Invitatory: “the
Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom
for many.” Mt 20.28
Morning prayer:
Lord God, heavenly Father, in your Son you have given the world a
pioneer of salvation and made him the true and eternal priest and mediator of
his people. Grant that we may hold fast
to him in love, learn obedience in his discipleship, and so be brought into the
heavenly sanctuary through him, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy
Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
[K.B. Ritter, Gebete fur das Jahr der Kirche,
2nd edition (Kassel: Johannes Stauda-Verlag, 1948), p. 114.]
Bible reading for the day: Philippians 4.4-7
Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say,
rejoice. 5 Let your reasonableness be known to
everyone. The Lord is at hand; 6 do not be
anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with
thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the
peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts
and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Prayer (based on TRIP** method): Gracious and almighty Father, thank you for
the overflowing joy you give to sinners like me in Jesus Christ. Repent me and
my congregation of all grumpiness and ignorance… these hinder our witness to
you. Whenever anxiety ascends into our conscience, teach me and my brothers and
sisters to recognize it and turn to you in prayer… that your peace may guard
our hearts and minds in our Champion, your Son, our Lord, Jesus Christ. Amen.
Hymn: follow this
link to a beloved early American hymn that gives further voice to today’s
conversation with the Lord: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4f666KJvsTo
“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: Now
may our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and through
grace gave us eternal comfort and good hope, comfort your hearts and strengthen
them in every good work and word. Amen. II Thess 2.16-17
*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.
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