Thursday, September 5, 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
Almighty God: to you all hearts are open, all desires known, and from you no secrets are hid. Cleanse the thoughts of my heart by the working of your Holy Spirit, that I may perfectly love you, joyfully obey you, and worthily magnify your holy name, through Christ, our Lord: Amen.
Old Testament Reading: Deuteronomy 4:1-9
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: Romans 14:1-12
Prayer of Adoration:
Lord Jesus Christ, I thank you that because I have been released from the bondage of sin, my conscience is free to honor you in all things. I don’t have to judge others, because I am accountable only to you, my master. Thank you that because of the gospel I have freedom from pettiness, comparison, and judgmentalism.
Psalm Reading: Psalm 114
Prayer of Consecration
God: this psalm uses pictures of exile and homecoming to teach us about yourself. You took your people out of a strange land where they were oppressed, and gave them a sanctuary and a place of their own. But even that place was temporary. Your people throughout the world remain a people in exile, awaiting our spiritual home. So today, when I feel vulnerable or out of place, help me remember that I’m not a citizen, but a sojourner, a pilgrim on the road to you. Help me live here with purpose; but let me never be fully at home. With your people around the world, I look for the new heavens and earth with longing. Help me do my part today to hasten their arrival through prayer and good works.
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.
