Verse for the week: “For it is the God who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.. (II Corinthians 4.6)
Prayer for the week: “Christ our God, shed your everlasting light upon us, that we may
behold your glory and enter into your sufferings, and proclaim you to the
world, for you give light in the darkness and are yourself the light, now and
forever. Amen.” (Eastern Orthodox, in Fredercik B. Macnutt, The Prayer Manual, London: Mowbray,
1951, pp.121-22)
Bible reading for the day: Deuteronomy 8.10-19
10 And you shall eat and be
full, and you shall bless the Lord your God for the good land he has
given you.
11 “Take care lest you forget the Lord your God
by not keeping his commandments and his rules and his statutes, which I command
you today, 12 lest, when you have eaten and are
full and have built good houses and live in them, 13 and
when your herds and flocks multiply and your silver and gold is multiplied and
all that you have is multiplied,14 then your heart be
lifted up, and you forget the Lord your God, who brought you out
of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery, 15 who led
you through the great and terrifying wilderness, with its fiery serpents
and scorpions and thirsty ground where there was no water, who
brought you water out of the flinty rock, 16 who
fed you in the wilderness with manna that your fathers did not know, that
he might humble you and test you, to do you good in the end. 17 Beware lest
you say in your heart, ‘My power and the might of my hand have gotten me this
wealth.’ 18 You shall remember
the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you power to get
wealth, that he may confirm his covenant that he swore to your fathers, as
it is this day. 19 And if you forget
the Lord your God and go after other gods and serve them and worship
them, I solemnly warn you today that you shall surely perish.
prayer(based on
the TRIP** method): Gracious and almighty
Father, thank you for going after a sinner like me in Jesus Christ and
redeeming me from my own power and hand; otherwise I would surely perish. Thank
you! Preserve me and my congregation from the deadly arrogance which in a mere
moment forgets all you’ve done for us. Give us great big ears, humble hearts,
and open hands… that we may daily know the sweet, fragile, durable freedom of
life lived under your lordship and by your grace. I ask this in Jesus’ name,
amen.
“Our Father,
who art in heaven…”
What
does this mean for us?
God encourages us to believe
that he is truly our Father, and that we are truly his children, so we may
boldly and confidently pray to him, just as beloved children speak to their
dear father. (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)
*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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