Verse for the week: “The Lord has done great things for us; we are glad.” Psalm 126.3
Prayer for
the week: “Almighty and
everlasting God, increase in us the gifts of faith, hope, and charity; and,
that we may obtain what you have already promised, make us love what you
command; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen” (Lutheran Book of Worship,
prayer for the 23rd Sunday after Pentecost).
Bible
reading for the day: Psalm
119.9-16 Hebrews 4.1-13 (note: This letter was written around 95 AD, when
Christians were experiencing persecution for their faith and had little hope
that the crisis would become anything but worse. The promise of true rest for
us in Christ stands; but the hardened heart forfeits this promise and maroons
itself in restlessness.)
Therefore,
while the promise of entering his rest still stands, let us fear lest any of
you should seem to have failed to reach it. 2 For
good news came to us just as to them, but the message they heard did not
benefit them, because they were not united by faith with those who
listened. 3 For we who have believed enter that
rest, as he has said,
“As I swore
in my wrath,
‘They shall not enter my rest,’”
although his
works were finished from the foundation of the world. 4 For
he has somewhere spoken of the seventh day in this way: “And God rested on
the seventh day from all his works.” 5 And again in
this passage he said,
“They shall
not enter my rest.”
6 Since therefore it remains for some to
enter it, and those who formerly received the good news failed to enter
because of disobedience, 7 again he appoints a
certain day, “Today,” saying through David so long afterward, in the words
already quoted,
“Today, if
you hear his voice,
do not harden your hearts.”
8 For if Joshua had given them rest,
God would not have spoken of another day later on. 9 So
then, there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God, 10 for
whoever has entered God's rest has also rested from his works as God did
from his.
11 Let us therefore strive to enter that
rest, so that no one may fall by the same sort of disobedience. 12 For the
word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged
sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow,
and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. 13 And no
creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the
eyes of him to whom we must give account.
Prayer (based on T.R.I.P. method*): Gracious
and almighty Father, thank you for the promised rest that is ours in Christ.
While we toil in this transitory life, guard me and your whole church from the
pride of self that fills our ears with our own voice, hardens our hearts, and
leads us to disobey you. Keep wielding the sharp scalpel of your word on us
that we may be preserved from disobedience and finally enter our promised rest;
through Jesus Christ, your Son, our Lord. 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=hbg5SjT0fTs
The First
Commandment, with a Promise:
“I am the
Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of
slavery.
You shall
have no other gods before me.” Exodus
20.1-3
What does
this mean?
We are to fear,
love, and trust God above anything else. (from The Small Catechism, by
Martin Luther)
From this time on and forevermore. Ps 121.7-8
*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.
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