Thursday, August 8, 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
Glorious God: I confess today the great sin of Pride. I have thought too highly of myself. I have spoken boastfully, loved selfishly, and lived independently. Forgive me, and conquer my pride through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, who humbled himself to the point of death. Make me humble like him, that I might bear his image more faithfully. Amen.
Old Testament Reading: Isaiah 56:1-8
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 11
Prayer of Adoration:
O God: how awed I am by the depth of the riches of your wisdom and knowledge! In contemplating you and your salvation, the proper response is reverence, wonder and worship. From you and through you and to you are all things. To you be glory forever.
Psalm Reading: Psalm 101
Prayer of Consecration
O God: This psalm is meant to shape my desires and capture my imagination. Help me envision this picture of a wise king ruling well. He’s singing of love and justice. His heart, his royal court, and his people are characterized by integrity and truth. Worthless things, deception, and pride are kept out. The people dwell securely because his faithfulness. David wrote this psalm, but he couldn’t fulfill its vision, and neither can I. Thank you, Lord that this picture points beyond David to Jesus, the truly wise king who rules with steadfast love and justice. Awaken my inner being and give me deeper understanding to grasp that Jesus embodies everything I long for. Human leaders may deceive and fail, dimming my hope for a good king. But when I think of the joy, wisdom, and power of Jesus, I find myself willing to follow him anywhere. Lord, transform me with this vision today!
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.
