Verse for the week: “I will pour out a spirit of
compassion and supplication, so that, when they look on me, on him whom
they have pierced, they shall mourn for him, as one mourns for an only child,
and weep bitterly over him, as one weeps over a firstborn.” Zechariah 12.10
Prayer for the week:
God, our heavenly Father, through your Son you have promised us the
Holy Spirit. Send down upon us that
Spirit, that he may teach us to show forth your praise, not only here on earth
in weakness, since we know your power and glory only from afar, but also in
power and glory on that day when, united with the choir of angels, we shall see
you face to face; through Jesus Christ, your Son, our Lord. Amen. (K.B.
Ritter, Gebete fur das jahr der Kirche,2nd
ed. Kassel: Johannes Stauda-Verlag, 1948, p.150)
Bible reading for the day: Revelation 21.9-14, 22-27
(note: At the end of the first century AD, Christians in Asia Minor were being
commanded to curse Christ and pledge allegiance to Caesar Domitian as their
lord and god. Instead of bearing false witness to Jesus, an exiled Christian
named John confesses the hope that is ours in Christ, the reality that will
finally break for us one day.)
Then
came one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the
seven last plagues and spoke to me, saying, “Come, I will show you the
Bride, the wife of the Lamb.” 10 And he
carried me away in the Spirit to a great, high mountain, and showed me the
holy city Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God, 11 having
the glory of God, its radiance like a most rare jewel, like a jasper,
clear as crystal. 12 It had a great, high wall, with
twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and on the gates the names of the
twelve tribes of the sons of Israel were inscribed— 13 on
the east three gates, on the north three gates, on the south three gates, and
on the west three gates. 14 And the wall of the
city had twelve foundations, and on them were the twelve names of the
twelve apostles of the Lamb.
22And I saw no temple in the city, for its
temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb. 23 And
the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of
God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb.24 By its
light will the nations walk, and the kings of the earth will bring
their glory into it, 25 and its gates will
never be shut by day—and there will be no night there. 26 They
will bring into it the glory and the honor of the nations. 27 But nothing
unclean will ever enter it, nor anyone who does what is detestable or false,
but only those who are written in the Lamb's book of life.
Prayer (based on
T.R.I.P. method**): Gracious and almighty Father, thank you for choosing
me and your whole church to be the bride of Christ. When we are finally
reunited with our Bridegroom our joy will be almost indescribable. You and your
Son will be our sanctuary, our temple, our joy… and we and the whole host will
stream in through the pearly gates finally bringing you glory and honor all the
time. Until then Lord, the present reality can crush us and attack our faith so
sustain us with courage for today and hope in your promised tomorrow; through
Jesus Christ, the Lamb, our Bridegroom. 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=yGBrq-C5VYE
“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
peace of God which surpasses all understanding keep your hearts and your minds
in Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen. Phil 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
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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