– By Johnson Oatman
Prayer:
Loving God may we know the blessings that we have been given, one by one. In the name of the Master.
Amen
Provided by Raymond E. East, Former Board Chair, Director – RHF National Board of Directors
April 4, 2021
(Easter)
Reading: John 20:1-18 (selections)
“Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the tomb. So, she ran and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, ‘They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him.’ …Mary stood weeping outside the tomb…she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to her, ‘Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you looking for?’ Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, ‘Sir, if you have carried hi8m away, tell me where you have laid him….’ Jesus said to her, ‘Mary!’ She turned and said to him, ‘Rabbi!’….Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, ‘I have seen the Lord’”
Prayer:
O God, I love to hear the wild story of Mary and Easter morning. Fear, mistaken identity, distrust, all swirling around an ultimate truth. Your word to one humble woman at the edges of the story sets free a love and a hope that triumph over disappointment and even death. Thank you. In faith, may I never forget that your love faithfully and powerfully rises like the sun.
Amen
Provided by Rev. Dr. David Moyer, Chair – RHF National Board of Directors
April 3, 2021
(Holy Saturday)
Reading:
Matthew 27: 57-65
“When it was evening, there came a rich man, named Joseph, who was also a disciple of Jesus….And Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a clean linen shroud, and laid it in his own new tomb….Next day…the chief priests and Pharisees gathered before Pilate (the Roman governor) and said, ‘Sir, we remember how that impostor said while he was still alive, ‘After three days I will rise again.’ Therefore, order the tomb to be made secure until the third day, lest his disciples go and steal him away, and tell the people, ‘He has risen from the dead, ‘ and the last fraud will be worse than the first. He said to them, ‘…Go, make it as secure as you can.’”
Prayer:
Sovereign God, you are a God of truth and power, and yet our human tendency is to try to obscure your truth and deny your power. We prefer the scandal of denial to the raw possibilities of an untamed hope. May this season of promises renew our confidence that your power exceeds our feeble pretensions of securing life on our own. Remind us that your purposes break open that which we would seek to seal off from you.
Amen
Provided by Rev. Dr. David Moyer, Chair – RHF National Board of Directors
April 2, 2021
(Good Friday)
Reading:
John 19: 17-30 (selections)
“So they took Jesus; and carrying the cross by himself, he went out to the Place of the Skull, which is called Golgotha. There they crucified him…when Jesus knew that all was now finished, he said, ‘I am thirsty.’ And a jar full of sour wine was standing there. So, they put a sponge full of the wine on a branch of hyssop and held it to his mouth. When Jesus had received the wine, he said, ‘It is finished.’ Then he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.”
Prayer:
In your deep mercy and overflowing love, O God, help me to recognize and be thankful for the reality of human existence; that it offers such incredible opportunities and potential but also that its meaning also comes from its transience. Days are fleeting and there is a finish to my time on this earth. Thank you for all my days. May they be long and lived in close harmony with you, and may I be thankful and trusting when I finally fall into your eternal care.
Amen
Provided by Rev. Dr. David Moyer, Chair – RHF National Board of Directors
Click here to read Rev. David Moyer’s Good Friday Message and Meditation.
April 1, 2021
(Maundy Thursday):
Reading:
John 13: 1-5
“Now before the festival of the Passover, Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart from this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end….And…Jesus got up from the table…and tied a towel around himself. Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples; feet….”
I Corinthians 11: 23-25
(The Apostle Paul said) “For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, ‘This is my body which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.’ In the same way also the cup, after supper, saying, ‘This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.’”
Prayer:
Gracious and holy God, life-giving and faithful spirit, please shape my life to model the simple gifts that Jesus showed: servanthood, humility, community. Let me welcome the chance to extend the hospitality of caring for the needs of another or offering the fellowship of table and home.
Amen
Provided by Rev. Dr. David Moyer, Chair – RHF National Board of Directors
March Prayers
March 31, 2021
Reading:
John 13: 21-22
“…Jesus was troubled in spirit and declared, ‘Very truly I tell you, one of you will betray me. The disciples looked at one another uncertain of whom he was speaking.”
Prayer:
Why, O Lord, do I so often deny the best that is in me and betray the greater in my life for the expedient or the convenient. Let me live with integrity and courage and stand up in those moments when life calls on me to honor your claim on me and the moment asks for my steadfastness.
Amen
Provided by Rev. Dr. David Moyer, Chair – RHF National Board of Directors
March 30, 2021
Reading:
John 12: 20-25
“Jesus answered them, ‘The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. Very truly, I tell you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains just a single grain; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. Those who love their life lose it, and those who hate their life in this world will keep it for eternal life.”
Prayer:
God who plants the seed of eternity in me, help me to cultivate that seed of your hope for me and to turn away from anything in my life that would offer a less than nurturing environment for its healthy growth. Keep me from clinging to those things that do not nourish your spirit deep within me, to allow habits and practices that are not beneficial to die in hope of a greater good, a larger cause, an eternal meaning.
Amen
Provided by Rev. Dr. David Moyer, Chair – RHF National Board of Directors
March 29, 2021
Often called “Holy Week”, the week preceding Easter Sunday is the holiest week for the Christian faith. It traces Jesus’ journey from his greatest triumph in entering Jerusalem to cheering crowds, to his death and finally his resurrection celebrated on Easter. For this week, the readings are texts from Christian scripture that describe the events and the mood of the week.
Reading:
John 12: 1-8
“Six days before the Passover Jesus came to Bethany….There they gave a dinner for him. Martha served, and …Mary took a pound of costly perfume…anointed Jesus’ feet, and wiped them with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. But one of the disciples said, ‘Why was this perfume not sold…and the money given to the poor?’ Jesus said, ‘Leave her alone. She bought it so that she might keep it for the day of my burial. You always have the poor with you, but you do not always have me.’”
Prayer:
O that I might, in love and devotion, give something of great value to that which is of great meaning and that it might lead me to never neglect great need, wherever I might find it. Extravagant love that attends to last rites will always seek justice for the poor and expend itself in service.
Amen
Provided by Rev. Dr. David Moyer, Chair – RHF National Board of Directors
March 26, 2021
Reading:
Phil 1:6
Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will complete it until the day of Christ Jesus.
Prayer:
Oh Lord, some days stretch us so much. I thank you that you provide hope and light in a hopeless and confusing world. I thank you that you promise to walk with us as we do good, honest work, and help others. Your yoke is easy and your burden is light even during difficult times. I am confident in your promise to finish a good work in me because you always keep your promises. Through my loving savior,
Amen
Provided by Brian Magnone, CIO & VP of Treasury – RHF
March 25, 2021
Reading:
“You may not control all the events that happen to you, but you can decide not to be reduced by them.”
Maya Angelou, (1928-2014) “Letter to My Daughter” (2008)
Prayer:
Holy God, source of all wisdom and giver of the gift of discernment, help me to confront those things that challenge me, but don’t let them define me. I am your precious child, and that is identity enough.
Amen
Provided by Rev. Dr. David Moyer, Chair – RHF National Board of Directors
March 24, 2021
Reading:
“You think your pain and your heartbreak are unprecedented in the history of the world, but then you read. It was books that taught me that the things that tormented me most were the very things that connected me with all the people who were alive, who had ever been alive.”
James Baldwin, American Novelist (1924-1987)
Prayer:
O Lord, sometimes I feel isolated and think that my problems and disappointments are a wall I can’t climb over. Help me to recognize your gift of the community of those who share my troubles and are seeking to reach across and help to lift me up.
Amen
Provided by Rev. Dr. David Moyer, Chair – RHF National Board of Directors
March 23, 2021
Reading:
Joshua 1:9
Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”
Prayer:
Oh God, you said these words to Joshua as he was preparing to enter the Promised Land. Help me to lean into your strength and not shrink back when You call me to move forward. Help me to listen and hear Your words. To be bold, be strong for You are with me wherever I go. I trust You. Oh, help me when I doubt! And, please help me encourage others. In your strong and reassuring name
Amen
Provided by Brian Magnone, CIO & VP of Treasury – RHF
March 22, 2021
Being a servant is a great honor. For if we function in order to help others, are we not the ones who are blessed? I have found that I am blessed by just reaching to someone in need and I see so many people now feeding the hungry.
Reading:
Mark 10:45
For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.”
Prayer:
Precious Lord give us the wisdom to know who needs help and let us not turn away. In his name.
Amen
Provided by Raymond E. East, Former Board Chair, Director – RHF National Board of Directors
March 19, 2021
Reading:
“Let us pause in life pleasures and count its many tears
While we all sup sorrow with the poor
There’s a song that will linger forever in our ears
Oh! Hard times come again no more.
While we seek mirth and beauty and music light and gay
There are frail forms fainting at the door
Though their voices are silent, their pleading looks will say
Oh! Hard times come again no more.
(Chorus) Tis the song, the sigh of the weary
Hard times, hard times, come again no more
Many days you have lingered, around my cabin door
Oh! Hard times come again no more”
American song by Stephen Foster in 1854, asking people to consider the less fortunate. It’s best “heard”, so if you’d like, Google it and you’ll find many, many recordings!
Prayer:
O God, you of the great and infinite heart, please open my heart to the cries of the poor and the hungry and those without shelter that I may hear them. When I am feeling discouraged, remind me that hard times do come but, in your love, there is hope for a new and grace-filled time.
Amen
Provided by Rev. Dr. David Moyer, Chair – RHF National Board of Directors
March 18, 2021
Reading:
Genesis 28.17
“How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven.”
Prayer:
Holy and amazing God, how wonderful to realize that every moment in our lives is a doorway to your eternal purposes and a portal to your truth. I just walk by so many opportunities to learn of the reality of your goodness and wisdom. Keep me alert today for the places that are open to your loving presence.
Amen
Provided by Rev. Dr. David Moyer, Chair – RHF National Board of Directors
March 17, 2021
Reading:
Matt 6:12, 14,15
Forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. If you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: But if you forgive not others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
Prayer:
Oh God, Your ways are so much higher than my ways. Do you really measure me with the same measurement I apply to others? Help me to pray for those who hurt me and sometimes spitefully use me. How can I hold onto the poison of hate and drink regularly… only hoping that it hurts others… when it greatly hurts me? Thank you for forgiving those who hurt you, and that includes me too. Please help me. In Christ’s saving name,
Amen
Provided by Brian Magnone, CIO & VP of Treasury – RHF
March 16, 2021
In doing these prayers, I so often pray for the wisdom to understand that which is happening in my midst. As I get older I seem to understand less. Perhaps that is wisdom?
Reading:
Proverbs 2 1:2
“My son, if you accept my words and store up my commands within you, turning your ear to wisdom and applying your heart to understanding, indeed if you will call out for insight and cry aloud for understanding…”
Prayer:
God please deliver us from those things which confuse or threaten us as we call out.
In the name of Jesus.
Amen
Provided by Raymond E. East, Former Board Chair, Director – RHF National Board of Directors
March 15, 2021
Reading:
“When I am among the trees, especially the willows and the honey locust, equally the beech, the oaks and the pines, they give off such hints of gladness. I would almost say that they save me, and daily.
I am so distant from the hope of myself, in which I have goodness, and discernment, and never hurry through the world but walk slowly, and bow often.
Around me the trees stir in their leaves and call out, “Stay awhile.” The light flows from their branches.
And they call again, “It’s simple,” they say, “and you too have come into the world to do this, to go easy, to be filled with light, and to shine.”
“When I Am Among the Trees” Poet, Mary Oliver
Prayer:
My prayer today, O God, is that I may learn and live the gift of simplicity; that I may notice beauty and recognize the smallest of revelations of your goodness and love.
Amen
Provided by Rev. Dr. David Moyer, Chair – RHF National Board of Directors
March 12, 2021
Reading:
“Hold fast to dreams
For if dreams die
Life is a broken winged bird
That cannot fly.”
Langston Hughes (1902-67), American Poet
Prayer:
Creator and creating God, give me a vision today of my own life reaching toward your greatest hope for me and seeking to be reconciled with all with whom I encounter today. Help me not to settle for a partial life but to embrace the fullness of life you offer.
Amen
Provided by Rev. Dr. David Moyer, Chair – RHF National Board of Directors
March 11, 2021
Grace–God’s Riches At Christ’s Expense.
Reading:
2 Cor 12:9
My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.
Prayer:
Oh how I need grace, especially when I am weak and hurting. You can make me glad and help me see how you use my weaknesses for Your glory and to help others. Help me be kind and loving even when it is to my hurt. Let your power rest on me so I may live a pleasing life to You. I trust you and seek You earnestly each morning to face a new day. In your gracious Son’s name,
Amen
Provided by Brian Magnone, CIO & VP of Treasury – RHF
March 10, 2021
An act of love and humility as Jesus knelt and washed the feet of his Disciples. They were feet that were dirty from walking in the sandals that they wore in those times.
Reading:
John 13 12:15
“So, when He had washed their feet, and taken His garments and reclined at the table again, He said to them, “Do you know what I have done to you? You call Me Teacher and Lord; and you are right, for so I am. If I then, the Lord and the Teacher, washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet.”
Prayer:
Lord give us the humility that will guide our actions through the upcoming days ahead. In Jesus’s name.
Amen
Provided by Raymond E. East, Former Board Chair, Director – RHF National Board of Directors
March 9, 2021
Reading:
“Sometimes I think, ‘ What will people say of me , when I’m only just a memory? When I’m home where my soul belongs. Was I love when no one else would show up? Was I Jesus to the least of those? Was my worship more than just a song?’
I want to live like that, and give it all I have, so that everything I say and do points to You. If love is who I am, then this is where I’ll stand. Recklessly abandoned. Never holding back. I want to live like that. I want to live like that!”
Contemporary song, “Live Like That” by Sidewalk Prophets
(released 2012)
Prayer:
Gracious God, I know that you created me and you have great hope for me. I also know that I often fall short of the best that is in me. In your justice, I know you hold me to account, but I also trust that in your great mercy, you do not give up on me and give me a second chance. Thankful for your grace, may I be gracious to others.
Amen
Provided by Rev. Dr. David Moyer, Chair – RHF National Board of Directors
March 8, 2021
Reading:
“Dear One, We have received your letter and we hat e to tell you—not hate so much but are a bit afraid to say—we cannot grant your requests as stated. We can only remind you of familiar things: First, faith. Faith in yourself and trust in others. We know it can be terrifying to be vulnerable, but only when you share your softest side will we be able to break through. Next, hope. Hope is not an empty fairy tale. It is the true story of all the times human beings like you have found a way to create the future, though you didn’t know how. And of course, Love. Love that demands you cherish all people, not just yourself and safety. Love that is not satisfied until every argument ends abruptly when one child says, “That hurts”
“Letter from Our Better Angels”, Sean Parker Dennison
Prayer:
O loving and giving God, please grant me this day these three gifts: faith to be confident of your goodness toward me and your powerful will toward good for the whole world; hope that is not shallow optimism but a deep trust that the future holds a purpose that will redeem; and love that I may be unafraid to give and grateful for all I receive from you.
Amen
Provided by Rev. Dr. David Moyer, Chair – RHF National Board of Directors
March 5, 2021
This is probably one of the most familiar verses in the bible. It tells us of what is to come.
Reading:
John 3:16
“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”
Prayer:
God, we ever feel the love that you have for us. May we share it with others through our actions. In the name of the risen Lord.
Amen
Provided by Raymond E. East, Former Board Chair, Director – RHF National Board of Directors
March 4, 2021
Reading:
Isaiah 54: 7,10
“For a brief moment I forsook you, but with great compassion I will gather you….For the mountains may depart and the hills be removed, but my steadfast love shall not depart from you, and my covenant of peace shall not be removed, says the Lord, who has compassion on you.,”
Prayer:
O God, you ask me to let go of my fears and to lay all my cares on you. Help me to trust your promises. They have sustained people in all generations in the midst of terrible troubles and acute anxiety. They can sustain me today and tomorrow and into the future held firm in your love.
Amen
Provided by Rev. Dr. David Moyer, Chair – RHF National Board of Directors
March 3, 2021
Reading:
Psalm 136: 1-2, 23-24,26
“O give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever. O give thanks to the God of gods, for his steadfast love endures forever….It is the Lord who remembered us in our low estate, for his steadfast love endures forever, and rescued us from our foes….O give thanks to the God of heaven, for his steadfast love endures forever.”
Prayer:
O God, help me to be thankful for your tender mercies that have sustained my life to this day and continue to sustain me in each new day. Do not forsake me in the tough times, for I call upon you and my heart is full of thanksgiving and praise.
Amen
Provided by Rev. Dr. David Moyer, Chair – RHF National Board of Directors
March 2, 2021
We are often forgetful of how we are blessed in the day to day changing world.
Reading:
Jeremiah 17:7-8
“Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose trust is the Lord. He is like a tree planted by water, that sends out its roots by the stream, and does not fear when heat comes, for its leaves remain green, and is not anxious in the year of drought, for it does not cease to bear fruit.”
Prayer:
God, the giver of all that we have, make us ever aware of the most obvious things that we enjoy. We ask in his name
Amen
Provided by Raymond E. East, Former Board Chair, Director – RHF National Board of Directors
March 1, 2021
Reading:
Psalm 100
“Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth. Worship the Lord with gladness; come into his presence with singing. Know that the Lord is God. It is he that made us, and we are his; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise. Give thanks to God, bless God’s name. For the Lord is good. God’s steadfast love endures forever and his faithfulness to all generations.”
Prayer:
Holy and gracious God, my heart is open today, and I offer my prayer as a song, a joyful noise raised for your goodness and love. Hear my prayer and my song and accept the praise of my truly grateful heart.
Amen
Provided by Rev. Dr. David Moyer, Chair – RHF National Board of Directors
February Prayers
February 26, 2021
Reading:
“Forgiveness is giving up all hope of having had a better past.”
Anne Lamott, American author (1954- )
Prayer:
Holy God, full of mercy and grace, look with kindness on me today and set me free from those things I have done for which I am sorry and for those things I have left undone and regret. Move me into this day and the days ahead without burdens of the past and with a renewed spirit that can delight in life and live fully and gratefully.
Amen
Provided by Rev. Dr. David Moyer, Chair – RHF National Board of Directors
February 25, 2021
Reading:
“Not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed until it is faced.”
James Baldwin, American Novelist, 1924-1987.
Prayer:
O God, my help in all my years and my hope for this day and the days ahead: Reconcile my past and empower the present in my life that I may live into a future that is pleasing to you, redeeming for me, and caring of others.
Amen
Provided by Rev. Dr. David Moyer, Chair – RHF National Board of Directors
February 24, 2021
It seems that today we weather many storms as we navigate through this pandemic, hoping to soon come out into the sunshine of our beautiful world feeling the love God. So when in doubt just keep walking.
Reading:
Mark 4:37 &39
“A great windstorm arose, and the waves beat the boat. … Jesus rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” Then the wind ceased, and there was a dead calm.
Prayer:
Precious Lord, give us the strength to care for ourselves and those in our midst and to finally know your loving peace. In his Holy name,
Amen
Provided by Raymond E. East, Former Board Chair, Director – RHF National Board of Directors
February 23, 2021
Reading:
You are my hiding place. You always fill my heart. With songs of deliverance.
Whenever I am afraid, I will trust in You.
I will trust in You, Let the weak say,
I am strong, In the strength of the Lord
“You are My Hiding Place” song based on Psalms 32:7 and 56:3
Prayer:
Oh Lord, when I am afraid where can I go? Only You are my hiding place and You fill my heart with songs of deliverance. I choose to trust and not fear. I will be strong because of your encouragement and hope. Thank you that your arm is not too short to save. In Christ’s name.
Amen
Provided by Brian Magnone, CIO & VP of Treasury – RHF
February 22, 2021
Reading:
“Healing begins where the wound was made.”
Alice Walker, American Novelist, “The Way Forward Is With a Broken Heart”
Prayer:
Healing God, source of hope and power for change, please give me the strength to lift up my wounded places to you and your restoring spirit. I do not want to cover over my hurts, and I do not want to dwell on them but to allow the injured places in my life to be renewed.
Amen
Provided by Rev. Dr. David Moyer, Chair – RHF National Board of Directors
February 19, 2021
Reading:
Gospel of John 1:1-5
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God….All things came into being through him…What has come into being in him was life, and the life was the light of all people. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.”
Prayer:
O holy and eternal One, so much of our world seems to be in darkness. Grant your holy and loving light to guide us into a new year and a new way of being and being together in this world.
Amen
Provided by Rev. Dr. David Moyer, Chair – RHF National Board of Directors
February 18, 2021
Reading:
“Bless be the tie that binds us in Christian love.” As the hymn says we are one in his love and tied together by the love of God.
Luke 3:31
“And as you wish that others would do to you, do so to them.
Prayer:
Oh, loving God, let us be willing to share our love and our strengths with one another like never before in an unwavering willingness to help each in their struggle. In name of Jesus.
Amen
Provided by Raymond E. East, Former Board Chair, Director – RHF National Board of Directors
February 17, 2021
Reading:
Psalm 73:23-26
I am always with You; You hold me by my right hand.You guide me with your counsel, and afterward You will take me into glory.
Whom have I in heaven but You? And earth has nothing I desire besides You. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.
Prayer:
Oh, how I struggle and feel oppressed when the unjust prosper. However, when I enter your sanctuary you show me your glory, and their end. Trust in God, oh my soul. Keep me from the slippery ground of comparing myself to others, and being swept away in defeat. You are my strength and portion forever. In my loving Savior’s holy name,
Amen
Provided by Brian Magnone, CIO & VP of Treasury – RHF
February 16, 2021
Reading:
Jeremiah 31: 16-17
”Thus says the Lord: Keep your voice from weeping and your eyes from tears; there is a reward for your work…there is hope for your future…your children shall come back to their own country.”
Prayer:
How often, O Lord, do I wonder if my work and my path through life has meaning. You promise that even the insignificant contributes to the whole and that hope empowers me to live for a new tomorrow, a future closer to your loving intentions for the whole human community.
Amen
Provided by Rev. Dr. David Moyer, Chair – RHF National Board of Directors
February 15, 2021
Reading:
“Creator God, creating still, by will and word and deed. Create a new humanity to meet the present need.
Redeemer God, redeeming still, with overflowing grace. Pour out your love on us…through us, make this a holy place.”
Hymn, “Creator God, Creating Still”. Jane Parker Huber, 1926-2008.
Prayer:
God of life and light, give me your presence in this hour and through this day. Stir my heart to seek your purposes in all my living. Give me trust enough to make changes I need to make, so that I may be more faithful, hopeful, and loving.
Amen
Provided by Rev. Dr. David Moyer, Chair – RHF National Board of Directors
February 12, 2021
Reading:
I John 3:21-23
Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God 22 and receive from him anything we ask, because we keep his commands and do what pleases him. And this is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, and to love one another as he commanded us.
Prayer:
Help me have confidence to come before You–a holy and just God. I trust in the gift of your son and forgiveness. Heal my hurts and to learn to love, especially towards those who are unlovely. What are your commands? Simply… to love God and love others. Help me. It is easy to love you, but people test me daily. Thank you, for helping with the impossible. In Christ’s name,
Amen
Provided by Brian Magnone, CIO & VP of Treasury – RHF
February 11, 2021
Reading:
I John 3:2,3
Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. All who have this hope in them purify themselves, just as he is pure.
Prayer:
Where is the hope? We hope in you and for a new body made in your image. As I age help me to yearn for you and not just a body free of pain. Help me know your presence and turn away from bad and seek good. Not only because it is right, but because You are good. Help me abide with You forever. Through Christ,
Amen
Provided by Brian Magnone, CIO & VP of Treasury – RHF
February 10, 2021
Reading:
II Chronicles 14:11
“Lord, there is no one like you to help the powerless against the mighty”
Prayer:
O God, so many of us feel powerless against forces that seem to disregard life and threaten to overcome us. How wonderful it is to have promises that go back generations that you are with us, and we can turn to you in confidence. Give us hope. Help us to live in great hope.
Amen
Provided by Rev. Dr. David Moyer, Chair – RHF National Board of Directors
February 9, 2021
Reading:
II Corinthians 4:15
“Everything is for your sake, so that grace, as it extends to more and more people, may increase thanksgiving to the glory of God.”
Prayer:
Loving and giving God, give me clear vision today, so I may see your gifts of grace, large and small. Deepen in my heart the well of gratitude that when I recognize your gifts I am so very grateful.
Amen
Provided by Rev. Dr. David Moyer, Chair – RHF National Board of Directors
February 8, 2021
Reading:
Nothing could be any simpler to understand than what Jesus said in the passage from Mark. So, I ask, do you love your neighbor? Are you willing to pick up this neighbor when they stumble?
Mark 12:31
“You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”
Prayer:
Lord give us the empathy to know when others might need a helping hand up to step forward and lend that helping hand. In his holy name we ask this prayer.
Amen
Provided by Raymond E. East, Former Board Chair, Director – RHF National Board of Directors
February 5, 2021
Reading:
I Peter 2:1-2
“Rid yourselves of all malice, and all guile, insincerity, envy, and all slander. Like newborn infants, long for the pure, spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow into salvation.“
Prayer:
Holy God, help me to be honest about myself and to take stock of my heart and my mind and give up those negative attitudes and unkind thoughts that hurt others and keep me from deeper relationships. Make me to drink deeply of your grace and mold in me a generous spirit.
Amen
Provided by Rev. Dr. David Moyer, Chair – RHF National Board of Directors
February 4, 2021
Reading:
“Fear not, I am with thee; O be not dismayed. For I am thy God and will still give thee aid. I’ll strengthen thee, help thee and cause thee to stand, upheld by thy righteous, omnipotent hand.”
Hymn. “How Firm a Foundation”. Robert Keen, 1787
Prayer:
I confess, strong and sustaining God, that there are times when I am afraid. There are moments and days when I give in to my fears and just want to lie down and let life go by without my efforts. Remind me that you are always there for me, and when my powers of coping fail or my courage flags, you are there and you hold me up.
Amen
Provided by Rev. Dr. David Moyer, Chair – RHF National Board of Directors
February 3, 2021
Reading:
Psalms 115 (excerpts)
When the nations say, “Where is their God now?” Our God is in the heavens and he does whatever He pleases. Oh people, trust in the Lord. He is our help and shield. He will bless those who fear Him, both small and great. He who made the heavens and the earth. We will bless the Lord and give Him glory due His name from this time and forevermore.
Prayer:
Oh Lord, when the people ask “where are you now?” Show yourself. Be with me in my daily struggles and remind me that you are a big God–the great I AM. The great I AM who meets my every need. Bring your loving presence and comfort me when I cry out. Calm and refresh me from weariness and heal my leanness of spirit. In Christ’s loving name.
Amen
Provided by Brian Magnone, CIO & VP of Treasury – RHF
February 2, 2021
Reading:
“O divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console; to be understood as to understand; to be loved as to love. For it is in giving that we receive; it is pardoning that we are pardoned; and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.”
St. Francis of Assisi
Prayer:
O God, you have created us as one great human community, and you have given us this beautiful and fertile planet as a home. Help us to be kind and forgiving today. Grant us wisdom to do our best to work on the problems that divide and threaten community. Give us courage to face injustice and loving hearts to comfort all who grieve. Help us to know that our weakness may become strength when it is offered to you in hope and trust.
Amen
Provided by Rev. Dr. David Moyer, Chair – RHF National Board of Directors
February 1, 2021
Reading:
Psalm 8
“I lift up my eyes to the hills. From whence does my help come? My help comes from the Lord who made heaven and earth. The Holy One will not let your foot be moved, the God who keeps you will not slumber. Behold, the keeper of the faithful ones will neither slumber nor sleep. The Lord is your keeper; the Lord is your shade on your right hand. The sun shall not smite you by day, nor the moon by night. The Lord will keep you from all evil; God will keep your life. The Lord will keep your going out and your coming in from this time forth and for evermore.”
Prayer:
O Holy One, I believe in your power in creation and know the promises that you are faithful to those who trust in you. But today I just need a friend. I am lonely and afraid and troubled by my own limits and by the troubles of the world. My prayer today is that you would come to me as a friend, as a kind word from someone. I try to be kind and to be a friend, but today I need a word that might encourage me and give me greater hope. I will give you thanks and praise.
Amen
Provided by Rev. Dr. David Moyer, Chair – RHF National Board of Directors
January Prayers
January 29, 2021
I love the second verse of this old hymn. The words bring peace to my soul and stir memories of my childhood while sitting in church.
Reading:
“Precious memories how they linger, How they ever flood my soul In the stillness, of the midnight Precious sacred scenes unfold.”
Prayer:
Precious Lord keep me in your hands as I travel this sometimes lonely path to glory.
Amen
Provided by Raymond E. East, Former Board Chair, Director – RHF National Board of Directors
January 28, 2021
Reading:
“Tell me about despair, yours, and I will tell you mine. Meanwhile the world goes on. Meanwhile the sun and the clear pebbles of the rain are moving across the landscapes Over the prairies and deep trees, the mountains and the rivers. Meanwhile the wild geese, high in the clean blue air, are heading home again. Whoever you are, no matter how lonely, the world offers itself to your imagination, Calls to you like the wild geese, harsh and exciting— Over and over, announcing your place in the family of things.”
Mary Oliver
Prayer:
Holy One. Creator and Sustainer of all creation. My prayer this day is that I may find my place in this world and continue to grow into it. Even if I am a mature person, I may grow and learn that your gracious gifts are new to me every day and your purpose for my life is revealed with each experience. Set free my gifts to find peace, serve others and give abundant thanks for all I have received.
Amen
Provided by Rev. Dr. David Moyer, Chair – RHF National Board of Directors
January 27, 2021
I love this scripture and it is so simple in what it asks of us. “Love and walk humbly with your God.” What could be easier and yet more challenging?
Reading:
Micah 6:8
He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.
Prayer:
Gracious and loving God take us through these valleys that shall challenge us. For we are in the midst of change like we have known.
Amen
Provided by Raymond E. East, Former Board Chair, Director – RHF National Board of Directors
January 26, 2021
Reading:
“May today there be peace within. May you trust your higher power that you are exactly where you are meant to be. May you not forget the infinite possibilities that are born of faith. May you use those gifts that have been received and pass on the love that has been given you. May you be content knowing you are a child of God….”
Teresa of Avila (1515-1582)
Prayer:
O God, you who are a powerful creator and yet a loving and personal presence: grant us peace today and allow that peace to take root in the deepest places in our hearts and minds. May deep peace make us hopeful and compassionate and committed to justice. May it help us to see the best in the midst of difficult times and help us to live fully and faithfully.
Amen
Provided by Rev. Dr. David Moyer, Chair – RHF National Board of Directors
January 25, 2021
Reading:
Isaiah 40: 1-5 (selections)
“comfort, comfort my people, says your God. Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and cry to her that her warfare is ended….A voice cries: ‘In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord….Every valley shall be lifted up and every mountain and hill be made low….And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together….’”
Prayer:
Holy God, guard and guide, you hear the deepest cries of the heart, and you offer comfort and peace. Forgive me when I am not trusting of your promises. Grant me the gift of hope and confidence that your will and purposes are shaping my life for good.
Amen
Provided by Rev. Dr. David Moyer, Chair – RHF National Board of Directors
January 22, 2021
Reading:
Psalm 131
A song of ascents. Of David (to the temple). NIV version
My heart is not proud, LORD, my eyes are not haughty; I do not concern myself with great matters or things too wonderful for me. But I have calmed and quieted myself, I am like a weaned child with its mother; like a weaned child I am content.
Israel, put your hope in the LORD both now and forevermore.
Prayer:
Oh Lord, help my heart not to be proud or seek things too wonderful for me. Give me a calm and content spirit like a weaned child. When I am like a child I trust you to forgive me. Help me to not cry in complaint or make a mess. I seek your hope in my life for where else can I find hope? Oh, thank you for your Son; such a priceless and precious gift.
Amen
Provided by Brian Magnone, CIO & VP of Treasury – RHF
January 21, 2021
Reading:
Book of Ruth 1:16-17
“Ruth said, ‘Do not press me to leave you or to turn back from following you! For where you go, I will go; where you lodge, I will lodge; your people shall be my people, and your God my God….if even death parts me from you!’”
Prayer:
O God, help me to be loyal to those I care about and to the deepest values that guide my life. And I pray that those whom I need will be faithful to me in this difficult time.
Amen
Provided by Rev. Dr. David Moyer, Chair – RHF National Board of Directors
January 20, 2021
Reading:
“it is a serious thing just to be alive
on this fresh morning in this broken world”
Poem, “Red Bird” by Mary Oliver.
“I don’t want to end up simply having visited this world.”
Mary Oliver
Prayer:
O God, help me today to note in fresh ways, the little gifts you place right in my view. I miss so many of your graces. Give me eyes today to see that there is much to appreciate in this world. Remind me I am not just a visitor here, but you intend me to live fully in the world.
Amen
Provided by Rev. Dr. David Moyer, Chair – RHF National Board of Directors
January 19, 2021
Reading:
Matthew 24:32, 33
Now learn the lesson from the fig tree: As soon as its young shoots become tender and it puts out its leaves, you know that summer is near. So, you too, when you see all these things taking place, know for certain that He is near, right at the door.
Prayer:
I have heard it said that Matthew 24 is ‘knocking on the door.” Oh Lord, I do not know when. Help me to not grow cold in this time of COVID isolation and fear. If you are at the door, will I be ready? Help me stay close as I start a new year. In Christ’s saving name,
Amen
Provided by Brian Magnone, CIO & VP of Treasury – RHF
January 18, 2021
Reading:
Jeremiah 31: 16-17
”Thus says the Lord: Keep your voice from weeping and your eyes from tears; there is a reward for your work…there is hope for your future…your children shall come back to their own country.”
Prayer:
How often, O Lord, do I wonder if my work and my path through life has meaning. You promise that even the insignificant contributes to the whole and that hope empowers me to live for a new tomorrow, a future closer to your loving intentions for the whole human community.
Amen
Provided by Rev. Dr. David Moyer, Chair – RHF National Board of Directors
January 15, 2021
Reading:
“I believe you and me are sisters and brothers
And I, I believe we’re made to be here for each other
And we’ll never fall if we walk hand in hand
Put a world that seems broken together again
Yeah I, I believe in the end love wins. Oh, yeah, love wins.
Love will, love can, love still, love wins
Love will, love can, love still, love wins”
“Love Wins” -Carrie Underwood
Prayer:
Holy and eternal God, gracious and life-changing spirit: Allow the power of love to move into my life in this time of prayer and make me aware of its power and trusting in its goodness. Then give me the hands and feet to take that love into the world around me.
Amen
Provided by Rev. Dr. David Moyer, Chair – RHF National Board of Directors
January 14, 2021
Reading:
Psalm 34:18.
“The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.”
Prayer:
May we just find the hope that will allow us to make each day’s journey without hurt and pain. May our broken hearts be no more. In his name.
Amen
Provided by Raymond E. East, Former Board Chair, Director – RHF National Board of Directors
January 13, 2021
Reading:
Psalm 67: 1-3
May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face to shine upon us, that thy way may be known upon the earth, thy saving power among all nations. Let the peoples praise, thee, O God; let all the peoples praise thee!”
Prayer:
O God, may these ancient words be in my heart today. May I praise you not only with my words but in my life and the way I live today.
Amen
Provided by Rev. Dr. David Moyer, Chair – RHF National Board of Directors
January 12, 2021
Reading:
Isaiah 9:2,3a
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.
You have multiplied the nation;
you have increased its joy.
Prayer:
Oh help us see Your light. Lift those in our land out of darkness and bring life and hope. For dwelling with you brings life and life more abundantly. We lift up our loved ones to you. Encourage them and keep them healthy in these trying times. In Christ’s blessed name,
Amen
Provided by Brian Magnone, CIO & VP of Treasury – RHF
January 11, 2021
Reading:
“Creator God, creating still, by will and word and deed. Create a new humanity to meet the present need. Redeemer God, redeeming still, with overflowing grace. Pour out your love on us…through us, make this a holy place.”
Hymn, “Creator God, Creating Still”. Jane Parker Huber, 1926-2008.
Prayer:
God of life and light, give me your presence in this hour and through this day. Stir my heart to seek your purposes in all my living. Give me trust enough to make changes I need to make, so that I may be more faithful, hopeful, and loving.
Amen
Provided by Rev. Dr. David Moyer, Chair – RHF National Board of Directors
January 8, 2021
Reading:
Gospel of John 1:1-5
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God….All things came into being through him…What has come into being in him was life, and the life was the light of all people. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.”
Prayer:
O holy and eternal One, so much of our world seems to be in darkness. Grant your holy and loving light to guide us into a new year and a new way of being and being together in this world.
Amen
Provided by Rev. Dr. David Moyer, Chair – RHF National Board of Directors
January 7, 2021
Reading:
Psalm 34:18
“The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.”
Prayer:
May we just find the hope that will allow us to make each day’s journey without hurt and pain. May our broken hearts be no more. In his name,
Amen
Provided by Raymond E. East, Former Board Chair, Director – RHF National Board of Directors
January 6, 2021
Reading:
“Appreciation is a wonderful thing. It makes what is excellent in others belong to us as well.”
Voltaire, French philosopher, 1694-1778
Prayer:
O God, my prayer today is that you may help me to see the best in those around me. When I begin to be critical of someone, help me to see life through their eyes and to see they are trying to help me. Help me to see life and persons as gifts from you.
Amen
Provided by Rev. Dr. David Moyer, Chair – RHF National Board of Directors
January 5, 2021
Reading:
II Timothy 4:9,21.
“Do your best to come to me soon….Do your best to come before winter.”
The apostle, Paul, wrote to his friend and colleague, Timothy, asking him to come to Rome to visit Paul in prison. He voiced some urgency that Timothy “come before winter” when travel on the Mediterranean in that day shut down. There are moments in life where we need to act, or an opportunity for good may be lost. What is one thing you might do today…….for good?
Prayer:
Holy and gracious God, help me today to build on the spark of your goodness that is within me. Allow me to undertake love’s work and to reach out to family and friends and any in need. Make me confident of the transformation that comes through trust in you.
Amen
Provided by Rev. Dr. David Moyer, Chair – RHF National Board of Directors
January 4, 2021
Reading:
I Peter 1:25
All flesh is like grass, and all its glory like the flowers of the field. The grass withers and the flowers fade, but the word of the Lord endures forever. And, this is the word, the good news of salvation, which was preached to you.
Prayer:
How I enjoy the beauty of nature—the grasses and flowers of the field on a sunny day. Their beauty encourages me. Help me to count my days and know how I am made. As I age, help me to live honorably for I will also fade and eventually meet You soon. Thank you for the gift of life in Your Son.
Amen
Provided by Brian Magnone, CIO & VP of Treasury – RHF
January 3, 2021
Reading:
Gospel of John 10: 10-11
“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly. I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.”
Prayer:
O God, sometimes my life seems to be governed by scarcity. There is too little of good news, friends, or material resources. Yet you promise life with abundance, and you promise that you will provide enough to sustain me, when I put my trust in your love. Give me spiritual strength today to let go of my fears of what I don’t have enough of and to see those places where I am blessed.
Amen
Provided by Rev. Dr. David Moyer, Chair – RHF National Board of Directors
January 2, 2021
Reading:
“O God within me, speak from your mysterious morn.
Speak through the few, your light of life to nourish us anew.
Speak for our world possessed by demon influences of evil and unrest.
Act, as of old, that we some dawnlit destiny may behold from this darkened place.
O move in mercy among us. Grant accepted grace.”
Siegfried Sassoon, English poet, writer and soldier (1886-1967)
Prayer:
I thank you for this new day, gracious God. You have given me blessed rest and now have renewed your promises with another morning. May I see minutes and hours as gifts and be grateful. May I see problems and challenges as moments to ask for your help. May I find some purpose that will please you today.
Amen
Provided by Rev. Dr. David Moyer, Chair – RHF National Board of Directors
January 1, 2020
Reading:
Psalms 134:1,2.
Behold, bless ye the Lord, all ye servants of the Lord. Lift up your voice (hands) in the sanctuary, and bless, bless ye the Lord
Prayer:
How can we praise you when things are uncertain? Oh, how we wish for a New Year with new hopes and dreams! You command us to praise You and trust even when it is not easy. Come near and help us to draw near. For you hold the future and our hopes and dreams. We trust you. Therefore, we will bless you and acknowledge your ways are good. For you are good to me. In Christ’s loving name.
Amen
Provided by Brian Magnone, CIO & VP of Treasury – RHF
