God is not mumbling

Verse for the week: “The law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.” John 1.17

Prayer for the week: “Almighty God, loving Father, you govern all things in heaven and earth and make all things new through your almighty word.  Transform our sinful nature and all our doings by the power of your Holy Spirit, that we may please you and await the fulfillment of your reign, through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen. (adapted from: Otto Schlisske, Christliche Unterweisung im Jahr der Kirche (Göttingen: Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, 1949), p.99 )

Bible reading for the day:  Isaiah 49.1-7 (note: Our forebears had been unfaithful to God and thereby earned themselves a big “time out” – the Exile in Babylon from 587-539 B.C.  After their term was served, after the end of the Exile, the Lord and his Christ declare what the Lord will do to not only bring back the preserved of Israel but to extend his salvation to the ends of the earth.)

   ¹ Listen to me, O coastlands,
and give attention, you peoples from afar.
The Lord called me from the womb,
from the body of my mother he named my name.
² He made my mouth like a sharp sword;
in the shadow of his hand he hid me;
he made me a polished arrow;
in his quiver he hid me away.
³ And he said to me, “You are my servant,
Israel, in whom I will be glorified.”
⁴ But I said, “I have labored in vain;
I have spent my strength for nothing and vanity;
yet surely my right is with the Lord,
and my recompense with my God.”

⁵ And now the Lord says,
he who formed me from the womb to be his servant,
to bring Jacob back to him;
and that Israel might be gathered to him—
for I am honored in the eyes of the Lord,
and my God has become my strength—
⁶ he says:
“It is too light a thing that you should be my servant
to raise up the tribes of Jacob
and to bring back the preserved of Israel;
I will make you as a light for the nations,
that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth.”

⁷ Thus says the Lord,
the Redeemer of Israel and his Holy One,
to one deeply despised, abhorred by the nation,
the servant of rulers:
“Kings shall see and arise;
princes, and they shall prostrate themselves;
because of the Lord, who is faithful,
the Holy One of Israel, who has chosen you.”

Prayer (based on TRIP* method): Gracious and almighty Lord, thank you for not mumbling, not sending a dull Word. Thank you for speaking clearly in Christ, the sharp sword, your polished arrowhead…He’s the only one who cuts through the enemy’s lies and our bondage to ourselves.  It is too small a thing that this Living Word would stay within just our tribe or building.  So, draw back your bowstring and use even me and my congregation to deliver Jesus right on target for our neighbor…that your salvation may reach to the ends of the earth.  In Jesus’ name I ask this, amen. 

Hymn: follow this link to a beloved classic that give further voice to today’s conversation with the Lord: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X2bhHosLHmI

 “Hallowed be thy name…”

What does this mean?  God's name is indeed holy in itself, but we pray in this petition that it may be kept holy also among us.

How is this done?   God's name is hallowed when his Word is taught in its truth and purity and we, as God's children, lead holy lives in harmony with it. Grant this to us, dear Father in heaven! But whoever teaches and lives in ways other than what God's Word teaches dishonors the name of God among us. Prevent us from doing this, heavenly Father!  (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.