Beware your will and its clever myths

Verse for the week: “For it is the God who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.. (II Corinthians 4.6) 

Prayer for the week: “Christ our God, you were transfigured on the mountain and manifested your glory to your disciples as they were able to bear it.  Shed your everlasting light upon us, that we may behold your glory and enter into your sufferings, and proclaim you to the world, for you give light in the darkness and are yourself the light, now and forever. Amen.” (Eastern Orthodox, in Fredercik B. Macnutt, The Prayer Manual, London: Mowbray, 1951,  pp.121-22)

Bible reading for the day:  II Peter 1.16-21

 ¹⁶ For we did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. ¹⁷ For when he received honor and glory from God the Father, and the voice was borne to him by the Majestic Glory, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased,” ¹⁸ we ourselves heard this very voice borne from heaven, for we were with him on the holy mountain. ¹⁹ And we have the prophetic word more fully confirmed, to which you will do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts, ²⁰ knowing this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone's own interpretation. ²¹ For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.

Prayer (based on the TRIP* method): Gracious and almighty Father thank you: into the darkness of my conscience and the world, you shine the light of Jesus Christ, your own beloved Son.  Thank you! Repent me and your whole church of falling for the cleverly devised myths of our human will and our own interpretations of your word.  Each day and until the Last Day dawns and Jesus returns, take hold of us and carry us along with your completely reliable, living word…that we may be wholly yours, now and forever. I ask this in Jesus’ name, amen.

Hymn: follow this link to a beloved hymn that gives further voice to today’s conversation with the Lord: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D4hXJ9ax2FY

“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: Now to him who by the power at work within us is able to accomplish abundantly far more than all we can ask or imagine, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen. (Eph 3:20-21) 

 

*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.