Prayer for the week: “Almighty and everlasting God, comfort of the sad and strength to
those who suffer: Let the prayers of your children who are in any trouble rise
to you. To everyone in distress grant
mercy, grant relief, grant refreshment; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. (Prayer for Those in Affliction,
LBW # 223, Minister’s Ed., p.114;
Gelasian Sacramentary in Frederick B. Macnutt, The Prayer Manual, p.221).
Bible reading for the day: Exodus 32.1-14
When the people
saw that Moses delayed to come down from the mountain, the people gathered
themselves together to Aaron and said to him, “Up, make us gods who
shall go before us. As for this Moses, the man who brought us up out of
the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.” 2 So
Aaron said to them, “Take off the rings of gold that are in the ears of
your wives, your sons, and your daughters, and bring them to me.” 3 So
all the people took off the rings of gold that were in their ears and brought
them to Aaron. 4 And he received the gold from
their hand and fashioned it with a graving tool and made a golden calf.
And they said, “These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of
the land of Egypt!” 5 When Aaron saw this, he built
an altar before it. And Aaron made a proclamation and said, “Tomorrow
shall be a feast to the Lord.” 6 And they rose
up early the next day and offered burnt offerings and brought peace offerings.
And the people sat down to eat and drink and rose up to play.
7 And the Lord said to Moses, “Go down, for your people,
whom you brought up out of the land of Egypt, have corrupted
themselves. 8 They have turned aside quickly out of
the way that I commanded them. They have made for themselves a golden calf
and have worshiped it and sacrificed to it and said, ‘These are your gods, O Israel,
who brought you up out of the land of Egypt!’” 9 And
the Lord said to Moses, “I have seen this people, and behold, it
is a stiff-necked people. 10 Now therefore let
me alone, that my wrath may burn hot against them and I may consume
them, in order that I may make a great nation of you.”
11 But Moses implored the Lord his God and
said, “O Lord, why does your wrath burn hot against your people, whom you
have brought out of the land of Egypt with great power and with a mighty
hand? 12 Why should the Egyptians say, ‘With evil
intent did he bring them out, to kill them in the mountains and to consume them
from the face of the earth’? Turn from your burning anger and relent from
this disaster against your people. 13 Remember
Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, your servants, to whom you swore by your own
self, and said to them, ‘I will multiply your offspring as the stars of
heaven, and all this land that I have promised I will give to your offspring,
and they shall inherit it forever.’” 14 And the Lord relented
from the disaster that he had spoken of bringing on his people.
“Thy will be done…”
What
does this mean?
The good and gracious will of
God is done indeed without our prayer, but we pray in this petition that it
will also be done among us.
How is this done?
God's will is done when he
hinders and destroys every evil design and purpose of the devil, the world, and
our sinful nature that would keep us from hallowing his name and prevent the
coming of his kingdom. And God’s will is done when he strengthens us and keeps
us steadfast in his Word and in faith to the end of our earthly lives. This is
his good and gracious will. (from The
Small Catechism, by Martin Luther ©Reclaim Resources, Sola Publishing, 2011)
benediction:
Now to him who by the power at work
within us is able to accomplish abundantly far more than all we can ask or
imagine, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations,
forever and ever. Amen. (Eph 3:20-21)
[1]
As the word implies, an invitatory is a verse that invites or invokes the
Lord’s ear and his work upon you.
*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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