Verse for the week: Whoever hears you hears me, and whoever rejects you rejects me, and whoever rejects me rejects him who sent me.” Luke 10.16
Prayer for the week: “Lord God, heavenly Father, you have bound us together in one body through your Holy Spirit. Help us to serve one another willingly and forgive one another from our hearts; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.” (K.B. Ritter, Gebete fur das jahr der Kirched, 1st ed. Kassel: Barenreiter Verlag, 1933, p. 74).
Bible reading for the day: Psalm 138
I give you thanks, O Lord, with my whole heart;
before the gods I sing your praise;
2 I bow down toward your holy temple
and give thanks to your name for your steadfast love
and your faithfulness,
for you have exalted above all things
your name and your word.
3 On the day I called, you answered me;
my strength of soul you increased.
4 All the kings of the earth shall give you thanks, O Lord,
for they have heard the words of your mouth,
5 and they shall sing of the ways of the Lord,
for great is the glory of the Lord.
6 For though the Lord is high, he regards the
lowly,
but the haughty he knows from afar.
you preserve my life;
you stretch out your hand against the wrath of my enemies,
and your right hand delivers me.
8 The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me;
your steadfast love, O Lord, endures forever.
Do not forsake the work of your hands.
Prayer (based on the TRIP* method): Gracious and almighty Father, you alone are indeed worthy of our thanks. In Christ Jesus, you have stretched out your right hand against our enemies - our sin, our death, and the devil - and have brought us lowly ones into your kingdom; thank you! Keep on fulfilling your purpose for us, especially when it is difficult and we find ourselves in trouble. We are the work of your hands, O Lord, so keep at it and do not forsake us. In Jesus’ name we 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=4XRmGEbH0qs
“Our Father who art in heaven…”
What does this mean? God encourages us to believe that he is truly our Father, and that we are truly his children, so we may boldly and confidently pray to him, just as beloved children speak to their dear father.
“hallowed be thy name…”
What does this mean? God's name is indeed holy in itself, but we pray in this petition that it may be kept holy also among us.
How is this done? God's name is hallowed when his Word is taught in its truth and purity and we, as God's children, lead holy lives in harmony with it. Grant this to us, dear Father in heaven! But whoever teaches and lives in ways other than what God's Word teaches dishonors the name of God among us. Prevent us from doing this, heavenly Father! (from “The Small Catechism” by Martin Luther ©Reclaim Resources, Sola Publishing, 2011)
Benediction: Now to him who by the power at work within us is able to accomplish abundantly far more than all we can ask or imagine, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen. (Eph 3:20-21)
*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:
R: 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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