Verse for the week:
Cast all your anxieties on him, for he cares for you. I
Peter 5.7
Prayer: “Grant
us, O Lord, not to mind earthly things, but to love things heavenly, and while
we now dwell among things that are passing away, to cleave to those that shall
abide forever; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen” (Adapted from the Leonine Sacramentary by Frederick B. Macnutt, The Prayer Manual, p. 17).
Bible reading for the day: Mark 8.27-38
And Jesus went on
with his disciples to the villages of Caesarea Philippi. And on the way he
asked his disciples, “Who do people say that I am?” 28 And they told
him, “John the Baptist; and others say, Elijah; and others, one of the
prophets.” 29 And he asked them, “But who do you say that I am?”
Peter answered him, “You are the Christ.” 30 And he strictly charged
them to tell no one about him.
31 And he began to teach them that the Son of
Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests
and the scribes and be killed, and after three days rise again. 32 And
he said this plainly. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. 33
But turning and seeing his disciples, he rebuked Peter and said, “Get
behind me, Satan! For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but
on the things of man.”
34 And calling the crowd to him with his
disciples, he said to them, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny
himself and take up his cross and follow me. 35 For whoever would
save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the
gospel's will save it. 36 For what does it profit a man to gain the
whole world and forfeit his soul? 37 For what can a man give in
return for his soul? 38 For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words
in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him will the Son of Man also be
ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.”
Prayer (based on
T.R.I.P. method**): Gracious and almighty Father, thank you for
revealing your Son, Jesus, as the Messiah, our Savior. Without him, we’d be
dyskinetic: going in every wrong direction and thus going nowhere. Repent me & your church of listening to
Satan and being ashamed of your words…because then our mouth, head, heart, and
feet don’t line up to follow you. Call
to us, speak to us as only you can now…so that instead of setting our minds on
human ways, our lives may follow you. I
ask this in Jesus’ name, amen.
“Thy kingdom come…”
What does this
mean?
God’s kingdom comes indeed without our prayer, but we ask in
this petition that it may come also to us.
How does this
happen?
God’s kingdom comes when our heavenly Father gives us his Holy
Spirit so that by his grace we believe his holy Word and live a godly life on
earth now and in heaven forever.
(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.
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