Just for Today

“Lord, for tomorrow and its needs, I do not pray,… Just for today.” In time of stress or sorrow, not infrequently we hear someone say, “I don’t know how I can face the future.” Or someone who is overwhelmed by the burdens and complexity of life will sometimes say, “If I can only get through this day!” We all have problems and pressures and sometimes sorrows. And on down days and dark nights we worry about symptoms; we worry about uncertainties, and tend to carry the weight of the future around with us, as well as the problems of the present. Sometimes we let ourselves become so cluttered with things undone, indecisive decisions, things not yet thought through, sorting out and shuffling, trying to do too much of everything all at once, with little completed, until we feel we can’t carry on. Life will load itself as much as we will let it. But always we ought to live to do what needs to be done today—for anything that is overloaded both with today’s and tomorrow’s load is likely to break down or fail to perform its function. Give us this day our daily bread. Help us with this sorrow, with this problem. Help us not to yield to this temptation—the one that is near us, this one right now—not what “lies dimly in the distance.” Life isn’t liable all at once. And you who have lost love ones, you who have problems, discouragement, who feel you can’t carry the burden: Plan, prepare, hope, pray. Do this one task. Meet this one problem. Face this one sorrow. Make this decision. Do this day’s duty—and have faith for the future.

Lord, for tomorrow and its needs, I do not pray;

Keep me, my God, from strain of sin, Just for today.

Let me both diligently work, And duly pray.

Let me be kind in word and deed, just for today.

Let me be slow to do my will, Prompt to obey;

Oh keep me in Thy loving care, Just for today.

Let me no wrong or idle word, Unthinking say,

Set Thou a seal upon my lips, Just for today.

So, for tomorrow and its needs; I do not pray;

But keep me, guide and love me, Lord, Just for today. ¹