New land for you

 

Verse for the week: “Unless the Lord builds the house,
    those who build it labor in vain.
Unless the Lord watches over the city,
    the watchman stays awake in vain.” Psalm 127  

Prayer for the week: O Lord, do not keep silent. Speak to deliver our families from the peril of our vain building. Hallow your name among us that our households may be set on the solid rock who is Christ and built up by your strong word for us; through the same Jesus Christ, your Son, our Lord. Amen.   

Bible reading for the day: Numbers 13.30-33 (note: After the Exodus from slavery in Egypt, the people Israel are about to enter the promised land. Moses has sent 12 men to spy out the land. 11 bring back report of tall, strong inhabitants living in fortified cities; only Caleb speaks a different word. I encourage you to read the larger story in Numbers 13-14.)
 But Caleb quieted the people before Moses and said, “Let us go up at once and occupy it, for we are well able to overcome it.” ³¹ Then the men who had gone up with him said, “We are not able to go up against the people, for they are stronger than we are.” ³² So they brought to the people of Israel a bad report of the land that they had spied out, saying, “The land, through which we have gone to spy it out, is a land that devours its inhabitants, and all the people that we saw in it are of great height. ³³ And there we saw the Nephilim (the sons of Anak, who come from the Nephilim), and we seemed to ourselves like grasshoppers, and so we seemed to them.”  

Prayer (based on the TRIP* method): Gracious and almighty Father, thank you for your promise and provision, not just of land and daily bread… but of true life in that new land who is Christ Jesus, crucified and raised for our forgiveness. Especially as we dwell in a culture that increasingly contests you, repent us of trusting our small eyes rather than your promise in our ears. Grant me and my congregation that different spirit such that we might follow you fully rather than listen to the devil, the world, and our sinful selves. 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=cY6k2QhdCn0   

“Lead us not into temptation…”

What does this mean?  God indeed tempts no one to sin, but we ask in this prayer that our heavenly Father would watch over us and keep us so that the devil, the world, and our sinful self may not deceive us or draw us into false belief, despair, and other great and shameful sins. And we pray that even though we are so tempted, we may still win the final victory. (from The Small Catechism, by Martin Luther)  

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.