Verse for the week: “For God alone my soul waits in silence, for my
hope is from him.” Psalm 62.5
Prayer for this week: “Lord, open our ears and hearts, that we may heed
your hidden wisdom and let your word be a light to our path. Speak to us through your living word, that we
may obey your call and follow him whom you have sent, Jesus Christ our Savior,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
(K.B. Ritter, Gebete für das jahr
der Kirche, 2nd ed.
Kassel: Barenreiter Verlag, 1948, p.180 )
Bible reading for the day: Jonah 3.1-10
(note: This is the only the middle part of the story of the Lord’s work on and
through Jonah. The FIRST time the Lord called Jonah, Jonah tried to flee. This time, well…)
1 Then the word of the Lord came to Jonah the
second time, saying, 2 “Arise, go to Nineveh,
that great city, and call out against it the message that I tell you.” 3 So
Jonah arose and went to Nineveh, according to the word of the Lord.
Now Nineveh was an exceedingly great city, three days' journey in
breadth. 4 Jonah began to go into the city, going a
day's journey. And he called out, “Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be
overthrown!” 5 And the people of Nineveh believed
God. They called for a fast and put on sackcloth, from the greatest
of them to the least of them.
6 The word reached the king of Nineveh,
and he arose from his throne, removed his robe, covered himself with
sackcloth, and sat in ashes. 7 And he issued a
proclamation and published through Nineveh, “By the decree of the king and
his nobles: Let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste anything. Let
them not feed or drink water, 8 but let man
and beast be covered with sackcloth, and let them call out mightily to
God. Let everyone turn from his evil way and from the violence that
is in his hands. 9 Who knows? God may turn and
relent and turn from his fierce anger, so that we may not perish.”
10 When God saw what they did, how they turned from
their evil way, God relented of the disaster that he had said he would do
to them, and he did not do it.
Prayer (based on TRIP** method): Gracious and almighty Lord, thank you for Jonah and
all the other preachers you ride to deliver your word; and thank you for giving
me the faith to believe you. Repent me
and your whole church of putting ourselves above your word or fleeing from
it. Speak to us a second time, get us
up, and use us to proclaim your judgment upon sin and your mercy for sinners. I ask this in Jesus’ name, amen.
Thy kingdom come…
What
does this mean?
The kingdom of God comes
indeed by itself, without our prayer, but we pray in this petition that it may
also come to us.
How is this done?
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 now and in eternity. (from The Small Catechism, by Martin
Luther ©Reclaim Resources, Sola Publishing, 2011)
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
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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