the Lord is robed; he has put on strength as his belt.” Psalm 93.1
Prayer for the week:
“O Lord, our most gracious Redeemer and King, dwell and reign within
us, take possession of us by your Spirit, and reign where you have a right to
reign; spread your kingdom throughout the world, now and forever. Amen” (Father
John of the Russian Church, nineteenth century, in Fox, A Chain of Prayer,
p.104).
Bible reading for the day: Mark 13.24-37
“But in those days, after that tribulation, the
sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, 25 and the
stars will be falling from heaven, and the powers in the heavens will be
shaken. 26 And then they will see the Son of
Man coming in clouds with great power and glory. 27 And
then he will send out the angels and gather his elect
from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of
heaven.
28 “From the fig tree learn
its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts out its leaves, you
know that summer is near. 29 So also, when you see
these things taking place, you know that he is near, at the very
gates. 30 Truly, I say to you, this generation will
not pass away until all these things take place. 31 Heaven
and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.
32 “But concerning that day
or that hour, no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the
Son, but only the Father. 33 Be on
guard, keep awake. For you do not know when the time will
come. 34 It is like a man going on a journey,
when he leaves home and puts his servants in charge, each with his
work, and commands the doorkeeper to stay awake. 35 Therefore
stay awake—for you do not know when the master of the house will come, in
the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or in
the morning— 36 lest he come suddenly
and find you asleep. 37 And what I say to you
I say to all: Stay awake.”
Prayer (based on T.R.I.P. method*): Gracious
Lord, thank you for electing a sinner like me in Christ… and thank you for his
promised return. As we await that day, the devil, the world, and our own sinful
will want us either distracted and falling asleep… or hyper awake and
over-caffeinated. Either way we end up neglecting the stewardship of the
present moment and ministry which you entrust to us. Rescue us, Lord! Keep me
and your whole church awake to the work you put in front of us, the opportunities
to give generously and to care for the people you entrust to us… until the
Master returns. 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=RtkkLUs4n7g&ab_channel=St.MatthewLutheranChurch%26EarlyChildhood
“Thy kingdom come…
What does this mean?
The kingdom of God comes indeed by itself, without our
prayer, but we pray in this petition that it may also come to us.
When does this happen?
God's kingdom comes when our heavenly Father gives us his
Holy Spirit, so that by his grace we believe his holy Word and live a godly
life now and in eternity. (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.
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