Verse for the week: My soul magnifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices
in God my Savior Lk 1.46-47
Prayer for the 4th week of
Advent: “Lord, purify our hearts that
they may be worthy to become your dwelling place. Let us never fail to find room for you, but
come and abide with us that we also may abide in you, for you were born into
the world for us and now live and reign, King of kings and Lord of lords, for
evermore. Amen.” (William Temple in A.E. Baker, William
Temple’s Teaching, Philadelphia:
Westminster Press, 1951, p.128)
Bible reading for the day: II Samuel 7.1-11 (note: not very long after David’s
reign began in 1000 BC, David plans to build a temple for God; but God has
other plans that supersede David’s)
Now when the king lived in
his house and the Lord had given him rest from all his surrounding
enemies, 2 the king said to Nathan the
prophet, “See now, I dwell in a house of cedar, but the ark of God
dwells in a tent.” 3 And Nathan said to the
king, “Go, do all that is in your heart, for the Lord is with you.”
4 But that same night the word of
the Lord came to Nathan, 5 “Go and tell
my servant David, ‘Thus says the Lord: Would you build me a house to
dwell in? 6 I have not lived in a house since
the day I brought up the people of Israel from Egypt to this day, but I have
been moving about in a tent for my dwelling. 7 In
all places where I have moved with all the people of Israel, did I speak a
word with any of the judges of Israel, whom I commanded to
shepherd my people Israel, saying, “Why have you not built me a house of
cedar?”’ 8 Now, therefore, thus you shall say to my
servant David, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts, I took you from the
pasture, from following the sheep, that you should be prince over my
people Israel. 9 And I have been with you wherever
you went and have cut off all your enemies from before you. And I will make for
you a great name, like the name of the great ones of the earth. 10 And
I will appoint a place for my people Israel and will plant them, so that
they may dwell in their own place and be disturbed no more. And
violent men shall afflict them no more, as formerly, 11 from
the time that I appointed judges over my people Israel. And I will give
you rest from all your enemies. Moreover, the Lord declares to you
that the Lord will make you a house.
Prayer (based on T.R.I.P. method**): Gracious and almighty
Father, thank you: you are not a thing built by us, nor even a created being.
You are the living God… the Word in the flesh… not contained by a building, nor
even by a tomb. Alleluia! Repent me, my congregation, and your whole church of
our plans and projects for you. Stay on the move, pursue us even… cut off from
us our enemies – our sin, our death, and the Devil – and be our true home in Christ
for us; now and for eternity. I ask this in the name of Jesus, David’s
descendent, your Son. Amen.
Hymn: hear
these words from the fourth stanza of Nikolaus Herman’s hymn “Let All Together
Praise our God”
He undertakes a great
exchange,
Puts on a human frame,
And in return gives us His realm,
His glory, and His name,
His glory, and His name.
Puts on a human frame,
And in return gives us His realm,
His glory, and His name,
His glory, and His name.
Benediction: Blessing and honor and thanksgiving and praise,
more than we can utter, more than we can conceive, be unto thee, O holy and
glorious Trinity, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, by all angels, all people, all
creatures, forever and ever. Amen. (Thomas Ken quoted in Frederick
B. Macnutt, The Prayer Manual
London: Mowbray, 1951, p.39)
*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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