Wednesday, July 12, 2023
Opening Prayer:
To you, O Lord, I lift up my soul. O my God, in you I trust; let me not be put to shame; let not my enemies exult over me. Make me to know your ways, O Lord; teach me your paths. Lead me in your truth and teach me, for you are the God of my salvation; for you I wait all the day long.
Confession of Sin & Prayer for Grace
Holy God: Dust I am, and to dust I shall return. I am like a flower of the field, that appears for a little while and then vanishes. But I confess my tendency to live days, weeks, even months at a time with little thought for my mortality, and little consideration for eternity. Forgive my presumption and self-reliance. Humble me to the dust, that I might be ever-mindful of my frailty, and freshly awed by your eternal, infinite beauty. Through Christ, our Lord: Amen.
Old Testament Reading: 2 Samuel 1
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 6:22-35
Prayer of Adoration:
Lord Jesus, I adore you for you are the true bread from heaven; the true manna that gives eternal life. Like your disciples, I find myself asking what I must do in order to do the works of God. Thank you your work is already finished, the feast is already given, and all I need to do is trust in you.
Psalm Reading: Psalm 52
Prayer of Consecration
O God: as I cross the threshold of this day, I thank you for this Psalm which draws a stark contrast between good and evil. I live in a world that has lost its moral clarity; but your Word has not! In my life, I will encounter people who “love evil more than good, and lying more than speaking what is right.” It gives me strength to remember that “You will break them down forever.” And it gives me hope to know that “the righteous will see and laugh.” Those who boast in evil are not to be feared; they are to be laughed at, because their rebellion is no match for your righteousness. Thank you for the picture of a green olive tree, thriving in the house of God: make me like that tree! Give me a firm trust in you, a resolute hatred of evil, and a joyful patience as I wait for the fulfillment of all your promises.
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.
