Verse for the week: Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth
is full of his glory. Is 6.3
Prayer for the week: “Lord God, almighty, immortal, invisible, the mysteries of your being
are unsearchable: Accept our praises for the revelation which you have made of
yourself, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, three persons and one God; and
mercifully grant that, ever holding fast this faith, we may magnify your
glorious name; for you live and reign, one God, now and forever. Amen. (John Dowden, Book of Common
Prayer, Scotland; Suter, The Book of English Collects, p.
34.)
Bible reading for the day: Matthew 28.16-20
16 Now the eleven disciples went
to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. 17 And
when they saw him they worshiped him, but some doubted. 18 And
Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth
has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make
disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the
Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching
them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am
with you always, to the end of the age.”
prayer(based on
the TRIP** method): Gracious and almighty
Father, thank you for sending disciples – other Christians – to deliver you to
my ears and heart. Deliver me and your
whole church from those adversaries – the devil, the world, and our sinful
selves – that would have us doubt your word and would constantly pull us off
the mission you have given us. There are
plenty of beloved people who need to be baptized and taught…keep us on this
your mission for us Lord. I ask this in
Jesus’ name. Amen.
Hymn: follow this link to a beloved classic that gives
further voice to today’s conversation with the Lord: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZgcaigsoNug
What does baptism mean for
daily life?
It means that the old Adam in
us, together with all sins and evil desires, should be drowned by daily sorrow
for sin and repentance and be put to death, and that the new person should come
forth every day and rise to live before God in righteousness and purity
forever.
Where is this written?
Saint Paul says in Romans, “We were buried therefore with him by
Baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by
the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life” (Romans 6:4
ESV). (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. (I Peter 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
www.dailytext.com). The method is founded on scripture and easy
to remember: 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.
No comments:
Post a Comment