Friday, May 3, 2024
Opening Prayer:
O Lord, you have said, “Seek my face.”My heart says to you, “Your face, Lord, do I seek.” Do not hide your face from me. Do not turn me away in anger. Teach me your ways, O Lord, that I may walk in your truth; unite my heart to fear your name.
Confession of Sin & Prayer for Grace
Lord Jesus, I confess to you the shallowness of my repentance. I am content to deal with surface sins, rather than exploring the dark contours of my inner being. I am content to offer words of repentance, rather than bringing forth the fruit of repentance. Humble me greatly today. Reveal to me the depth of my depravity and the strength of my idolatry, that I may drink more deeply of your mercy and delight more fully in the beauty of Jesus Christ my Savior. 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: 1 Peter 1:3-25
Prayer of Adoration:
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! Father, thank you for the mercy you’ve poured out in your Son. By your living and abiding word, I have been born again to a living hope. In Jesus, I now rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory.
Psalm Reading: Psalm 113
Prayer of Consecration
Lord, teach me to praise you with the same joyful exuberance expressed in this psalm. Enlarge my capacity to see you, admire you, enjoy you, and celebrate you. I praise you that you are seated on high, looking down on the heavens and the earth; this image reminds me of your glory and majesty. And yet at the same time, you raise the poor from the dust and the needy from the ash heap; this image reminds me of your closeness and your personal care for each one of your people. You are both transcendent and immanent; exalted and humble; majestic and merciful. I don’t have to choose between a God who is high and exalted, or a God who is present and active; you are both, and you always have been. Today, I walk into the world confident of both your loving care for me and your majestic sovereignty over everything. From the rising of the sun to its setting, may your name be praised - and may my life bring glory to you.
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.
