Verse for the week: It was to prove at the present time that God himself is righteous and that he justifies the one who has faith in Jesus. Romans 3.26
Prayer for the week: “Almighty God, gracious
Lord, pour out your Holy Spirit upon your faithful people. Keep us steadfast in your word, protect and
comfort us in all temptations, defend us against all our enemies, and bestow on
the church your saving peace; through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen”
(Lutheran Book of Worship, p.36)
Bible reading for the day: Revelation 14.6-7 (The vision given to John
on the isle of Patmos serves not to reveal the floor plan of heaven but to give a
persecuted and messy church courage for today and hope for eternity.)
1 Then I looked, and behold, on Mount
Zion stood the Lamb, and with him 144,000 who had his name and
his Father's name written on their foreheads…
6Then I saw another
angel flying directly overhead, with an eternal gospel to proclaim
to those who dwell on earth, to every nation and tribe and language and
people. 7 And he said with a loud voice, “Fear
God and give him glory, because the hour of his judgment has come,
and worship him who made heaven and earth, the sea and the springs of
water.”
Prayer (based on T.R.I.P. method*): Gracious
and almighty Father, thank you that your judgment upon me has indeed come in
Christ Jesus. Thank you that in him alone a guilty one such as I, is absolved. So,
on my forehead is not a touchless thermometer that takes the measure of me… but
your own name. Alleluia, amen.
Hymn: follow this link to a beloved, classic hymn
that gives full voice to today’s conversation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B-_-rXYe_x0
“I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Christian
church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of
the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.”
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: The
peace of God which surpasses all understanding keep your hearts and your minds
in Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen. Phil 4.7
*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.
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