Thursday, March 21, 2024
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
God of mercy, whose Son, Jesus Christ, beckons me with the wide embrace of his love: I confess that I have been a wayward child. I have disobeyed your commands; I have been deaf to your call; I have been cold to your love. In thought, word, and deed, I have hurt others and dishonored your name. In your great mercy, receive me again as your beloved child, not because I am worthy, but for the sake of Jesus, who loved me and gave himself for me.
Old Testament Reading: Ecclesiastes 11
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: John 16:16-33
Prayer of Adoration:
Lord Jesus, I worship you for the hope of what is to come. The day is coming when sorrow will be turned to gladness, when mourning will be turned to rejoicing, and when all that is hidden will be revealed. You have overcome the world; in just a little while, we will see you, and our joy will be full.
Psalm Reading: Psalm 79
Prayer of Consecration
O Lord, I lament with the Psalmist over the destruction of Jerusalem. As it was in his day, so it is in ours. Your people are hard-pressed on every side. Enemies of the cross taunt and mock us, saying, “Where is their God?” Christians throughout the world experience oppression and persecution. In times like these, we need you to ground us deeply in your word, so that we might respond faithfully when hard times come. So today, “let your compassion come speedily to meet us.” Help us remember Jesus, who endured great suffering on our behalf, and who has prepared great glory yet to be revealed. I know that someday you will make all things right, and I pray for patience and endurance until that day comes. Give me power, in my own small corner of the world, to see and relieve the suffering of others, and so reflect your lovingkindness. Be near to all your beloved ones who suffer today. Amen.
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.
