Not your assistant

Verse for the week: “O God, hear my prayer;
    give ear to the words of my mouth.” Psalm 54.2

Prayer for the week: Return us, O Lord, to you. Have pity on your servants. Teach us to number our days that we may gain a wise heart. Satisfy us in the morning with your steadfast love, that we may rejoice and be glad all our days. Let your work be shown to us and your glorious power to our children; through Jesus Christ, your Son, our Lord. Amen.

Bible reading for the day: Psalm 54 

O God, save me by your name,
    and vindicate me by your might.
² O God, hear my prayer;
    give ear to the words of my mouth.

³ For strangers have risen against me;
    ruthless men seek my life;
    they do not set God before themselves.     Selah

⁴ Behold, God is my helper;
    the Lord is the upholder of my life.
⁵ He will return the evil to my enemies;
    in your faithfulness put an end to them.

⁶ With a freewill offering I will sacrifice to you;
    I will give thanks to your name, O Lord, for it is good.
⁷ For he has delivered me from every trouble,
    and my eye has looked in triumph on my enemies.

Prayer for the week: Gracious and almighty Father, you are not just my assistant but my only true Help, the upholder of my life. Thank you! While I live in this world under your name, my enemies still seek to trouble me… indeed, precisely because you have called me by your name they attack. So, keep up your faithfulness dear Father; daily deliver me from the devil, the world and my sinful self… that my eye may look and see their defeat. 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=ALHSjbTK_jE&ab_channel=MartijndeGroot

“Thy will be done…”

What does this mean?  The good and gracious will of God is indeed done without our prayer; but we ask in this petition that it may be done also among us.

When does this happen?  God’s will is done when he hinders and defeats every evil scheme and purpose of the devil, the world, and our sinful self, which would prevent us from keeping his name holy and would oppose the coming of his kingdom.

And his will is done when he strengthens our faith and keeps us firm in his Word as long as we live. This is his gracious and good will. (from The Small Catechism, by Martin Luther)

Benediction: The Lord bless you and keep you;
²⁵ the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you;
²⁶ the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.   Numbers 6.24-26

 

*This is now our congregation’s 99^th year in the Word. In 2025, we are reading from Genesis to Revelation, with a few interludes along the way.