Verse for the week:
“You are not your own; you were bought with a price.” I Cor
6.19-20
Bible reading for the day: Romans 8.1-11
1 Therefore, there is now no
condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, 2 because
through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from
the law of sin and death. 3 For what the law was powerless to
do because it was weakened by the flesh, God did by sending his own Son in the
likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in the
flesh, 4 in order that the righteous requirement of the law
might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the flesh but according
to the Spirit.
5 Those who live according to the
flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in
accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. 6
The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is
life and peace. 7 The mind governed by the flesh is hostile
to God; it does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. 8
Those who are in the realm of the flesh cannot please God.
9 You, however, are not in the
realm of the flesh but are in the realm of the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of
God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not
belong to Christ. 10 But if Christ is in you, then even
though your body is subject to death because of sin, the Spirit gives life
because of righteousness. 11 And if the Spirit of him who
raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead
will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in
you.
Prayer (based on TRIP** method): Gracious and almighty Father, thank you:
in Christ you have won the battle and delivered me from the Devil, the
flesh-loving world, and my sinful self. Thank you! Still the clean-up can get pretty messy Lord,
as I find my flesh battling, setting my mind on its own desires, resisting your
reign. The answer is not more of my mortal will and its efforts to please you;
the answer is your Spirit living in me. So have at me Lord: drown out the voice
of my flesh and preach Christ to my conscience every hour. In Jesus name I ask
this, amen.
“Thy kingdom come.”
What does this mean?
God’s kingdom comes
indeed without our praying for it, but we ask in this prayer that it may come
also to us.
When 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)
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 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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