Verse for the week: If we walk in the light as he himself is in the light,
we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us
from all sin. (I John 1.7)
Prayer for the week: Almighty and everlasting God, in the wonder of Christ’s death and resurrection,
you reconciled the world to yourself, 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 their lives what they profess by their
faith; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the
Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever.
Amen. (adapted from The
Book of Common Prayer, based on II Corinthians 5)
Bible reading for the day: I John 4.7-12 (Not to be confused with
the gospel of John, First John is a letter written about sixty years after
Christ’s resurrection. False teachers
locate the source of love in the human self.
John locates the source in Jesus Christ.)
Beloved, let
us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born
of God and knows God. 8 Anyone who does not love
does not know God, because God is love. 9 In
this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only
Son into the world, so that we might live through him. 10 In
this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and
sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. 11 Beloved,
if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.12 No
one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his
love is perfected in us.
Prayer (based
on the TRIP** method): Gracious and almighty
Father, thank you, this is love manifest and full-on: Jesus Christ, crucified
and raised for the forgiveness of our sins. Thank you! All of our own efforts
at love fall short… and any true manifestation of love comes from you. So, take
over every hour; evict our proud selves and abide in us. Reign where you already
have a right to reign and perfect your love in me and my congregation. I ask
this in Jesus’ name, amen.
Hymn: follow
this link to a beloved classic hymn that gives further voice to today’s
conversation with the Lord: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uP0tEceh8Bg
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 on earth 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
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.
No comments:
Post a Comment