Monday, September 23, 2024
Opening Prayer:
O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare your praise. For you will not delight in sacrifice, or I would give it; you will not be pleased with a burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.
Confession of Sin & Prayer for Grace
Eternal God, my fear and my unbelief run deep. While I may outwardly confess your salvation, inwardly I deny the power of your Gospel. I work to keep up appearances, but I neglect the weightier matters of the law: justice, mercy and faithfulness. I confess my sin, and I thank you that according to your steadfast love, you have forgiven me through the precious blood of Jesus Christ. Direct my path, Lord, that I may walk in repentance and humility before you and others. Amen.
Old Testament Reading: Exodus 20:1-21
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: Matthew 21:33-46
Prayer of Adoration:
Lord Jesus, I adore you as the true and final prophet who proclaims God’s judgment, calls sinners to repentance, and is ultimately rejected by men. You are not only the greatest prophet; you are the firstborn of a new creation, the cornerstone of a new kingdom. I adore you for this new and better covenant, which depends not on human effort or will, but on your unshakable promises.
Psalm Reading: Psalm 19
Prayer of Consecration
Lord, you are so good for us that when we’re in close relationship with you, we heal, we thrive, we find rest. This psalm begins by directing my attention to the natural world, which displays your goodness and power. It expresses your creative joy and energy, reminding me that everything on earth benefits from your common grace. Then the psalm turns to your law, which is not a collection of dead rules, but rather a blazing vision of your people living well, in balanced and just relationships with creation and with you. Finally this psalm looks at my inner person. Your ways are precious and desirable as they set my crooked soul to rights. I can’t discern my own errors; please give me grace to see my hidden faults. Keep me from presumptuous sins today. And when I’m numbed by the mundane, or distressed by the darkness of the world, let your commands bring the light back to my eyes. Align my speech and my inner world to reflect your goodness, for Jesus sake.
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.
