Thursday, November 2, 2023
Opening Prayer:
O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water. Because your steadfast love is better than life, my lips will praise you. I will bless you as long as I live; in your name I will lift up my hands.
Confession of Sin & Prayer for Grace
Holy Spirit of God: I confess today my neglect of you. I am not yielded to your influence as I ought to be. I walk in the flesh rather than in the Spirit, and as a result I bear the fruit of the flesh rather than the fruit of the Spirit. Gracious Holy Spirit, forgive my sin and overcome my weakness. Subdue my restless heart and overwhelm me with your presence, that I might hear your voice clearly, yield to your control eagerly, and bear your fruit consistently. Through Christ, our Lord: Amen.
Old Testament Reading: Isaiah 53:4-12
The Lord’s Prayer
Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy Name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen.
New Testament Reading: 1 Thessalonians 2:13-20
Prayer of Adoration:
O God: I adore you for the power of your word. Your word is still going out, still doing its work, and still bearing fruit, as it was in the days of the apostles. As people are converted and churches are planted, you are glorified. Thank you for the life-giving power of your word.
Psalm Reading: Psalm 104:24-35
Prayer of Consecration
God, today I step forth into a disenchanted world. The wonder the Psalmist has as he looks at the sea and the earth seems distant to me sometimes. I don’t naturally see the oceangoing ships or the change of seasons as evidence of your wisdom and creativity. In fact, I can sometimes look at the world without thinking of you at all! Forgive me, Lord, for missing the evidence of your glory and beauty all around me. Open my eyes to see the God-bathed world in which I live - a world full of your creatures, sustained by your providence, renewed and preserved by your Spirit. Fill my heart with a song of your glory today, and let me long for day when the wicked will be no more and your righteousness will shine like the sun.
BENEDICTION
And now may the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with us now and always, until the day of Christ's return.
