is for you.
Verse for the week: “My soul magnifies the Lord
and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior.”
Luke 1.46-47
Prayer for the 3rd week of Advent: “Almighty
God, you once called John the Baptist to give witness to the coming of your Son
and to prepare his way. Grant us the wisdom to see your purpose today and the
openness to hear your will, that we too, may witness to Christ’s coming and so
prepare his way for our neighbor; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and
reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
Bible reading for the day: Psalm 89.1-4, 19-26
I will sing of the steadfast love of the Lord,
forever;
with my mouth I will make known your faithfulness
to all generations.
2 For I said, “Steadfast love will be built up
forever;
in the heavens you will establish
your faithfulness.”
3 You have said, “I have made a covenant with
my chosen one;
I have sworn to David my servant:
4 ‘I will establish your offspring forever,
and build your throne for all generations.’”
19Of old you spoke in a vision to your godly
one, and said:
“I have granted help to one who is mighty;
I have exalted one chosen from the people.
20 I have found David, my servant;
with my holy oil I have anointed him,
21 so that my hand shall be established with him;
my arm also shall strengthen him.
22 The enemy shall not outwit him;
the wicked shall not humble him.
23 I will crush his foes before him
and strike down those who hate him.
24 My faithfulness and my steadfast love shall
be with him,
and in my name shall his horn be exalted.
25 I will set his hand on the sea
and his right hand on the rivers.
26 He shall cry to me, ‘You are my Father,
my God, and the Rock of my salvation.’
Prayer (based on T.R.I.P. method*): Gracious and
almighty Father, the hand that you set on the sea and on the rivers is the same
hand that has taken my sin from me… it is your right hand… your Son’s hand… the
hand of your steadfast love. Thank you, O thank you, Lord! Your hand, your faithfulness is far stronger
than mine Lord. So, keep it on me… outwit Satan when he comes after me… that I
may indeed sing of your steadfast love forever. I ask this in Jesus’ name,
amen.
Hymn: follow this link to a scene from Handel’s
“Messiah” which gives further voice to today’s conversation with the Lord: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x5jeelU1Vb4
“I believe in Jesus Christ…”
What does this mean?
I believe that Jesus Christ — true God, begotten of the
Father from eternity, and also true man, born of the Virgin Mary — is my Lord.
He has redeemed me, a lost and condemned creature, and has freed me from sin,
death, and the power of the devil, not with silver and gold, but with his holy
and precious blood and his innocent suffering and death. He has done all this
in order that I might be his own, live under him in his kingdom, and serve him
in everlasting righteousness, innocence, and blessedness, even as he is risen
from the dead and lives and reigns for all eternity. This is most certainly
true! (from The Small Catechism
by Martin Luther, ©Reclaim Resources, Sola Publishing, 2011)
Benediction: Blessing and honor and thanksgiving
and praise, more than we can utter, more than we can conceive, be unto thee, O
holy and glorious Trinity, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, by all angels, all
people, all creatures, forever and ever. Amen. (Thomas Ken quoted in
Frederick B. Macnutt, The Prayer Manual
London: Mowbray, 1951, p.39)
*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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