Verse for the week: God is light and in him is no darkness at all. I John 1.5
Prayer for the week: Gracious Lord God, magnify the wisdom of your ways for us and grant
that in childlike trust we may submit ourselves to your fatherly guidance. Uphold us by your hand, guide us with your
counsel, and receive us at last into glory; through Jesus Christ, your Son our
Lord. Amen.” (adapted from, Kirchenbuch fur die Gemeinde (Isenhagen), quoted
in Orate Fratres, p. 64).
Bible reading for the day: Revelation 1.3-8
Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this
prophecy, and blessed are those who hear, and who keep what is written in
it, for the time is near.
4 John to the seven churches that are in Asia:
Grace to you and peace from him who is
and who was and who is to come, and from the seven spirits who are
before his throne, 5 and from Jesus Christ the
faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of kings
on earth.
To him who loves us and has freed us from
our sins by his blood 6 and made us a
kingdom, priests to his God and Father, to him be glory
and dominion forever and ever. Amen. 7 Behold, he
is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who
pierced him, and all tribes of the earth will wail on account of him. Even
so. Amen.
8 “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is and who
was and who is to come, the Almighty.”
Prayer (based
on the TRIP** method): Gracious and almighty
Father, thank you for the grace and peace and new life that are ours in the
faithful one, the firstborn of the dead, the ruler of all kings: Jesus Christ
our Lord. Thank you! As this year ends, cause me to realize that my life and
this whole world, this shadowlands, will one day end… and then we shall finally
start really living! In the meantime, keep me and my congregation among the
blessed ones who hear and keep your Word; through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.
Hymn: follow
this link to a beloved classic hymn that gives further voice to today’s
conversation with the Lord: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0k1WhFtVp0o
“And lead us not into temptation…” The Sixth Petition of the
Lord’s Prayer
What
does this mean?
God indeed tempts no one to
sin, but we pray in this petition that God would guard and protect us from
this, that the devil, the world, and our sinful nature may not deceive us or
lead us into false belief, despair, and other great and shameful sins, but pray
that when we are tempted in these ways, we may finally prevail and gain the
victory. (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
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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