Jesus Christ, your Only Sure Defense

Verse for the week: God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.  I Peter 5.5

Prayer for the week: “Almighty, everlasting God, mercifully behold us who have been made your children through baptism and, according to your grace, grant that your promises may be fulfilled in us; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.” (K.B. Ritter, Gebete fur das jahr der Kirche, 2^nd  ed. Kassel: Barenreiter Verlag, 1948, p. 183). 

Bible reading for the day:  Psalm 26 (H.J. Kraus: “Accused and charged, the psalmist rests his case with God. His prayers and cries are based on trust in the Lord’s steadfast love and faithfulness. The church of the NT would take up and understand this psalm as looking to Jesus Christ – yet in such a way that in this struggle for righteousness none of the actuality of this life is removed.”)

 Vindicate me, O Lord,
    for I have walked in my integrity,
    and I have trusted in the Lord without wavering.
² Prove me, O Lord, and try me;
    test my heart and my mind.
³ For your steadfast love is before my eyes,
    and I walk in your faithfulness.

⁴ I do not sit with men of falsehood,
    nor do I consort with hypocrites.
⁵ I hate the assembly of evildoers,
    and I will not sit with the wicked.

⁶ I wash my hands in innocence
    and go around your altar, O Lord,
⁷ proclaiming thanksgiving aloud,
    and telling all your wondrous deeds.

⁸ O Lord, I love the habitation of your house
    and the place where your glory dwells.
⁹ Do not sweep my soul away with sinners,
    nor my life with bloodthirsty men,
¹⁰ in whose hands are evil devices,
    and whose right hands are full of bribes.

¹¹ But as for me, I shall walk in my integrity;
    redeem me, and be gracious to me.
¹² My foot stands on level ground;
    in the great assembly I will bless the Lord.

Prayer (based on the TRIP* method): Gracious and almighty Father, thank you for hearing my case, my plea. Christ alone is my vindication. Deliver me constantly from pride and give me ears to hear and heed your judgment. Make my heart, hands, and mouth love coming to your house… set my feet in the great congregation on the only level ground there is: your Son, Jesus Christ, our savior and Lord. In his name I ask this, amen.

Hymn: follow this link to a beloved classic which gives further voice to today’s conversation with the Lord (tough tune, great text): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IX7vY0yq_m8  

What does baptism mean for daily life?

It means that the old Adam in us, together with all my sins and evil desires, should be drowned by daily sorrow for sin and repentance and be put to death, and that the new person should come forth every day and rise to live before God in righteousness and purity forever.

Where is this written?

Saint Paul says in Romans, “We were buried therefore with him by Baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life” (Romans 6:4).  (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.