Pete Greig
The day is done, the night has come, Monday will soon be over. And so, in the quietness of this moment, I still my soul to spend this time with You.
Return to your rest my soul.
For the Lord has been good to you.
Am I carrying trouble in my mind from the worries of this day?
Breathing in slowly, I receive God’s peace.
Return to your rest my soul.
For the Lord has been good to you.
Am I carrying tension in my body from the strains of this day?
Breathing out slowly, I relax and release my stress to the Lord.
The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your heart and your mind in Christ Jesus.
Reflecting on the day that has passed, Lord, show me where You were at work in my life. In what ways did I experience Your goodness and when did I hear You speak?
Lord, you alone are my portion and my cup;
you make my lot secure.
The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places;
surely I have a delightful inheritance.
I will praise the Lord, who counsels me;
even at night my heart instructs me.
I keep my eyes always on the Lord.
With him at my right hand, I will not be shaken.
Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices;
my body also will rest secure,
because you will not abandon me to the realm of the dead,
nor will you let your faithful one see decay.
You make known to me the path of life;
you will fill me with joy in your presence,
with eternal pleasures at your right hand.
Who may ascend the mountain of the Lord?
Who may stand in his holy place?
The one who has clean hands and a pure heart.
Father God, would You remind me now of the ways in which I have sinned today through negligence, through weakness, or my own deliberate fault. I take a moment to confess my sins before You now.
God of grace, thank You that when I confess my sins, You are faithful and just, forgiving and purifying me from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9) I receive Your forgiveness now.
Return to your rest my soul.
For the Lord has been good to you.
I hear Your word eternal, spoken now to me:
Peace I leave with You;
my peace I give You.
And so, ‘in peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, Lord, make me dwell in safety.‘
(Psalm 4:8)
Return to your rest my soul.
For the Lord has been good to you.
I pray now with the 16th century German Reformer, Martin Luther (1483 – 1546):
‘I thank You, my heavenly Father, through Jesus Christ, Your dear Son, that You have graciously kept me this day. And I pray that You would forgive me all my sins where I have done wrong, and graciously keep me this night. For into Your hands I commend myself, my body, my soul and all things. Let Your holy angel be with me, that the evil foe may have no power over me.’ *
God of all seasons, the sun has set, the night has gathered in, my soul sinks slowly into Your rest, trusting now in the resurrection to come.
Amen.
*Luther, Martin. Dr. Martin Luther’s Small Catechism with Explanations, (United States, J.E. Stohlmann, 1888) p 20