Your partner in the foxhole that is life

 Verse for the week: “I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.” John 15.5  

Prayer for the week: Blessed is everyone who fears you, O Lord. Rescue me from my own way. Grant that I may walk in your ways, that your peace may be upon my children’s children; through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. (based on Psalm 128)  

Bible reading for the day: Genesis 2.18-3.1 (note: Right after he creates life and just before the battle with Satan is pitched, the Lord God establishes husband and wife in the estate of marriage.)
Then the Lord God said, “It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him.” ¹⁹ Now out of the ground the Lord God had formed every beast of the field and every bird of the heavens and brought them to the man to see what he would call them. And whatever the man called every living creature, that was its name. ²⁰ The man gave names to all livestock and to the birds of the heavens and to every beast of the field. But for Adam there was not found a helper fit for him. ²¹ So the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and while he slept took one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh. ²² And the rib that the Lord God had taken from the man he made into a woman and brought her to the man. ²³ Then the man said,

“This at last is bone of my bones
    and flesh of my flesh;
she shall be called Woman,
    because she was taken out of Man.”

²⁴ Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh. ²⁵ And the man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed.

^3.1Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the LORD God had made.”  

Prayer (based on the TRIP* method): Gracious and almighty Father, thank you for not leaving me alone; thank you that my dog is not my best friend… my wife is. Under Christ we know no shame and we are perfectly paired for the battle against Satan; thank you. In Jesus’ name I pray, 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=teI3ayeBxX0  

“Lead us not into tempation…”

What does this mean?  God indeed tempts no one to sin, but we pray in this petition that our heavenly Father 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; and we pray that even though 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 peace of God which surpasses all understanding keep your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus our Lord.  Amen.  (Philippians 4.7)

 

*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.