Here comes Christ to open our closed hearts

Verse for the week:  ¹¹“I am the good shepherd… ²⁷My sheep hear my voice. I know them, and they follow me. ²⁸I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one will snatch them out of my hand.” John 10.11, 27-28

Prayer for the week:  O Savior Christ, you lead to eternal joy all those who trust in you.  Grant that we, being weak, presume not to trust in ourselves, but may always have you in our ears and before our eyes, that we may follow you, our Good Shepherd; to you with the Father and the Holy Spirit be glory forever.  Amen.  (Primer, 1545, adapted)

Bible reading for the day:  I John 3.16-24 (written after the Gospel of John, sometime between 90-100 AD; some members of the congregation were in “love with the world and the things of it” 2.15, and were leaving the faith.)

¹⁶By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers. ¹⁷ But if anyone has the world's goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God's love abide in him? ¹⁸ Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.

¹⁹ By this we shall know that we are of the truth and reassure our heart before him; ²⁰ for whenever our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and he knows everything. ²¹ Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence before God; ²² and whatever we ask we receive from him, because we keep his commandments and do what pleases him. ²³ And this is his commandment, that we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he has commanded us. ²⁴ Whoever keeps his commandments abides in God, and God in him. And by this we know that he abides in us, by the Spirit whom he has given us.

Prayer (based on T.R.I.P. method*): Gracious and almighty Father, thank you for defining and demonstrating love in the flesh in Jesus Christ. Our nature, our default mode is a closed heart… You are greater than my small heart, Lord, so deliver me from it. Open me up and bring forth the fruit of a love that actually keeps your commandments for a change… a love that talks and walks and lays my life down for others. In Jesus’ name I ask this, amen.

Hymn: follow this link to a beloved, classic that gives further voice to today’s conversation with our Good Shepherd: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LF2M8nvKK9k

“I believe in the Holy Spirit…”

What does this mean?  I believe that I cannot by my own reason or strength believe in Jesus Christ my Lord or come to him; but the Holy Spirit has called me through the Gospel, enlightened me with his gifts, and sanctified and preserved me in the true faith. In the same way, he calls, gathers, enlightens, and sanctifies the whole Christian church on earth, and preserves it in unity with Jesus Christ in the one true faith. In this Christian church, he daily forgives abundantly all my sins and the sins of all believers. At the last day, he will raise me and all the dead and will grant everlasting life to me and to all who believe in Christ. This is most certainly true! (from The Small Catechism, by Martin Luther ©Reclaim Resources, Sola Publishing, 2011)

Benediction:  The God of hope fill us with all joy and peace in believing, that we may abound in hope, in the power of the Holy Spirit.  Amen.  (Romans 15.13)

 

 
*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.