Verse for the week:
What does the Lord require of your but to do justice, and to love
kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?
Micah 6.8
Prayer: “Lord
God, grant unto us your Holy Spirit that we may hear and accept your word, in order
that, being cleansed in mind and renewed in life, we may live to you, here and
hereafter; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen” (K.B.
Ritter, Gebete fur das jahr der Kirched, 2nd
ed. Kassel: Barenreiter Verlag, 1948, p.207).
Bible reading for the day: Numbers 11.1-6, and v.23 (note: this reading
is just the core snippet from the story of Israel’s complaining in the
wilderness and the Lord’s response, you perhaps will not take the time to do
so, but I encourage you to read all of chapter 11 of NumbersJ)
1 And the people complained in the hearing of
the Lord about their misfortunes, and when the Lord heard it, his anger was
kindled, and the fire of the Lord burned among them and consumed some outlying
parts of the camp. 2 Then the people cried out to Moses, and Moses
prayed to the Lord, and the fire died down. 3 So the name of that
place was called Taberah, because the fire of the Lord burned among them.
4 Now the rabble that was among them had a
strong craving. And the people of Israel also wept again and said, “Oh that we
had meat to eat! 5 We remember the fish we ate in Egypt that cost
nothing, the cucumbers, the melons, the leeks, the onions, and the garlic. 6
But now our strength is dried up, and there is nothing at all but this
manna to look at.”
23 And the Lord said to Moses, “Is the Lord's
hand shortened? Now you shall see whether my word will come true for you or
not.”
Prayer (based on T.R.I.P. method**): Gracious
and almighty Father thank you for making the unlimited power of your hand perfect
in Christ crucified and raised for sinners; thank you for the forgiveness and
true freedom that is thereby mine in him.
Repent me and your whole church of our craving… it only leads us to
distrust you and to prefer the old slavery we know rather the challenge and
risk of following you. Make your word
come true for us…to your glory, through the only one who satisfies our deepest
hunger: Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
“I believe in Jesus Christ, God’s only Son, our Lord…”
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: 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
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