Verse for the week:
Know that the Lord, he is God!
It is he who made us, and we are his;
we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. Psalm 100.3
It is he who made us, and we are his;
we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. Psalm 100.3
Prayer for the week:
“Almighty, everlasting God, you have given us the promise of your
divine life. Bestow upon us your Holy
Spirit, that, quickened by your word, we may lay hold on eternal life by strong
faith in your Son, and in him be saved; through Jesus Christ, your Son, our
Lord. Amen. (K.B. Ritter, Gebete fur das Jahr
der Kirche, 2nd ed. (Kassel: Johannes Stauda-Verllag, 1948), p.170)
Bible reading for the day: Exodus 19.2-9
They set out from Rephidim and came into the
wilderness of Sinai, and they encamped in the wilderness. There Israel encamped
before the mountain, 3 while Moses went
up to God. The Lord called to him out of the mountain, saying,
“Thus you shall say to the house of Jacob, and tell the people of Israel: 4 ‘You
yourselves have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on
eagles' wings and brought you to myself. 5 Now
therefore, if you will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall
be my treasured possession among all peoples, for all the earth is
mine; 6 and you shall be to me a kingdom of
priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words that you shall speak to
the people of Israel.”
7 So Moses came and called
the elders of the people and set before them all these words that
the Lord had commanded him. 8 All the
people answered together and said, “All that the Lord has spoken we
will do.” And Moses reported the words of the people to the Lord. 9 And
the Lord said to Moses, “Behold, I am coming to you in a thick
cloud, that the people may hear when I speak with you, and may
also believe you forever.”
Prayer (based on
T.R.I.P. method**): Gracious and almighty Father, thank you for delivering
our forebears out of slavery in Egypt; thank you even more for delivering us
from slavery to sin through Jesus Christ. Thank you. O Lord, you know that we
talk a better game than we walk. Deliver my ears from pride of self. Grant that
I and my congregation may hear and obey your voice that we may indeed walk as
your treasured possession rather than our own. In Jesus’ name I ask this, amen.
Hymn: follow this link to a beloved classic which
gives further voice to today’s conversation with the Lord: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EQd2sh-nQ_M
I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord…
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
peace of God which surpasses all understanding keep your hearts and your minds
in Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen. Phil 4.7
*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.
No comments:
Post a Comment