Comfort for sinners

Verse for the week:  Prepare the way of the Lord...behold, the Lord comes with might.”  Isaiah 40:3,10

 Prayer for the 2^nd week of Advent: “Lord, accept our prayer and supplication, and grant that we may heed the call of John to prepare the way for your Son, and receive him into our hearts, that we may be your children; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.” (K. B. Ritter, Gebete fur das Jahr der Kirche, 2^nd ed.  Kassel: Johannes Stauda-Verlag, 1948)

 Bible reading for the day:  Isaiah 40.1-11 (note: By their protracted, proud disobedience to the Lord, our forebears in Judah & Jerusalem brought upon themselves the Exile to Babylon, a disciplinary “timeout” from 587-539 BC.  As the Lord brings their term of punishment to an end, he proclaims this good news to his yet beloved children.)

  Comfort, comfort my people, says your God.
² Speak tenderly to Jerusalem,
    and cry to her
that her warfare is ended,
    that her iniquity is pardoned,
that she has received from the Lord's hand
    double for all her sins.

³ A voice cries:
“In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord;
    make straight in the desert a highway for our God.
⁴ Every valley shall be lifted up,
    and every mountain and hill be made low;
the uneven ground shall become level,
    and the rough places a plain.
⁵ And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed,
    and all flesh shall see it together,
    for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”

⁶ A voice says, “Cry!”
    And I said, “What shall I cry?”
All flesh is grass,
    and all its constancy is like the flower of the field.
⁷ The grass withers, the flower fades
    when the breath of the Lord blows on it;
    surely the people are grass.
⁸ The grass withers, the flower fades,
    but the word of our God will stand forever.

⁹ Go on up to a high mountain,
    O Zion, herald of good news;
lift up your voice with strength,
    O Jerusalem, herald of good news;
    lift it up, fear not;
say to the cities of Judah,
    “Behold your God!”
¹⁰ Behold, the Lord God comes with might,
    and his arm rules for him;
behold, his reward is with him,
    and his recompense before him.
¹¹ He will tend his flock like a shepherd;
    he will gather the lambs in his arms;
he will carry them in his bosom,
    and gently lead those that are with young.

Prayer (based on T.R.I.P. method*): Gracious and almighty Lord, in Christ you came with the strange strength of a tender shepherd: strong enough to defeat our sin and gentle enough to carry sinners like us, in his own bosom, home to you. Thank you, thank you!  Precisely as we wither and fade like only so much grass and wildflowers, you remain constant, our strength. So get us up out of our pride and pity; lift up even our withering voices with your strength… so that people may behold their redemption in Christ the Good Shepherd, defeating their sin with his left arm while he carries them home in his right. In Jesus’ name I ask this, amen.

 Music: This great news from Isaiah is what G.F. Handel was inspired to proclaim in the very opening section of his “Messiah”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RmknWYFr6Xk

 “Thy kingdom come…”

What does this mean?

The kingdom of God comes indeed by itself, without our prayer, but we pray in this petition that it may also come to us.

When does this happen?

God's kingdom comes when our heavenly Father gives us his Holy Spirit, so that by his grace we believe his holy Word and live a godly life now and in eternity. (from The Small Catechism, by Martin Luther ©Reclaim Resources, Sola Publishing, 2011)

 Benediction: “The LORD is my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer, my God, my rock in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.     Psalm 147.10-11

 

*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 www.dailytext.com).  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. 

For Thanksgiving...

 “Bless the LORD, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name.

Bless the LORD, O my soul, and do not forget all his benefits--

who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases,

who redeems your life from the Pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy,

who satisfies you with good as long as you live so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's.            Psalm 103.1-5

 

Excerpt from Gratefulness, by George Herbert

Dear Lord,

Thou that hast giv’n so much to me,

Give one thing more, a grateful heart.

See how thy beggar works on thee

                        By art.

Wherefore I cry, and cry again;

And in no quiet canst thou be,

‘Till I a thankful heart obtain

                        Of thee.

Not thankful, when it pleaseth me;

As if thy blessings had spare days:

But such a heart, whose pulse may be

                        Thy praise. 

Amen.

 

“Give us this day our daily bread,”

What does this mean?

God gives daily bread to all people though sinful, but we ask in this prayer that He would teach us to realize this and to receive our daily bread with thanks.

What is meant by “daily bread”?

Daily bread includes everything required to meet our earthly needs, such as food, drink, clothing, home, property, employment, necessities, devout parents, children, and communities, honest and faithful authorities, good government, seasonable weather, peace, health, an orderly society, a good reputation, true friends and neighbors, and the like. (Small Catechism, by Martin Luther, Reclaim© 2011)

 

A beloved new hymn for you to sing along… http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DXDGE_lRI0E

Benediction: “The Lord bless you and keep you;
²⁵ the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you;
²⁶ the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.” Numbers 6.24-26

Restore us, O Lord

Verse for the week:  Lo, your king comes to you; triumphant and victorious is he, humble and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.  Zech 9.9

Prayer for the week:  “Almighty God and Lord, come to us with all your power and help us who are anxious and troubled.  Send us the Savior, that he may enter our hearts, and with your light illumine our night, through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.” (K.B. Ritter, Gebete fur das Jahr der Kirche, 1^st ed.  Kassel: Barenreiter Verlag, 1933, p.35.)

Bible reading for the day:  Psalm 80 (note: This is a community prayer song, a lament of the people in distress. Something has gone terribly wrong - perhaps the death of Solomon and 922, or the fall of Israel in 722, or the fall of Judah and Jerusalem in 587, hard to say. Whatever the cause, the people are in distress and they know it.)

Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel,
    you who lead Joseph like a flock.
You who are enthroned upon the cherubim, shine forth.
²     Before Ephraim and Benjamin and Manasseh,
stir up your might
    and come to save us!

³ Restore us, O God;
    let your face shine, that we may be saved!

⁴ O Lord God of hosts,
    how long will you be angry with your people's prayers?
⁵ You have fed them with the bread of tears
    and given them tears to drink in full measure.
⁶ You make us an object of contention for our neighbors,
    and our enemies laugh among themselves.

⁷ Restore us, O God of hosts;
    let your face shine, that we may be saved!

⁸ You brought a vine out of Egypt;
    you drove out the nations and planted it.
⁹ You cleared the ground for it;
    it took deep root and filled the land.
¹⁰ The mountains were covered with its shade,
    the mighty cedars with its branches.
¹¹ It sent out its branches to the sea
    and its shoots to the River.
¹² Why then have you broken down its walls,
    so that all who pass along the way pluck its fruit?
¹³ The boar from the forest ravages it,
    and all that move in the field feed on it.

¹⁴ Turn again, O God of hosts!
    Look down from heaven, and see;
have regard for this vine,
¹⁵     the stock that your right hand planted,
    and for the son whom you made strong for yourself.
¹⁶ They have burned it with fire; they have cut it down;
    may they perish at the rebuke of your face!
¹⁷ But let your hand be on the man of your right hand,
    the son of man whom you have made strong for yourself!
¹⁸ Then we shall not turn back from you;
    give us life, and we will call upon your name!

¹⁹ Restore us, O Lord God of hosts!
    Let your face shine, that we may be saved!

Prayer (based on T.R.I.P. method*): Give us your ear, O Shepherd. We are the vine of your own planting. Prune us as you please… and give us ears to hear Christ, the man of your right… for he alone is restoration for us and our neighbors. In Jesus’ name I pray, amen.

Music: follow this link to the opening scene of Handel’s “Messiah” for an inspired confession of the restoration for which the psalmist prays: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bT-pClK46G4

“I believe in Jesus Christ, God’s only Son, our Lord…”

What does this mean?

I believe that Jesus Christ — true God, begotten of the Father from eternity, and also true man, born of the Virgin Mary — is my Lord. He has redeemed me, a lost and condemned creature, and has freed me from sin, death, and the power of the devil, not with silver and gold, but with his holy and precious blood and his innocent suffering and death. He has done all this in order that I might be his own, live under him in his kingdom, and serve him in everlasting righteousness, innocence, and blessedness, even as he is risen from the dead and lives and reigns for all eternity. This is most certainly true!  (from The Small Catechism by Martin Luther ©Reclaim Resources, Sola Publishing, 2011)

Benediction: And after you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, support, strengthen, and establish you this day.  To him be the power forever and ever.  Amen. (1 Pet 5:10) 

 

*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 www.dailytext.com).  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. 

While we wait in this decaying world...

Verse for the week:  Lo, your king comes to you; triumphant and victorious is he, humble and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.  Zech 9.9

Prayer for the week:  “Almighty God and Lord, come to us with all your power and help us who are anxious and troubled.  Send us the Savior, that he may enter our hearts, and with your light illumine our night, through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.” (K.B. Ritter, Gebete fur das Jahr der Kirche, 1^st ed.  Kassel: Barenreiter Verlag, 1933, p.35.)

Bible reading for the day:  Mark 13.24-37

²⁴“But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, ²⁵ and the stars will be falling from heaven, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken. ²⁶ And then they will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory.²⁷ And then he will send out the angels and gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of heaven.

²⁸ “From the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts out its leaves, you know that summer is near. ²⁹ So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that he is near, at the very gates. ³⁰ Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place. ³¹ Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.

³² “But concerning that day or that hour, no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. ³³ Be on guard, keep awake. For you do not know when the time will come. ³⁴ It is like a man going on a journey, when he leaves home and puts his servants in charge, each with his work, and commands the doorkeeper to stay awake. ³⁵ Therefore stay awake—for you do not know when the master of the house will come, in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or in the morning— ³⁶ lest he come suddenly and find you asleep. ³⁷ And what I say to you I say to all: Stay awake.”

Prayer (based on T.R.I.P. method*): Gracious and almighty Father, thank you that you are the elector, the chooser… and that you have chosen me among your elect. Repent my proud will of going shopping for a god of my own choosing. While together with your whole church I wait in this decaying world for Jesus’ return, put your everlasting word in my ears again and again… be my sentinel because I can get sleepy too easily. I ask this in Jesus’ name, amen.

Music: follow this link to an excerpt from Handel’s “Messiah” which gives further voice to today’s conversation with the Lord: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b6nhAA_lg_o

 Benediction: And after you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, support, strengthen, and establish you this day.  To him be the power forever and ever.  Amen. (1 Pet 5:10) 

 

*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 www.dailytext.com).  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. 

 

We did not look for it...

Verse for the week:  Lo, your king comes to you; triumphant and victorious is he, humble and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.  Zech 9.9

Prayer for the week:  “Almighty God and Lord, come to us with all your power and help us who are anxious and troubled.  Send us the Savior, that he may enter our hearts, and with your light illumine our night, through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.” (K.B. Ritter, Gebete fur das Jahr der Kirche, 1^st ed.  Kassel: Barenreiter Verlag, 1933, p.35.)

Bible reading for the day:  Isaiah 64.1-12 (note: the setting is 6^th century BC, post-Exile; the Lord has brought his beloved, rebellious people back from nearly 50 years of punishment in Babylon)

¹Oh that you would rend the heavens and come down,
    that the mountains might quake at your presence—
²  as when fire kindles brushwood
    and the fire causes water to boil—
to make your name known to your adversaries,
    and that the nations might tremble at your presence!
³ When you did awesome things that we did not look for,
    you came down, the mountains quaked at your presence.
⁴ From of old no one has heard
    or perceived by the ear,
no eye has seen a God besides you,
    who acts for those who wait for him.
⁵ You meet him who joyfully works righteousness,
    those who remember you in your ways.
Behold, you were angry, and we sinned;
    in our sins we have been a long time, and shall we be saved?
⁶ We have all become like one who is unclean,
    and all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment.
We all fade like a leaf,
    and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away.
⁷ There is no one who calls upon your name,
    who rouses himself to take hold of you;
for you have hidden your face from us,
    and have made us melt in the hand of our iniquities.

⁸ But now, O Lord, you are our Father;
    we are the clay, and you are our potter;
    we are all the work of your hand.
⁹ Be not so terribly angry, O Lord,
    and remember not iniquity forever.
    Behold, please look, we are all your people.
¹⁰ Your holy cities have become a wilderness;
    Zion has become a wilderness,
    Jerusalem a desolation.
¹¹ Our holy and beautiful house,
    where our fathers praised you,
has been burned by fire,
    and all our pleasant places have become ruins.
¹² Will you restrain yourself at these things, O Lord?
    Will you keep silent, and afflict us so terribly?

Prayer (based on T.R.I.P. method*): Gracious and almighty Father, thank you, you have done the most awesome thing even though we did not look for it: you have come down in Jesus Christ and have taken your anger at our sin, our polluted, fake righteousness… our iniquity you have taken upon yourself and forgiven in Christ. Thank you! Repent me and my congregation of the pride that refuses to call on your name and wants to be our own potter. We are your people, the work of your hand… so every hour keep taking over, until you complete the work you have begun in us. I ask this in Jesus’ name, amen.

Music: follow this link to an excerpt from Handel’s “Messiah” which gives profoundly beautiful voice to today’s conversation with the Lord: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0v7cs2mHnFg

Benediction: And after you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, support, strengthen, and establish you this day.  To him be the power forever and ever.  Amen. (1 Pet 5:10) 

 

*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 www.dailytext.com).  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. 

Your heart

Verse for the week:  “…the King of kings and Lord of lords. ¹⁶It is he alone who has immortality and dwells in unapproachable light, whom no one has ever seen or can see; to him be honor and eternal dominion. Amen.  I Timothy 6.15-16

Prayer for the week:  “O Lord, our most gracious Redeemer and King, dwell and reign within us, take possession of us by your Spirit, and reign where you have a right to reign; spread your kingdom throughout the world, now and forever. Amen” (Father John of the Russian Church, nineteenth century, in Fox, A Chain of Prayer, p.104). 

Bible reading for the day: Psalm 95 (note: The congregation is called into God‘s presence with thanksgiving and a song of praise. In the midst of the call to praise and thanksgiving, there is a warning. The priest does not want us to harden our hearts (v.8) and thereby exclude ourselves from entering God‘s rest (v.11).

 ¹Oh come, let us sing to the Lord;
    let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation!
² Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving;
    let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise!
³ For the Lord is a great God,
    and a great King above all gods.
⁴ In his hand are the depths of the earth;
    the heights of the mountains are his also.
⁵ The sea is his, for he made it,
    and his hands formed the dry land.

⁶ Oh come, let us worship and bow down;
    let us kneel before the Lord, our Maker!
⁷ For he is our God,
    and we are the people of his pasture,
    and the sheep of his hand.
Today, if you hear his voice,
⁸     do not harden your hearts, as at Meribah,
    as on the day at Massah in the wilderness,
⁹ when your fathers put me to the test
    and put me to the proof, though they had seen my work.
¹⁰ For forty years I loathed that generation
    and said, “They are a people who go astray in their heart,
    and they have not known my ways.”
¹¹ Therefore I swore in my wrath,
    “They shall not enter my rest.”

Prayer (based on T.R.I.P. method*): Gracious and Almighty Father, the king of love you indeed are; in Christ you have made us the people of your pasture, the sheep of your hand. Thank you. Keep our hearts soft toward you, that among us would always rise to you a humble, joyful song of praise and thanksgiving. In Jesus’ name I ask this, amen.

Hymn: follow this link to a beloved classic which gives further voice to today’s conversation with the Lord:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DD2e2N9Nvbk  

“I believe in God the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth.”

What does this mean?

I believe that God has created me and all that exists. He has given me and still preserves my body and soul, my eyes and ears, my reason and all my senses, together with food and clothing, home and family, and all my property. Every day he provides abundantly for all the needs of my life. He protects me from all danger and guards and keeps me from every evil. All this he does purely out of fatherly and divine goodness and mercy, though I do not deserve it. Therefore, I surely ought to thank, praise, serve, and obey him. This is most certainly true! (from The Small Catechism, by Martin Luther ©Reclaim Resources, Sola Publishing, 2011)

Benediction:  The peace of God which surpasses all understanding keep your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus our Lord.  Amen.  Phil 4.7

 

*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 www.dailytext.com).  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. 

Sheep, Goats, and the Shepherd King

Verse for the week:  “…the King of kings and Lord of lords. ¹⁶It is he alone who has immortality and dwells in unapproachable light, whom no one has ever seen or can see; to him be honor and eternal dominion. Amen.  I Timothy 6.15-16

Prayer for the week:  “O Lord, our most gracious Redeemer and King, dwell and reign within us, take possession of us by your Spirit, and reign where you have a right to reign; spread your kingdom throughout the world, now and forever. Amen” (Father John of the Russian Church, nineteenth century, in Fox, A Chain of Prayer, p.104). 

Bible reading for the day:  Matthew 25.31-46 (The setting is Jerusalem. Two days from this point, the plot to arrest Jesus and kill him will be put in play. Still, Jesus keeps delivering his promise, keeps telling it like it is and will be.)

    ³¹ “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. ³² Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. ³³ And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left. ³⁴ Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. ³⁵ For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, ³⁶ I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’³⁷ Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? ³⁸ And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? ³⁹ And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ ⁴⁰ And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’

⁴¹ “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. ⁴² For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, ⁴³ I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’ ⁴⁴ Then they also will answer, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you?’ ⁴⁵ Then he will answer them, saying, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’ ⁴⁶ And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”

Prayer (based on T.R.I.P. method*): Gracious and almighty Father, thank you for claiming us as your sheep and sending Jesus to be our Shepherd King. Keep us on your right always and don’t let Satan lure us to the way of the goat. Exercise your reign over our heart, mind and purse in such a way that our neighbor experiences your love through our skin…and on the Last Day each of us may hear you say: ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.”  In Jesus’ name I pray, amen.

Hymn: follow this link to a beloved classic which gives further voice to today’s conversation with the Lord: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WFYMhF2GA4E

“I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Christian church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.”

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 peace of God which surpasses all understanding keep your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus our Lord.  Amen.  Phil 4.7

 

*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 www.dailytext.com).  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.