Kingdoms: your shaky one and his unshakable

Invitatory[1]: “Let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us,

    and establish the work of our hands upon us;

    yes, establish the work of our hands!” Psalm 90.17

Prayer for the week: “Almighty God, you richly and unceasingly furnish us with all good things and preserve us day by day.  Make us to acknowledge this with our whole heart, that we may thank and praise you for your lovingkindness and mercy here and for evermore; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. (K.B. Ritter, Gebete fur das jahr der Kirchen, 2^nd  ed. Kassel: Barenreiter Verlag, 1948, p. 200). 

Bible reading for the day:  Hebrews 12.28-13.8

^12.28Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, ²⁹ for our God is a consuming fire.

 ^13.1Let brotherly love continue. ² Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares. ³ Remember those who are in prison, as though in prison with them, and those who are mistreated, since you also are in the body. ⁴ Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterous. ⁵ Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” ⁶ So we can confidently say,

“The Lord is my helper;
I will not fear;
what can man do to me?”

⁷ Remember your leaders, those who spoke to you the word of God. Consider the outcome of their way of life, and imitate their faith. ⁸ Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.

prayer(based on the TRIP** method): Gracious and almighty Father, thank you: by your sheer mercy you have rescued my sisters and brothers and me and brought us into your unshakeable kingdom… thank you!  Repent us of holding on to our old, crumbling kingdoms.  Reign over us with your Holy Spirit now so that among us:

… brotherly love may thrive

            … strangers may know hospitality in your name

                        …prisoners may be remembered as by you

                                    … marriage may be held in honor and it’s bed undefiled

                                                …money may be yours, not ours

                                                            … we may respect our leaders and follow their example… in the name of your Son, Jesus Christ, I ask this.  Amen.

Hymn: follow this link to a beloved classic that gives further voice to today’s conversation with the Lord: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mgzRB4gEPf4

“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 The Lord will keep you from all evil; he will keep your life.

                        The Lord will keep your going out and your coming in

                        From this time on and forevermore.  Ps 121.7-8

*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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[1] As the word implies, an invitatory is a verse that invites or invokes the Lord’s ear and his work upon you.