New ears and a new song for you

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:  Psalm 40  (The psalmist gives beautiful voice to the contrast between sacrifices & offerings – thing we do – and the preached Word and work of the Lord.)

¹ I waited patiently for the Lord;
    he inclined to me and heard my cry.
² He drew me up from the pit of destruction,
    out of the miry bog,
and set my feet upon a rock,
    making my steps secure.
³ He put a new song in my mouth,
    a song of praise to our God.
Many will see and fear,
    and put their trust in the Lord.

⁴ Blessed is the man who makes
    the Lord his trust,
who does not turn to the proud,
    to those who go astray after a lie!
⁵ You have multiplied, O Lord my God,
    your wondrous deeds and your thoughts toward us;
    none can compare with you!
I will proclaim and tell of them,
    yet they are more than can be told.

⁶ In sacrifice and offering you have not delighted,
    but ears you have dug for me.
Burnt offering and sin offering
    you have not required.
⁷ Then I said, “Behold, I have come;
    in the scroll of the book it is written of me:
⁸ I delight to do your will, O my God;
    your law is within my heart.”

⁹ I have told the glad news of deliverance
    in the great congregation;
behold, I have not restrained my lips,
    as you know, O Lord.
¹⁰ I have not hidden your deliverance within my heart;
    I have spoken of your faithfulness and your salvation;
I have not concealed your steadfast love and your faithfulness
    from the great congregation.

Prayer (based on TRIP* method): Gracious and almighty Lord, thank you for drawing me up out of Satan’s miry bog and setting my feet on Christ, thank you! Again today, deliver me from the song of myself. Dig out my ears for me, unclog them… for then I shall sing a new song. In my mouth, put the song of your praise and I shall delight in your word rather than my sacrifice… and I shall tell my congregation – with my own lips – your great deliverance. In Jesus’ name I ask this, amen.

Hymn: follow this link to a classic hymn which gives further voice to today’s conversation with the Lord: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nx0rCabJ16c or follow this link to Bono’s rendition of this Psalm: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3z_LBNF_-xI

“I believe in the Holy Spirit…”

What does this mean?

I believe that I cannot by my own reason or strength believe in Jesus Christ my Lord or come to him; but the Holy Spirit has called me through the Gospel, enlightened me with his gifts, and sanctified and preserved me in the true faith. In the same way, he calls, gathers, enlightens, and sanctifies the whole Christian church on earth, and preserves it in unity with Jesus Christ in the one true faith. In this Christian church, he daily forgives abundantly all my sins and the sins of all believers. At the last day, he will raise me and all the dead and will grant everlasting life to me and to all who believe in Christ. This is most certainly true! (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.