Restore us, O God

Verse for the week: My soul magnifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior.  Lk 1.46-47

Prayer for the 4th week of Advent: “Lord, purify our hearts that they may be worthy to become your dwelling place. Come and abide with us that we also may abide in you, for you were born into the world for us and now live and reign, King of kings and Lord of lords, for evermore.  Amen.”  (William Temple in A.E. Baker, William Temple’s Teaching,  Philadelphia: Westminster Press, 1951, p.128)

Bible reading for the day:  Psalm 80 (This is a community prayer song, a lament of the people in distress. Something has gone terribly wrong - perhaps the death of Solomon and 922, or the fall of Israel in 722, or the fall of Judah and Jerusalem in 587, hard to say. Whatever the cause, the people are in distress and they know it. Gathered together and led by a song leader, they call out to the only one who can restore them: the Lord God.)

 Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel,
    you who lead Joseph like a flock.
You who are enthroned upon the cherubim, shine forth.
²     Before Ephraim and Benjamin and Manasseh,
stir up your might
    and come to save us!

³ Restore us, O God;
    let your face shine, that we may be saved!

⁴ O Lord God of hosts,
    how long will you be angry with your people's prayers?
⁵ You have fed them with the bread of tears
    and given them tears to drink in full measure.
⁶ You make us an object of contention for our neighbors,
    and our enemies laugh among themselves.

⁷ Restore us, O God of hosts;
    let your face shine, that we may be saved!

⁸ You brought a vine out of Egypt;
    you drove out the nations and planted it.
⁹ You cleared the ground for it;
    it took deep root and filled the land.
¹⁰ The mountains were covered with its shade,
    the mighty cedars with its branches.
¹¹ It sent out its branches to the sea
    and its shoots to the River.
¹² Why then have you broken down its walls,
    so that all who pass along the way pluck its fruit?
¹³ The boar from the forest ravages it,
    and all that move in the field feed on it.

¹⁴ Turn again, O God of hosts!
    Look down from heaven, and see;
have regard for this vine,
¹⁵     the stock that your right hand planted,
    and for the son whom you made strong for yourself.
¹⁶ They have burned it with fire; they have cut it down;
    may they perish at the rebuke of your face!
¹⁷ But let your hand be on the man of your right hand,
    the son of man whom you have made strong for yourself!
¹⁸ Then we shall not turn back from you;
    give us life, and we will call upon your name!

¹⁹ Restore us, O Lord God of hosts!
    Let your face shine, that we may be saved!

Prayer (based on T.R.I.P. method*): Give us your ear O Shepherd. We are the vine of your own planting. Prune us as you please... and give us ears to hear Christ… For he alone is restoration for us and our neighbors. In Jesus’ name I pray, 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=LF2M8nvKK9k

“I believe in Jesus Christ…”

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: Blessing and honor and thanksgiving and praise, more than we can utter, more than we can conceive, be unto thee, O holy and glorious Trinity, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, by all angels, all people, all creatures, for ever and ever. Amen. (Thomas Ken quoted in Frederick B. Macnutt, The Prayer Manual   London: Mowbray, 1951, p.39)

 

*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).  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.