Who's your Daddy?

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

Prayer for the week:  Almighty and loving Father, you alone are good and do good. Deal with us according to your word. Teach us your commandments and forgive us our sins; that in your image, we also may learn to desire mercy rather than sacrifice; through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you, one God, now and forever. Amen.

Bible reading for the day: Exodus 19.2-9 (Three months after the Exodus, Israel is encamped at the foot of Mt. Sinai. Through his servant Moses, God calls his people to obey his voice.)

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, our mouths are quick to promise obedience, but our will and actions reveal our stubborn pride. 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

 

*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.