Saturday, December 2, 2023
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
God my Father, in my weakness and unbelief I have lived by my own strength rather than by the power of your resurrection. I confess my self-reliance. By your Spirit, so draw my heart to you, so guide my mind, so fill my imagination, so control my will, that I may be wholly yours, utterly dedicated to you; and then use me as you will, for your glory and the welfare of your people; through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.
Old Testament Reading: Daniel 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: Revelation 1:4-8
Prayer of Adoration:
Almighty God: I bow in worship before you, the one who was and who is and who is to come. In you I find my beginning and my end, my source and my destiny. To you be glory and dominion forever and ever.
Psalm Reading: Psalm 127
Prayer of Consecration
O God: thank you for this direct frontal attack on my anxiety and restlessness! I admit my anxious toil; my rising early and staying up late seeking to build something stable and lasting. But apart from you, it’s all in vain. So help me commit my labors to you. Help me this evening to receive the gift of sleep as a gracious blessing from a loving Father. Thank you also for this Psalm’s unapologetic embrace of children and family. In a culture that both idolizes children and sees them as optional and expendable, may your church honor and welcome and treasure little ones. Help me do my part to encourage the families around me and to be a godly example to those younger than me. Fulfill your covenant promises to your people, so that when I am old and gray, I can rejoice in your faithfulness to the next generation.
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.
