Verse for the week: “Behold, I send my messenger
and he will prepare the way before me.” Malachi 3.1
Prayer for the 3rd week of Advent: “Lord
Jesus, our Light and our Salvation, you alone are the one who was to come to
save us. We thank you for your coming
and for your will to perform in us again your saving work. Rule us by your Holy Spirit, that henceforth
we may wait for none other and put our trust in nothing in heaven or earth
except you alone, our Lord. Amen.” (Martin Moller, Thesaurus precationum, 1603;
text in Gerhard Molwitz, Lutherisches Gebetbuch, p.41.)
Bible
reading for the day: Malachi 3.1-4; 4.5-6 (Note: Preaching around 430 BC,
Malachi closes the Old Testament with a message of anticipation and rebuke. The
Lord has restored Judah and Jerusalem after the Exile, but many of the priests
are false preachers who fail to rebuke the people for their sin.)
“Behold,
I send my messenger, and he will prepare the way before me. And the
Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple; and the
messenger of the covenant in whom you delight, behold, he is coming, says
the Lord of hosts. 2 But who can
endure the day of his coming, and who can stand when he appears? For he is
like a refiner's fire and like fullers' soap. 3 He
will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and he will purify the sons
of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, and they will
bring offerings in righteousness to the Lord. 4 Then
the offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasing to the Lord as
in the days of old and as in former years.
4.5 “Behold,
I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and awesome day
of the Lord comes. 6 And he
will turn the hearts of fathers to their children and the hearts of
children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the land with a decree
of utter destruction.”
Prayer (based on T.R.I.P. method**): Gracious and
almighty Lord, thank you for your messengers like Elijah and John the Baptizer
who prepared the way for Jesus. Most of all, thank you for coming yourself in
the flesh to bring the new covenant for us in Christ. Repent me and the leaders
of your church of trying to endure your coming, trying to improve ourselves
with a bit of help from you. Refine us as only you can Lord; turn my heart
where it ought to be… then my offering will be pleasing to you. I ask this in
Jesus’ name, amen.
Hymn: follow this
link to the portion of Handel’s “Messiah” that proclaims this news from
scripture: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JZ0ScF0qzBQ
Benediction:
“the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts
and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians
4.7
*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
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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