Morning Prayer - August 26, 2026

Today's Readings

Psalm 119:145-176

Judges 18:16-31

Acts 8:14-25

John 6:1-15

Ordinary Time
Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my strength and my redeemer. Psalm 19:14

Confession of Sin
Most merciful God,
I confess that I have sinned against you in thought, word, and deed, by what I have done, and by what I have left undone. I have not loved you with my whole heart; I have not loved my neighbors as myself. I am truly sorry and I humbly repent. For the sake of your Son Jesus Christ, have mercy on me and forgive me; that I may delight in your will, and walk in your ways, to the glory of your Name. Amen.

Almighty God have mercy on us, forgive us all our sins through our Lord Jesus Christ, strengthen us in all goodness, and by the power of the Holy Spirit keep us in eternal life. Amen

The Invitatory and Psalter
Lord, open our lips. And our mouth shall proclaim your praise
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen Alleluia

Venite

ⓘ 'Venite' is Latin for 'O Come,' the opening word of Psalm 95: Venite exultemus Domino ('O Come, let us sing to the LORD').

Psalm 95:1 to 7
Come, let us sing to the Lord;
   let us shout for joy to the Rock of our salvation.
Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving
   and raise a loud shout to him with psalms.

For the Lord is a great God,
   and a great King above all gods.
In his hand are the caverns of the earth,
   and the heights of the hills are his also.
The sea is his, for he made it,
   and his hands have molded the dry land.

Come, let us bow down, and bend the knee,
   and kneel before the Lord our Maker.
For he is our God, and we are the people of his pasture and the sheep of his hand.
    Oh, that today you would hearken to his voice!

The Antiphon:

ⓘ A short, reflective sentence recited alongside a psalm to deepen our understanding of the readings.

The earth is the Lord's for he made it: Come let us adore him.

The Lessons

Psalm 119

⁽¹⁴⁵⁾ I cry out with my whole heart; Hear me, O LORD! I will keep Your statutes.⁽¹⁴⁶⁾ I cry out to You; Save me, and I will keep Your testimonies.⁽¹⁴⁷⁾ I rise before the dawning of the morning, And cry for help; I hope in Your word.⁽¹⁴⁸⁾ My eyes are awake through the night watches, That I may meditate on Your word.

⁽¹⁴⁹⁾ Hear my voice according to Your lovingkindness; O LORD, revive me according to Your justice.⁽¹⁵⁰⁾ They draw near who follow after wickedness; They are far from Your law.⁽¹⁵¹⁾ You are near, O LORD, And all Your commandments are truth.⁽¹⁵²⁾ Concerning Your testimonies, I have known of old that You have founded them forever.

⁽¹⁵³⁾ Consider my affliction and deliver me, For I do not forget Your law.⁽¹⁵⁴⁾ Plead my cause and redeem me; Revive me according to Your word.⁽¹⁵⁵⁾ Salvation is far from the wicked, For they do not seek Your statutes.⁽¹⁵⁶⁾ Great are Your tender mercies, O LORD; Revive me according to Your judgments.

⁽¹⁵⁷⁾ Many are my persecutors and my enemies, Yet I do not turn from Your testimonies.⁽¹⁵⁸⁾ I see the treacherous, and am disgusted, Because they do not keep Your word.⁽¹⁵⁹⁾ Consider how I love Your precepts; Revive me, O LORD, according to Your lovingkindness.⁽¹⁶⁰⁾ The entirety of Your word is truth, And every one of Your righteous judgments endures forever.

⁽¹⁶¹⁾ Princes persecute me without a cause, But my heart stands in awe of Your word.⁽¹⁶²⁾ I rejoice at Your word As one who finds great treasure.⁽¹⁶³⁾ I hate and abhor lying, But I love Your law.⁽¹⁶⁴⁾ Seven times a day I praise You, Because of Your righteous judgments.

⁽¹⁶⁵⁾ Great peace have those who love Your law, And nothing causes them to stumble.⁽¹⁶⁶⁾ LORD, I hope for Your salvation, And I do Your commandments.⁽¹⁶⁷⁾ My soul keeps Your testimonies, And I love them exceedingly.⁽¹⁶⁸⁾ I keep Your precepts and Your testimonies, For all my ways are before You.

⁽¹⁶⁹⁾ Let my cry come before You, O LORD; Give me understanding according to Your word.⁽¹⁷⁰⁾ Let my supplication come before You; Deliver me according to Your word.⁽¹⁷¹⁾ My lips shall utter praise, For You teach me Your statutes.⁽¹⁷²⁾ My tongue shall speak of Your word, For all Your commandments are righteousness.

⁽¹⁷³⁾ Let Your hand become my help, For I have chosen Your precepts.⁽¹⁷⁴⁾ I long for Your salvation, O LORD, And Your law is my delight.⁽¹⁷⁵⁾ Let my soul live, and it shall praise You; And let Your judgments help me.⁽¹⁷⁶⁾ I have gone astray like a lost sheep; Seek Your servant, For I do not forget Your commandments.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.

Judges Chapter 18

⁽¹⁶⁾ The six hundred men armed with their weapons of war, who were of the children of Dan, stood by the entrance of the gate.⁽¹⁷⁾ Then the five men who had gone to spy out the land went up. Entering there, they took the carved image, the ephod, the household idols, and the molded image. The priest stood at the entrance of the gate with the six hundred men who were armed with weapons of war.⁽¹⁸⁾ When these went into Micah's house and took the carved image, the ephod, the household idols, and the molded image, the priest said to them, 'What are you doing?'⁽¹⁹⁾ And they said to him, 'Be quiet, put your hand over your mouth, and come with us; be a father and a priest to us. Is it better for you to be a priest to the household of one man, or that you be a priest to a tribe and a family in Israel?'

⁽²⁰⁾ So the priest's heart was glad; and he took the ephod, the household idols, and the carved image, and took his place among the people.⁽²¹⁾ Then they turned and departed, and put the little ones, the livestock, and the goods in front of them.⁽²²⁾ When they were a good way from the house of Micah, the men who were in the houses near Micah's house gathered together and overtook the children of Dan.⁽²³⁾ And they called out to the children of Dan. So they turned around and said to Micah, 'What ails you, that you have gathered such a company?'

⁽²⁴⁾ So he said, 'You have taken away my gods which I made, and the priest, and you have gone away. Now what more do I have? How can you say to me, 'What ails you?' '⁽²⁵⁾ And the children of Dan said to him, 'Do not let your voice be heard among us, lest angry men fall upon you, and you lose your life, with the lives of your household!'⁽²⁶⁾ Then the children of Dan went their way. And when Micah saw that they were too strong for him, he turned and went back to his house.⁽²⁷⁾ So they took the things Micah had made, and the priest who had belonged to him, and went to Laish, to a people quiet and secure; and they struck them with the edge of the sword and burned the city with fire.

⁽²⁸⁾ There was no deliverer, because it was far from Sidon, and they had no ties with anyone. It was in the valley that belongs to Beth Rehob. So they rebuilt the city and dwelt there.⁽²⁹⁾ And they called the name of the city Dan, after the name of Dan their father, who was born to Israel. However, the name of the city formerly was Laish.⁽³⁰⁾ Then the children of Dan set up for themselves the carved image; and Jonathan the son of Gershom, the son of Manasseh, and his sons were priests to the tribe of Dan until the day of the captivity of the land.⁽³¹⁾ So they set up for themselves Micah's carved image which he made, all the time that the house of God was in Shiloh.

The Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.

Acts Chapter 8

⁽¹⁴⁾ Now when the apostles who were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them,⁽¹⁵⁾ who, when they had come down, prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit.⁽¹⁶⁾ For as yet He had fallen upon none of them. They had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.⁽¹⁷⁾ Then they laid hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.

⁽¹⁸⁾ And when Simon saw that through the laying on of the apostles' hands the Holy Spirit was given, he offered them money,⁽¹⁹⁾ saying, 'Give me this power also, that anyone on whom I lay hands may receive the Holy Spirit.'⁽²⁰⁾ But Peter said to him, 'Your money perish with you, because you thought that the gift of God could be purchased with money!⁽²¹⁾ You have neither part nor portion in this matter, for your heart is not right in the sight of God.

⁽²²⁾ Repent therefore of this your wickedness, and pray God if perhaps the thought of your heart may be forgiven you.⁽²³⁾ For I see that you are poisoned by bitterness and bound by iniquity.'⁽²⁴⁾ Then Simon answered and said, 'Pray to the Lord for me, that none of the things which you have spoken may come upon me.'⁽²⁵⁾ So when they had testified and preached the word of the Lord, they returned to Jerusalem, preaching the gospel in many villages of the Samaritans.

The Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.

John Chapter 6

⁽¹⁾ After these things Jesus went over the Sea of Galilee, which is the Sea of Tiberias.⁽²⁾ Then a great multitude followed Him, because they saw His signs which He performed on those who were diseased.⁽³⁾ And Jesus went up on the mountain, and there He sat with His disciples.⁽⁴⁾ Now the Passover, a feast of the Jews, was near.

⁽⁵⁾ Then Jesus lifted up His eyes, and seeing a great multitude coming toward Him, He said to Philip, 'Where shall we buy bread, that these may eat?'⁽⁶⁾ But this He said to test him, for He Himself knew what He would do.⁽⁷⁾ Philip answered Him, 'Two hundred denarii worth of bread is not sufficient for them, that every one of them may have a little.'⁽⁸⁾ One of His disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, said to Him,

⁽⁹⁾ There is a lad here who has five barley loaves and two small fish, but what are they among so many?'⁽¹⁰⁾ Then Jesus said, 'Make the people sit down.' Now there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down, in number about five thousand.⁽¹¹⁾ And Jesus took the loaves, and when He had given thanks He distributed them to the disciples, and the disciples to those sitting down; and likewise of the fish, as much as they wanted.⁽¹²⁾ So when they were filled, He said to His disciples, 'Gather up the fragments that remain, so that nothing is lost.'

⁽¹³⁾ Therefore they gathered them up, and filled twelve baskets with the fragments of the five barley loaves which were left over by those who had eaten.⁽¹⁴⁾ Then those men, when they had seen the sign that Jesus did, said, 'This is truly the Prophet who is to come into the world.'⁽¹⁵⁾ Therefore when Jesus perceived that they were about to come and take Him by force to make Him king, He departed again to the mountain by Himself alone.

The Gospel of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.

Glory to God
Glory to God in the highest,
and peace to his people on earth.

Lord God, heavenly King,
almighty God and Father,
we worship you, we give you thanks,
we praise you for your glory.

Lord Jesus Christ, only Son of the Father,
Lord God, Lamb of God,
you take away the sin of the world:
have mercy on us;
you are seated at the right hand of the Father:
receive our prayer.

For you alone are the Holy One,
you alone are the Lord,
you alone are the Most High,
Jesus Christ,
with the Holy Spirit,
in the glory of God the Father. Amen.

The Apostles' Creed
I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, his only son, our Lord.
He was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary.
He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried.
He descended to the dead.
On the third day he rose again.
He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy catholic Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting. Amen.

The Prayers

The Lord's Prayer

Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy Name,
thy kingdom come, thy will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom,
and the power, and the glory,
forever and ever. Amen.

Suffrages

ⓘ A simple prayer to God for help, mercy, or intercession, rooted in the Latin word for support.

Show us your mercy, O Lord;
And grant us your salvation.
Clothe your ministers with righteousness;
Let your people sing with joy.
Give peace, O Lord, in all the world;
For only in you can we live in safety.
Lord, keep this nation under your care;
And guide us in the way of justice and truth.
Let your way be known upon earth;
Your saving health among all nations.
Let not the needy, O Lord, be forgotten;
Nor the hope of the poor be taken away.
Create in us clean hearts, O God;
And sustain us by your Holy Spirit.

Seasonal Collect: Proper 15 The Sunday closest to August 17
Almighty God, you have given your only Son to be for us a sacrifice for sin, and also an example of godly life: Give us grace to receive thankfully the fruits of his redeeming work, and to follow daily in the blessed steps of his most holy life; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

Collect of the Day: Lord God, almighty and everlasting Father, you have brought us in safety to this new day: Preserve us with your mighty power, that we may not fall into sin, nor be overcome by adversity; and in all we do, direct us to the fulfilling of your purpose; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

A Prayer for Mission: Lord Jesus Christ, you stretched out your arms of love on the hard wood of the cross that everyone might come within the reach of your saving embrace: So clothe us in your Spirit that we, reaching forth our hands in love, may bring those who do not know you to the knowledge and love of you; for the honor of your Name. Amen.

Personal Prayers and Reflection

This is a time to pause, consider and listen. Pray for yourself and others.

Closing Prayers

Thanksgiving
Almighty God, Father of all mercies, we your unworthy servants give you humble thanks for all your goodness and loving-kindness to us and to all whom you have made. We bless you for our creation, preservation, and all the blessings of this life; but above all for your immeasurable love in the redemption of the world by our Lord Jesus Christ; for the means of grace, and for the hope of glory, and, we pray, give us such an awareness of your mercies, that with truly thankful hearts we may show forth your praise, not only with our lips, but in our lives, by giving up ourselves to your service, and by walking before you in holiness and righteousness all our days; through Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom, with you and the Holy Spirit, be honor and glory throughout all ages. Amen.

Conclude with the following
Let Us Bless the Lord, Thanks be to God

Glory to God whose power, working in us, can do infinitely more than we can ask or imagine: Glory to him from generation to generation in the Church, and in Christ Jesus for ever and ever. Amen. Ephesians 3:20,21