Saturday, November 18, 2023

Nov 18

Opening Prayer:

Search me, O God, and know my heart; Test me and know my anxious thoughts; And see if there be any hurtful way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.

Confession of Sin & Prayer for Grace

Word of God Incarnate: you came to this world to accomplish salvation. By your grace, you call me to repent, to be crucified with you, and to be raised as a new creation. But I confess that often I do not live as a renewed person! I “go with the flow” instead of stemming the tide of sin. I allow the fruit of the Spirit to be choked out by the weeds of evil. Forgive me, for Jesus’ sake, and help me show evidence every day of your kingdom’s reign in my heart.

Old Testament Reading: Ezekiel 36:22-32

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 Corinthians 12:1-13

Prayer of Adoration:

Heavenly Father, I rejoice that in your Spirit I have been baptized into one body. Across centuries and cultures, there is one Lord and one Spirit. Thank you Father, for the mystery of the church’s diversity, grounded in your eternal and unchanging unity. Amen.

Psalm Reading: Psalm 139:13-24

Prayer of Consecration

Father, I thank you that your word reminds me of my great dignity as your image-bearer. All day long, the world tells me that I fall short in one way or another. This psalm reflects your deep love for me as it firmly refutes those messages. It reminds me that I am intimately known and intentionally formed by you. You reassure me that I am wonderfully made. The days that may feel empty or pointless have in fact been seen and counted by you before the earth was made. Remind me today that this is true not just of me, but of every human being on earth. So let me treat others today with the dignity and honor they deserve. Let me preserve and protect human life and flourishing in every way possible. Search me, Lord, discern my deepest thoughts and motivations, gently show me my futile ways, and lead me in the way everlasting.

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.