Verse for the week: “For it is the God who said, “Let light shine out of
darkness,” who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of
the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.. (II Corinthians 4.6)
Prayer for the week: “Christ our God, you were transfigured on the mountain and manifested
your glory to your disciples as they were able to bear it. Shed your everlasting light upon us, that we
may behold your glory and enter into your sufferings, and proclaim you to the
world, for you give light in the darkness and are yourself the light, now and
forever. Amen.” (Eastern Orthodox, in Fredercik B. Macnutt, The Prayer Manual, London: Mowbray,
1951, pp.121-22)
Bible reading for the day: II Peter 1.16-21
16 For we did not follow
cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our
Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. 17 For
when he received honor and glory from God the Father, and the voice was borne
to him by the Majestic Glory, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well
pleased,” 18 we ourselves heard this very voice borne from heaven,
for we were with him on the holy mountain. 19 And we have the
prophetic word more fully confirmed, to which you will do well to pay attention
as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star
rises in your hearts, 20 knowing this first of all, that no prophecy
of Scripture comes from someone's own interpretation. 21 For no
prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they
were carried along by the Holy Spirit.
prayer(based on
the TRIP** method): Gracious and almighty
Father thank you: into the darkness of my conscience and the world, you shine the
light of Jesus Christ, your own beloved Son.
Thank you! Repent me and your whole church of falling for the cleverly
devised myths of our human will and our own interpretations of your word. Each day and until the Last Day dawns and
Jesus returns, take hold of us and carry us along with your completely
reliable, living word…that we may be wholly yours, now and forever. I ask this
in Jesus’ name, amen.
Hymn: follow this link to a beloved hymn that gives
further voice to today’s conversation with the Lord: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D4hXJ9ax2FY
“I believe in the Holy Spirit…”
What does this mean?
I believe that I cannot by my
own reason or strength believe in Jesus Christ my Lord or come to him; but the
Holy Spirit has called me through the Gospel, enlightened me with his gifts,
and sanctified and preserved me in the true faith. In the same way, he calls,
gathers, enlightens, and sanctifies the whole Christian church on earth, and
preserves it in unity with Jesus Christ in the one true faith. In this
Christian church, he daily forgives abundantly all my sins and the sins of all
believers. At the last day, he will raise me and all the dead and will grant
everlasting life to me and to all who believe in Christ. This is most certainly
true!
(from The Small Catechism, by Martin Luther ©Reclaim
Resources, Sola Publishing, 2011)
benediction: And after you have suffered for a little while,
the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will
himself restore, support, strengthen, and establish you this day. To him be the power forever and ever. Amen.
(1 Pet 5:10)
*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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