To you, O Lord...

Verse for the week: “To you, O Lord, I lift up my soul.”  Psalm 25.1

Prayer for the week: Make me to know your ways, O Lord; teach me your paths. Lead me in your truth and teach me, for you are the God of my salvation; for you I wait all the day long; through your Son, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Bible reading for the day: Psalm 25 (In this prayer song, the pray-er knows that he is threatened by enemies (v.2-3, 19) and that he is also marked with guilt by the sins of his youth and his failures (v.7, 11, 17-18). He prays for forgiveness, for rescue, and above all, for a new orientation of his life according to Yahweh’s ways.)   

To you, O Lord, I lift up my soul.
² O my God, in you I trust;
    let me not be put to shame;
    let not my enemies exult over me.
³ Indeed, none who wait for you shall be put to shame;
    they shall be ashamed who are wantonly treacherous.

⁴ Make me to know your ways, O Lord;
    teach me your paths.
⁵ Lead me in your truth and teach me,
    for you are the God of my salvation;
    for you I wait all the day long.

⁶ Remember your mercy, O Lord, and your steadfast love,
    for they have been from of old.
⁷ Remember not the sins of my youth or my transgressions;
    according to your steadfast love remember me,
    for the sake of your goodness, O Lord!

⁸ Good and upright is the Lord;
    therefore he instructs sinners in the way.
⁹ He leads the humble in what is right,
    and teaches the humble his way.
¹⁰ All the paths of the Lord are steadfast love and faithfulness,
    for those who keep his covenant and his testimonies.

¹¹ For your name's sake, O Lord,
    pardon my guilt, for it is great.
¹² Who is the man who fears the Lord?
    Him will he instruct in the way that he should choose.
¹³ His soul shall abide in well-being,
    and his offspring shall inherit the land.
¹⁴ The friendship of the Lord is for those who fear him,
    and he makes known to them his covenant.
¹⁵ My eyes are ever toward the Lord,
    for he will pluck my feet out of the net.

¹⁶ Turn to me and be gracious to me,
    for I am lonely and afflicted.
¹⁷ The troubles of my heart are enlarged;
    bring me out of my distresses.
¹⁸ Consider my affliction and my trouble,
    and forgive all my sins.

¹⁹ Consider how many are my foes,
    and with what violent hatred they hate me.
²⁰ Oh, guard my soul, and deliver me!
    Let me not be put to shame, for I take refuge in you.
²¹ May integrity and uprightness preserve me,
    for I wait for you.

²² Redeem Israel, O God,
    out of all his troubles.

Prayer for the week: Gracious and almighty Father, thank you: Christ crucified is the way, the truth and the life for me. The devil, the world, and my sinful self attack me constantly and would exult themselves over me… deceiving me with my ways rather than yours, O Lord. Consider my affliction and my trouble and forgive all my sins. Let me not be put to shame, for I take refuge in you; in Jesus’ name I ask this. Amen.

Hymn: follow this link to a new hymn that gives further voice to today’s conversation with the Lord: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e37m3I5eH8g&ab_channel=GloryToFatherGod

“Hallowed be thy name…”

What does this mean for us?

God’s name is certainly holy in itself, but we ask in this prayer that we may keep it holy.

When does this happen?  God’s name is hallowed whenever his word is taught in its truth and purity and we as children of God live in harmony with it. Help us to do this, heavenly Father! But anyone who teaches or lives contrary to the word of God dishonors God’s name among us. Keep us from doing this, heavenly Father! (from The Small Catechism, by Martin Luther)

Benediction: I am the Lord your God and you shall be my people. Amen.

 

*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.