You have been chosen

Verse for the week:  “As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the Lord surrounds his people, from this time forth and forevermore.” Psalm 125.2

Prayer for the week:  “Lord, take us – body, soul, and mind – and make us wholly yours.  So increase your grace in us that not our own desires but your holy will may rule us all in all; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.” (K.B. Ritter, Gebete fur das jahr der Kirched, 2^nd  ed. Kassel: Barenreiter Verlag, 1948, p. 185). 

Bible reading for the day:  Deuteronomy 7.6-9 (“Deuteronomy” means “second law.” Here a second, later generation confesses what God has done for them and what it means to be his people.)

⁶ “For you are a people holy to the Lord your God. The Lord your God has chosen you to be a people for his treasured possession, out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth. ⁷ It was not because you were more in number than any other people that the Lord set his love on you and chose you, for you were the fewest of all peoples, ⁸ but it is because the Lord loves you and is keeping the oath that he swore to your fathers, that the Lord has brought you out with a mighty hand and redeemed you from the house of slavery, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt. ⁹ Know therefore that the Lord your God is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, to a thousand generations,”

Prayer (based on T.R.I.P. method*): Gracious and almighty Father, thank you for your steadfast love and for your commandments… both of which you fulfill for us in Christ Jesus. Thank you! Deliver us from the old slavery of our own boasting or deserving. Keep on keeping your covenant with us, that we may as your chosen people, your treasured possession rather than our own. 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=yKP_XxCBDZY&ab_channel=MartijndeGroot

THE FIRST COMMANDMENT

“I am the Lord your God…

You shall have no other gods.” Exodus 20.2

What does this mean for us?  We should fear, love, and trust God above all things. (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.