Invitatory: Ho,
everyone who thirsts, come to the waters;
and
you that have no money, come, buy and eat!
Is 55.1
Morning prayer:
Lord Jesus Christ, you walked the way of the cross as the obedient
servant of God. Open our ears and teach
us by your Spirit, that we may not rebel but walk in the obedience of disciples
who have learned from you, who with the Father and the Holy Spirit live and
reign, one God, now and forever. Amen. [John W. Doberstein, Minister’s Prayer Book,
Fortress Press, Philadelphia, 1986 p.82]
Bible reading for the day: I Thessalonians 5.12-25
(Paul is closing this letter and giving final instructions to the Christian
congregation in Thessalonica)
We ask you,
brothers, to respect those who labor among you and are over you in
the Lord and admonish you, 13 and to esteem them
very highly in love because of their work. Be at peace among yourselves.14 And
we urge you, brothers, admonish the idle, encourage the
fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with them all. 15 See
that no one repays anyone evil for evil, but always seek to do good
to one another and to everyone. 16 Rejoice
always, 17 pray without ceasing, 18 give
thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for
you. 19 Do not quench the Spirit. 20 Do
not despise prophecies, 21 but test everything;
hold fast what is good. 22 Abstain from every form
of evil.
23 Now may the God of peace
himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and
soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus
Christ. 24 He who calls you is faithful; he
will surely do it.
25 Brothers, pray for us.
Prayer (based on TRIP** method): Gracious and almighty Father, thank for your
perfect will for us in Jesus Christ. Repent me and my congregation of all the
ways we resist your will being done among us: our disrespect for one another,
our puny needless quarrels, our silence when we should admonish or encourage,
our inaction when we should help, and our impatience. That’s a long list Lord,
but you can handle it. So teach us to pray to you without ceasing… that we may
be sanctified in your will and blameless at your return… only through your Son,
our Lord, Jesus Christ. Amen.
“Thy will be done…
What does this
mean?
The good and
gracious will of God is done indeed without our prayer, but we pray in this
petition that it will also be done among us.
How is this done?
God's will is done
when he hinders and destroys every evil design and purpose of the devil, the
world, and our sinful nature that would keep us from hallowing his name and
prevent the coming of his kingdom. And God’s will is done when he strengthens
us and keeps us steadfast in his Word and in faith to the end of our earthly
lives. This is his good and gracious will. (from The Small Catechism, by
Martin Luther ©Reclaim Resources, Sola Publishing, 2011)
Hymn: follow
this link to a beloved, classic hymn that gives further voice to today’s
conversation with the Lord (there is a brief delay before it plays): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a5ApbIcYtcI
Benediction: Now
may our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and through
grace gave us eternal comfort and good hope, comfort your hearts and strengthen
them in every good work and word. Amen. II Thess 2.16-17
*There are many patterns
for devotions. This pattern has been
followed by God’s people for centuries.
**The T.R.I.P. approach to
prayer is based on the way Martin Luther prayed and taught others to pray. It was later developed by Walter and Ingrid
Trobisch and then adapted by Mount Carmel Ministries (Alexandria, MN www.dailytext.com). The method is founded on scripture and easy
to remember:
T: thanksgiving
R: regret
(repentance)
I:
intercession (asking God to take a specific action)
P:
plan or purpose
Reading a biblical text and
then applying this method gives one a sound, simple way to form one’s
prayers...not to mention that it helps one learn how to faithfully reflect on
God’s Word and talk to God.
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