Verse for the week: “God has made him both Lord
and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified. Acts 2.36
Prayer for the week:
“Almighty and merciful God, you are not willing that any should
perish, but that all should come to repentance.
Grant that by your word we may again and again be convicted of our sin,
but also fervently grasp anew the comfort of your Spirit and of faith, in order
that we may be justified in your Son and be saved through him, Jesus Christ our
Lord. (Kirchenbuch für die Gemeinde (Isenhagen),
quoted in Orate Fratres, Gebetsordnung für evangelische-lutherische Pfarrer,
Göttingen: Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht 1952, p. 76)
Bible reading for the day: Romans 6.3-4,12-23
3 Do you not know that all of us who have
been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We
were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just
as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too
might walk in newness of life.
12 What then? Are we
to sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means! 16 Do
you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient
slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which
leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness? 17 But thanks
be to God, that you who were once slaves of sin have become obedient from the
heart to the standard of teaching to which you were committed, 18 and, having
been set free from sin, have become slaves of righteousness. 19 I
am speaking in human terms, because of your natural limitations. For just
as you once presented your members as slaves to impurity and to lawlessness
leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves to
righteousness leading to sanctification.
20 For when you were slaves
of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. 21 But
what fruit were you getting at that time from the things of which you are
now ashamed? For the end of those things is death.22 But
now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of
God, the fruit you get leads to sanctification and its end, eternal
life. 23 For the wages of sin is death, but the
free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Prayer (based on
T.R.I.P. method**): Gracious and almighty Father, thank you for burying
my old selfie to death through my baptism into Christ… and for raising the new
me. Repent me and my brothers and
sisters of returning to our old sin, our old slavery… that only leads to
shameful fruit and death. Beloved Master, grant me daily what only you can
grant: the obedience from the heart that frees me for eternal life now and
forever. In Jesus’ name I pray, amen.
“I believe in Jesus Christ, God’s only Son, our Lord…”
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!
Benediction: The
grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the
Holy Spirit be with us all. Amen. II
Cor 13.14
*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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