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Join me, Ben Ward, as we pray, sing, and worship together. We'll read a Psalm and Scripture passage from the Daily Office in the Book of Common Prayer. We'll also say the Apostles' Creed and Lord's Prayer as we pray for ourselves and others and give thanks to Jesus. All accompanied by my guitar. Monday through Friday from Mobile, Alabama, USA. Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/prayerandworship/support
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It’s Monday of Ordinary Time, Proper 22 in the Church Calendar, October 7, 2024. Our general order and lectionary come from the Book of Common Prayer Daily Office. Today’s song: Your Love is Extravagant (Darrell Evans). Psalm 106:1-18 Luke 6:39-49 Playlist of songs from Morning Prayer. If you have a prayer request please submit it here. Sign up …
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**We are raising funds this week to help feed displaced people in Lebanon. All money given will go toward the cost of the meals. Give at benwardmusic.com/lebanon. See the ministry in action at facebook.com/tmlebanon.** Celebrating the life and faith of St. Francis of Assisi, 1226 in the Church Calendar, October 4, 2024. Our general order and lectio…
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**We are raising funds this week to help feed displaced people in Lebanon. All money given will go toward the cost of the meals. Give at benwardmusic.com/lebanon. See the ministry in action at facebook.com/tmlebanon.** It’s Thursday of Ordinary Time, Proper 21 in the Church Calendar, October 3, 2024. Our general order and lectionary come from the B…
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**We are raising funds this week to help feed displaced people in Lebanon. All money given will go toward the cost of the meals. Give at benwardmusic.com/lebanon. See the ministry in action at facebook.com/tmlebanon.** It’s Wednesday of Ordinary Time, Proper 21 in the Church Calendar, October 2, 2024. Our general order and lectionary come from the …
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**We are raising funds this week to help feed displaced people in Lebanon. All money given will go toward the cost of the meals. Give at benwardmusic.com/lebanon. See the ministry in action at facebook.com/tmlebanon.** It’s Tuesday of Ordinary Time, Proper 21 in the Church Calendar, October 1, 2024. Our general order and lectionary come from the Bo…
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**We are raising funds this week to help feed displaced people in Lebanon. All money given will go toward the cost of the meals. Give at benwardmusic.com/lebanon. See the ministry in action at facebook.com/tmlebanon.** It’s Monday of Ordinary Time, Proper 21 in the Church Calendar. September 30, 2024. Our general order and lectionary come from the …
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I’m on a ministry trip for the next two weeks, so I am not sure how many episodes I can post. I am taking my mic and will try! I will post updates in our Facebook group: benwardmusic.com/facebook. Get an ad-free feed of the podcast with a monthly contribution of any amount! It’s Wednesday of Ordinary Time, Proper 19 in the Church Calendar. Septembe…
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Get an ad-free feed of the podcast with a monthly contribution of any amount! It’s Tuesday of Ordinary Time, Proper 19 in the Church Calendar. September 17, 2024. Our general order and lectionary come from the Book of Common Prayer Daily Office. Introduction (00:00) I Need You Lord (Ben Ward) (00:47) Prayer of Confession (02:45) I Need You Lord (co…
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Get an ad-free feed of the podcast with a monthly contribution of any amount! It’s Monday of Ordinary Time, Proper 19 in the Church Calendar. September 16, 2024. Our general order and lectionary come from the Book of Common Prayer Daily Office. Introduction (00:00) 01:13God I Look to You (Ian McIntosh, Jenn Johnson) (01:13) Prayer of Confession (03…
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We had some bad weather on the Gulf Coast of Alabama over the last 24 hours, so I couldn’t record a new podcast. I’ve pulled up an episode from Ordinary Time, Proper 18 in September 2021 with a favorite song of mine. I hope it blesses you today! Get an ad-free feed of the podcast with a monthly contribution of any amount! It’s Friday of Ordinary …
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Get an ad-free feed of the podcast with a monthly contribution of any amount! It’s Thursday of Ordinary Time, Proper 18 in the Church Calendar. September 12, 2024. Our general order and lectionary come from the Book of Common Prayer Daily Office. Introduction (00:00) Is He Worthy? (Andrew Peterson, Ben Shive) (01:05) Prayer of Confession (03:25) Is…
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Get an ad-free feed of the podcast with a monthly contribution of any amount! It’s Wednesday of Ordinary Time, Proper 18 in the Church Calendar. September 11, 2024. Our general order and lectionary come from the Book of Common Prayer Daily Office. Introduction (00:00) More (Ben Ward, Stephanie Osorio) (01:10) Prayer of Confession (02:38) More (cont…
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Get an ad-free feed of the podcast with a monthly contribution of any amount! It’s Tuesday of Ordinary Time, Proper 18 in the Church Calendar. September 10, 2024. Our general order and lectionary come from the Book of Common Prayer Daily Office. Introduction (00:00) The More I Seek You (Zach Neese) (01:05) Prayer of Confession (02:43) The More I Se…
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Get an ad-free feed of the podcast with a monthly contribution of any amount! It’s Monday of Ordinary Time, Proper 18 in the Church Calendar. September 9, 2024. Our general order and lectionary come from the Book of Common Prayer Daily Office. Introduction (00:00) More Precious than Silver (Lynn DeShazo) (01:01) Prayer of Confession (02:28) More Pr…
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I’m out of town this week, so I’m scheduling several short devotions with music for Morning Prayer. I hope the change will be refreshing! I will be back next week with regular episodes. Stay up to date in our Facebook group. Get an ad-free feed of the podcast with a monthly contribution of any amount! It’s Thursday of Ordinary Time, Proper 17 in th…
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I’m out of town this week, so I’m scheduling several short devotions with music for Morning Prayer. I hope the change will be refreshing! I will be back next week with regular episodes. Stay up to date in our Facebook group. Get an ad-free feed of the podcast with a monthly contribution of any amount! It’s Thursday of Ordinary Time, Proper 17 in th…
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continue reading
I’m out of town this week, so I’m scheduling several short devotions with music for Morning Prayer. I hope the change will be refreshing! I will be back next week with regular episodes. Stay up to date in our Facebook group. Get an ad-free feed of the podcast with a monthly contribution of any amount! It’s Wednesday of Ordinary Time, Proper 17 in t…
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’m out of town this week, so I’m scheduling several short devotions with music for Morning Prayer. I hope the change will be refreshing! I will be back next week with regular episodes. Stay up to date in our Facebook group. Get an ad-free feed of the podcast with a monthly contribution of any amount! It’s Tuesday of Ordinary Time, Proper 17 in the …
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I’m out of town this week, so I’m scheduling several short devotions with music for Morning Prayer. I hope the change will be refreshing! I will be back next week with regular episodes. Stay up to date in our Facebook group. Get an ad-free feed of the podcast with a monthly contribution of any amount! It’s Monday of Ordinary Time, Proper 17 in the …
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I will be out of town next week, so I’m scheduling several short devotions with music for Morning Prayer. I hope the change will be refreshing! I will be back the second week of September with regular episodes. Stay up to date in our Facebook group. Get an ad-free feed of the podcast with a monthly contribution of any amount! It’s Friday of Ordinar…
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Psalm 18 has one of my favorite verses in all of the Bible: “He delivered me because He delighted in me.” It’s one of those scriptures that doesn’t seem real. We hear a lot about us delighting in the Lord (which we should!). But, hearing about the Lord delighting in us, not just tolerating us, but taking delight in being with us…this is staggering.…
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The Scripture talks about looking for a city, a heavenly city, not made by human hands. Fashioned by the hands of God. This is our seeking, this is our heart’s desire. I love celebrating Augustine in the Church Calendar today because he was looking for this city. He gave us so much. So much language, so many concepts. So much spiritual imagination.…
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What a great song by Rich Mullins: “Sometimes By Step.” In its simplicity, it captures the rhythm of walking with God and learning from Him. The day in and day out. The mundane as well as the mountaintop. “Take my yoke upon you and learn from me. I am gentle and humble in spirit.” This is one of the rhythms the Daily Office teaches me. The year by …
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So many times I sense the Lord leading me down a road. Down a path. And I resist. “Not there, Lord…” The crazy thing is that He has promised to always walk with me. And He’s walked with me down some doozies. Why don’t I trust Him to lead me down the perfect road? Just right. Exactly the way. Exactly what is needed…what I need. Lord, help us go wher…
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To never be hungry again. To never be thirsty again. It doesn’t really seem all that possible. Even if we’re talking about “spiritually.” It seems the human condition is more and more and more. Achieve and receive and then ask for (demand) more. Greedy, not grateful. But Jesus points to a completely new way. A new way of being human. A human being,…
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Get an ad-free feed of the podcast with a monthly contribution of any amount! It’s Thursday of Ordinary Time, Proper 15 in the Church Calendar. August 22, 2024. Our general order and lectionary come from the Book of Common Prayer Daily Office. Today on Morning Prayer (00:00) Introduction (00:32) Here I Am to Worship (Tim Hughes) (01:57) Prayer of c…
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TONIGHT: 700th episode celebration Wednesday, August 21 at 10pm central at benwardmusic.com/facebook! Get an ad-free feed of the podcast with a monthly contribution of any amount! It’s Wednesday of Ordinary Time, Proper 15 in the Church Calendar. August 21, 2024. Our general order and lectionary come from the Book of Common Prayer Daily Office. Tod…
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Stay tuned for our Wednesday night live 700th episode celebration in our Facebook group! If I’m honest, I don’t like to be led. I like to lead the way! Go for it. Carve a path. But Jesus keeps calling us back to Himself: “Take My yoke upon you and learn of me.” He wants to lead us down paths of righteousness for His Name’s sake. Can we lay it all d…
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It’s our 700th episode!!! Stay tuned for our Wednesday night live celebration in our Facebook group! I forget sometimes about how awesome and powerful and wonder-ful God is. He is closer than a brother, loves as our Father, and is always present. But, He is still the creator of the universe. Nothing is impossible for Him - He’s so powerful. “The rh…
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Fear and faith are powerful words. Fear so often freezes us in place. It doesn’t let us move forward. Doesn’t let our journey continue. Frozen. Ugh. I love singing the first line of today’s worship song: “Out of fear and into faith…You lead me here by Your grace.” I want to thaw out my fear that has me stuck in place and follow Jesus into the journ…
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As we celebrate Mary today in the Church Calendar, let’s remember her heart for the Lord. How she believed even when it didn’t make sense. How she trusted that God could and would do the impossible. How she saw the fulfillment of the promises of God in her life. May we respond to the Father as she did. May we see the goodness of the Lord in the lan…
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So much discussion in today’s Gospel reading of worship and spirit and truth. How the particulars of where and when and how to worship are fading away and what is left is the Father, us, spirit, and truth. That’s what I want more and more. Let’s walk that way. In that direction. Get an ad-free feed of the podcast with a monthly contribution of any …
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The Psalmist says over and over…”The Lord is king over all the earth…let the people be glad!” When the Lord reigns, when He is recognized and king and surrendered to with full hearts, it’s good news. It’s the best news of all. Wrongs are made right, justice is brought, compassion and mercy and kindness rule all of our lives. Let us begin by declari…
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So much about coming into the light in a ll our scripture readings today. Hiding from the light, coming all the way in. We can be at so many different places, in so many different seasons. What I think it’s trying to get at is how freeing it is to be in the light. In His light. Just step into it. It is for freedom that He has set us free. Let’s pra…
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Happy to share with you a song I wrote with Stephanie Osorio with a brand new verse. This song starts by saying to the Lord, “I’ll love you with all my heart, soul, mind, strength.” Then it moves to, “I’ll love my neighbor.” But, as my son Harper reminded me, we don’t stop there as followers of Jesus. There had to be one more verse: “I’ll love my e…
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Today is my wife Olivia and I’s 26th wedding anniversary! I am so thankful for the incredible gift of her. Her name means, “Gracious Bringer of Peace” and that is what she has brought to me from the beginning. Join me in thanking the Lord for her and enter into Morning Prayer and Worship today! Get an ad-free feed of the podcast with a monthly cont…
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There’s so much noise and so much distraction in our world today. One of the main culprits lives on our phones: social media feeds. If you are burdened with all that you are bombarded with, come pray with us and we will seek the Lord for help! Get an ad-free feed of the podcast with a monthly contribution of any amount! It’s Wednesday of Ordinary T…
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As we celebrate the Transfiguration today, I’m drawn to the cloud that surrounds them all at the end of the story. Just like when Jesus was baptized, the Father speaks to them all. He declares again that Jesus is His Son…but this time He says, “Listen to Him.” After hearing such a dramatic command, the disciples, as well as you and me, would do wel…
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Our Psalm for today uses the common Old Testament phrase, “Show the light of your countenance.” In fact, it says that if the Lord shows the light of HIs countenance we will be saved. Just showing HIs face, in all its beauty and glory and light, changes circumstances and outcomes. We don’t see faces as much these days. Sure, we see staged and intent…
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Daily we come before Jesus. Daily we set aside this time that is holy. To listen. To pray. To declare. To hope. To heal. Come all who are weary. Come into His presence. Join us for Morning Prayer and Worship. Get an ad-free feed of the podcast with a monthly contribution of any amount! It’s Friday of Ordinary Time, Proper 12 in the Church Calendar.…
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This old U2 song based on Psalm 40 is so fun to sing and play. If you’ve never heard them end their concerts with it — to this day — you’re missing out. Head to YouTube now. They slowly fade out and thousands upon thousands of people continue to sing, “How long to sing this song?” and “I will sing, sing a new song.” Believers, unbelievers, every pa…
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It’s easy to grow weary of praying. We know it’s powerful and leads to so many good things, but in the back of our minds we can hear that little voice saying, “Nobody’s listening.” That’s why I think something like the Daily Office, a regular practice, is so helpful. Just putting one foot in front of the other — one word after another — can keep us…
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Praying today for those who feel forgotten. He never, ever forgets about us. But, it sure can feel that way. One of my favorite phrases in the Psalms comes from today’s Psalm — 62: “For God alone my soul in silence waits.” When I feel forgotten, I long to remember and meditate upon and live this truth. Let’s do that today on Morning Prayer and Wors…
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Today in our Psalm we get this language that appears throughout the Psalms: “You give them drink from the river of Your delights.” It’s so beautiful and profound. But, I must admit that I sometimes wonder if I haven’t experienced it. There’s a “River of His delights”? Where can I find it? Because I want to. So much of life is mundane. And I believe…
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Love this song from Elevation Worship, “Do It Again.” The idea of remembering the works and faithfulness of the Lord is powerful. Over and over in the Psalms, we are encouraged to remember what the Lord has done. Elsewhere it asks Him to, “Renew them in our day.” Let’s remember today in Morning Prayer and ask Him to move yet again. We’ll see the go…
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I’m struck by Jesus’s words every time I hear them again — how He came not to be served but to serve…to lay His life down as a ransom for many. To lay down His life. He doesn’t stop there, though. He invites us into it. Saying that if we do lay down our lives, we will finally find them. Take the leap before you find your footing. Lose to find. What…
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It’s hard to hear today’s Gospel reading where they are flinging accusations at Jesus and not say, “Speak up, Jesus! Tell them you are innocent!” It is such an affront to see someone wrongly accused or, even more, to be wrongly accused yourself. I am so comforted by this story. That Jesus (and us!) can rest in the knowledge that our Father knows, o…
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“Put on the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness,” the prophet says. He goes on to talk about receiving beauty in exchange for ashes. Trading old for new. We are part of a story that always redeems, always makes new, and always brings Spring after especially hard winters. We’re praying for that and so much more today on Morning Prayer and …
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Paul speaks of peace that passes understanding. The thing is, if you understand it — you don’t have it. This peace moves into the deepest part of who we are, beyond the limits of what we can understand or control. Let’s seek and pray for that peace that comes from Jesus, through the Holy Spirit today! Get an ad-free feed of the podcast with a month…
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*Be strong and let your heart take courage, all you who wait for the Lord.* If you are waiting on the Lord, you are in a good place. Oh, it can be frustrating and full of not understanding, but it is in that place that we can receive. We are not just going on our way. We are put in a posture of receiving. I sure want to receive. More. Help me take …
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