Browse Sermon Illustrations
223 illustrations available
Evening Prayer: Letting Go
God who holds the night, I release this day into Your hands. The conversations I wish I'd handled better— I give them to You. The work I didn't finish— I give it to You. The worries trying to follo
Morning Prayer: Discernment
God who guides, I stand at a crossroads today, unsure which path to take. The voices are loud— fear, ambition, others' expectations, my own pride— and I need to hear Yours above them all. Give me wi
Morning Prayer: In Grief
God who weeps, this morning I wake to loss again. The absence is the first thing I feel, before I even open my eyes. I don't ask You to take the grief away— it's love with nowhere to go. But I ask Y
Augustine — Breathe in Me, O Holy Spirit
catholic invocation prayer by Augustine of Hippo
Bernard of Clairvaux — Jesus, the Very Thought of Thee
catholic devotional prayer by Bernard of Clairvaux
Augustine — O Beauty Ever Ancient, Ever New
catholic contemplative prayer by Augustine of Hippo
Morning Prayer: Kingdom Work
God of justice and mercy, open my eyes today to see as You see: the overlooked, the forgotten, the pushed aside. Make me an instrument— not of my own ambition, but of Your reconciling love. Where th
Hildegard of Bingen — O Holy Spirit Prayer
catholic invocation prayer by Hildegard of Bingen
Collect for the First Sunday in Lent
anglican collect prayer by Church of England
Brother Lawrence — Prayer of Simple Obedience
monastic contemplative prayer by Brother Lawrence
Thomas a Kempis — Prayer for Strength Against Temptation
monastic petition prayer by Thomas a Kempis
Prayer for Joy (Even in Hard Times)
God of joy, circumstances don't always warrant celebration, but joy is deeper than happiness— it's rooted in You, not in outcomes. So today I choose joy. Not because everything is easy, but because
Morning Prayer: Sabbath Rest
God who rested on the seventh day, teach me to stop. Not because everything is finished—it never is— but because You declared rest holy, and I need to trust that holy rhythm. Today, help me cease st
Morning Prayer: Anxiety and Peace
God of peace, my mind is already racing with today's worries, and the day hasn't even started. You said, "Do not be anxious." I hear it. I want to obey it. But I need Your help. Teach me to bring ea
Morning Prayer: For Creative Work
Creator God, who spoke worlds into being, who formed beauty from chaos, who declared creation "very good"— bless this work I bring to You today. Not that it would be perfect, but that it would be ho
Augustine — Give Me Thyself, O My God
catholic contemplative prayer by Augustine of Hippo
Morning Prayer: Before Difficult Conversation
God of truth and grace, I bring this conversation to You before it begins. Give me ears that truly listen, not just wait to speak. Give me a heart that seeks understanding, not just being understood
Thomas a Kempis — O Lord, What Is Man?
monastic confession prayer by Thomas a Kempis
Celtic Prayer of the Three (Carmina Gadelica)
celtic protection prayer by Celtic Tradition
Celtic Prayer for the New Day (Carmina Gadelica)
celtic morning prayer by Celtic Tradition
Prayer of St. Symeon the New Theologian
orthodox invocation prayer by Symeon the New Theologian
Prayer of St. Basil the Great
orthodox evening prayer by Basil the Great
Anselm of Canterbury — Proslogion Prayer (Extended)
catholic contemplative prayer by Anselm of Canterbury
Evening Prayer: Gratitude Review
For this day that held Your presence— thank You. For the moments I noticed You— and the ones I missed but You were there— thank You. For strength when I needed it, for grace when I failed, for love