Prayer for the week: Almighty and everlasting God, in the wonder of Christ’s death and
resurrection, you erased your own score against us and entrusted your message
to us. Grant that all who have been
reborn into the fellowship of Christ’s body may be ambassadors for him, showing
forth in our lives the faith we confess; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who
lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen. (adapted
from The Book of Common Prayer, based on II Corinthians 5)
Bible reading for the day: I Peter 2.1-10
1 So
put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all
slander. 2 Like newborn infants, long for the pure
spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation— 3 if
indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good.
4 As you come to him, a living stone rejected by
men but in the sight of God chosen and precious,5 you
yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to
be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable
to God through Jesus Christ. 6 For it stands in
Scripture:
“Behold, I am laying in
Zion a stone,
a cornerstone chosen and precious,
and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.”
a cornerstone chosen and precious,
and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.”
7 So the honor is for you who believe, but for
those who do not believe,
“The stone that the
builders rejected
has become the cornerstone,”
has become the cornerstone,”
8 and
“A stone of stumbling,
and a rock of offense.”
and a rock of offense.”
They stumble because they
disobey the word, as they were destined to do.
9 But you are a chosen race, a
royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own
possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called
you out of darkness into his marvelous light.10 Once
you were not a people, but now you are God's people; once you had not received
mercy, but now you have received mercy.
prayer(based on
the TRIP** method): Gracious and almighty
Father, thank you for the one who is the cornerstone of my life and salvation,
your son Jesus. By him, you call me and
your whole church out of darkness, out of our proud selves…and to the pure
spiritual milk of your word and will.
Thank you! Deliver us from the
unbelief that takes offense at and stumbles over you. By your grace, build us
into the royal priesthood, the spiritual house of living stones, that you have
chosen us to be… so that we may proclaim your praises. I pray this in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Hymn: follow
this link to a new hymn which gives further voice to today’s conversation with
the Lord: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ENtL_li4GbE
Thy kingdom come…
What does this mean?
The kingdom of God comes
indeed by itself, without our prayer, but we pray in this petition that it may
also come to us.
How is this done?
God's kingdom comes when our
heavenly Father gives us his Holy Spirit, so that by his grace we believe his
holy Word and live a godly life now and in eternity. (from The Small
Catechism, by Martin Luther ©Reclaim Resources, Sola Publishing, 2011)
benediction:
The
Lord will keep you from all evil; he will keep your life.
The
Lord will keep your going out and your coming in
From
this time on and forevermore. Ps 121.7-8
*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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