Verse for the week: Ho, everyone who thirsts, come
to the waters;
and
you that have no money, come, buy and eat!
Is 55.1
Prayer for the week:
Lord Jesus Christ, you walked the way of the cross as the obedient
servant of God. Open our ears and teach
us by your Spirit, that we may not rebel but walk in the obedience of disciples
who have learned from you, who with the Father and the Holy Spirit live and
reign, one God, now and forever. Amen. [John W. Doberstein, Minister’s Prayer Book,
Fortress Press, Philadelphia, 1986 p.82]
Bible reading for the day: Exodus 20.1-3,7-17
And God spoke all these words, saying,
2 “I am
the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of
the house of slavery.
3 “You shall have no other
gods before me…
7 “You shall not take the
name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not
hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain.
8 “Remember the Sabbath
day, to keep it holy. 9 Six days you shall labor,
and do all your work, 10 but the seventh day
is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work,
you, or your son, or your daughter, your male servant, or your female servant,
or your livestock, or the sojourner who is within your gates. 11 For in
six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in
them, and rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the
Sabbath day and made it holy.
12 “Honor your father and
your mother, that your days may be long in the land that
the Lord your God is giving you.
13 “You shall not murder.
14 “You shall not commit
adultery.
15 “You shall not steal.
16 “You shall not bear
false witness against your neighbor.
17 “You shall not
covet your neighbor's house; you shall not covet your neighbor's
wife, or his male servant, or his female servant, or his ox, or his donkey, or
anything that is your neighbor's.”
Prayer (based on TRIP** method): Gracious and almighty Father, thank you
that you are the Lord and I am not; thank you that you give us life and order
it. My brothers and sisters and I can still make a mess of life in hurry; when
we do so, drive us to Christ that we may be forgiven… then return us to our
families and our neighbor that we may bear witness to you in truth and mercy. I
ask this in Jesus’ name, amen.
What does God
declare concerning all these commandments?
He says: “I the Lord your God am a jealous
God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and the
fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing steadfast love to thousands
of those who love me and keep my commandments” (Exodus 20:5b-6 ESV).
What does this
mean?
God threatens to punish all who violate these
commandments. We should, therefore, fear his anger and in no way disobey them.
But God promises grace and every blessing to all who keep these commandments.
We should, therefore, love him, trust in him, and gladly keep his commandments.
(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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