Prayer for Easter Thursday: Psalm 8
Dawn parts the velvet curtain of night
as we rise from our beds to praise You,
O Creating God:
accept our prayers,
offered in gratitude and humility.
For what are we, that You have made us
just a shade below the angels?
Your fingerprints are revealed
in the sun and moon that soar overhead
even as You place our feet
firmly upon the Earth your hands have molded.
Birds of the air, fish of the sea
all praise you with their entire being:
how can we give you glory and honor?
Place a new song in our mouths and our hearts, O Lord:
let us sing our praises from the deeps of our souls.
Give us a joy in doing your will:
to act justly,
to love mercy,
and walk humbly with You in love, O God.
You have lifted us out of the pit we ourselves have dug;
You have delivered us to abide in your light.
Take us by the hand and lead us for joy;
may your healing radiance shine through us.
Knit us together in justice, reconciliation, and peace,
loving each other as ourselves.
Spirit of Peace,
spread the wings of your redemption and grace
over all who call upon You
our exalted Lord,
our Loving Shepherd,
as we pray.
Amen.
The Rev. Leslie Scoopmire is a writer, musician, and a priest in the Diocese of Missouri. She is rector of St. Martin’s Episcopal Church in Ellisville, MO. She posts daily prayers, meditations, and sermons at her blog Abiding In Hope, and collects spiritual writings and images at Poems, Psalms, and Prayers.