Thursday, July 11, 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
God of mercy, whose Son, Jesus Christ, beckons me with the wide embrace of his love: I confess that I have been a wayward child. I have disobeyed your commands; I have been deaf to your call; I have been cold to your love. In thought, word, and deed, I have hurt others and dishonored your name. In your great mercy, receive me again as your beloved child, not because I am worthy, but for the sake of Jesus, who loved me and gave himself for me.
Old Testament Reading: Isaiah 44:1-20
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 8:12-25
Prayer of Adoration:
I adore you, Father, for giving me the Spirit of adoption, by whom I cry, “Abba, Father!” Thank you, Holy Spirit, for bearing witness with my spirit that I am a child of God. And thank you for the sweet inward groaning that I experience as I wait eagerly, with all creation, for your full and final redemption.
Psalm Reading: Psalm 128
Prayer of Consecration
Father, today I take hold of this promise: “Blessed is everyone who fears the Lord, who walks in his ways.” I know the word “blessed” means happy, content, satisfied. All around me today, I hear voices telling me where true happiness is to be found - promising that I will be BLESSED by chasing after the gods of this world. So let this Psalm be an anchor for me, today and every day. Help me believe that fearing you and walking in your ways is the path to true fulfillment. And then help me take the small, everyday steps of walking in your ways. Guide me today by your Spirit, and let my heart be soft to your leading. I pray this not just for myself, but for all your people. May we fear you, and walk in your ways.
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.
