Verse for the week:
It was to prove at the present time that God himself is righteous and
that he justifies the one who has faith in Jesus. Romans 3.26
Prayer for the week:
“Almighty God, gracious Lord, pour out your Holy Spirit upon your
faithful people. Keep us steadfast in
your word, protect and comfort us in all temptations, defend us against sin,
death, and the power of the devil, and bestow on the church your saving peace;
through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen” (Lutheran Book of Worship, p.36)
Bible reading for the day: Jeremiah 31.31-34 (note: In the late 7th
century BC, our forebears in Judah had turned away from God and played the
whore, chasing after false gods and practicing evil in their daily life while
they used the temple and institutional religion to cover their backsides. They stubbornly rejected God’s word, therefore
God disciplined them. Now he announces
that he is going to give them a fresh start and make a new, deeper covenant
with them)
31 “Behold, the days are coming, declares
the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel
and the house of Judah, 32 not like the covenant
that I made with their fathers on the day when I took them by the hand to
bring them out of the land of Egypt, my covenant that they broke, though I
was their husband, declares the Lord. 33 For
this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those
days, declares the Lord: I will put my law within them, and I will write
it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my
people. 34 And no longer shall each one teach his
neighbor and each his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they
shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares
the Lord. For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember
their sin no more.”
Prayer (based on
T.R.I.P. method**): Gracious and almighty Father, thank you for writing
your will on my heart in Jesus Christ, crucified and raised for our
forgiveness. Thank you! Repent me and
your whole church of breaking your covenant with us…chasing after other
gods…and using religion. Carve afresh on our hearts and minds each day with
your living word…that we may indeed know you and live accordingly. I ask this in Jesus’ name, amen.
“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
God of hope fill us with all joy and peace in believing, that we may abound in
hope, in the power of the Holy Spirit.
Amen. (Romans 15.13)
*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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