Starting the year on our knees

Three Days of Prayer: Tue, Jan 3; Day One – Repentance 

To his rebellious people in exile in Babylon, the Lord declares “Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you” (Jeremiah 29:12).

Psalm 130

Out of the depths I cry to you, O Lord!
²     O Lord, hear my voice!
Let your ears be attentive
    to the voice of my pleas for mercy!

³ If you, O Lord, should mark iniquities,
    O Lord, who could stand?
⁴ But with you there is forgiveness,
    that you may be feared.

⁵ I wait for the Lord, my soul waits,
    and in his word I hope;
⁶ my soul waits for the Lord
    more than watchmen for the morning,
    more than watchmen for the morning.

⁷ O Israel, hope in the Lord!
    For with the Lord there is steadfast love,
    and with him is plentiful redemption.
⁸ And he will redeem Israel
    from all his iniquities.

Prayer (based on the TRIP[i] method): Gracious and almighty Father, thank you for your great mercy in Jesus Christ: though I daily stray from you and fail to obediently serve you in all my thoughts and actions, you do not abandon me but call me as your beloved child. Thank you for your mercy! Search the depths of my soul and cleanse me of impatience and of all that inhibits true obedience to your Word. Cause me to wait… to wait upon you for guidance and direction, knowing that you possess all wisdom and knowledge. All this I ask in Jesus’ name, amen.

Hymn: for this link to a beloved hymn that gives further voice to today’s conversation with the Lord: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JDgZ1v3l9go

“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:    The Lord will keep you from all evil; he will keep your life.

                             The Lord will keep your going out and your coming in

                             From this time on and forevermore.  Ps 121.7-8

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[i] 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.