Tuesday, February 21, 2023
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
Holy Spirit: because of my union with Christ, you dwell within me. Yet I confess that I still live according to the flesh. I do not live in conscious dependence upon you. I do not walk in vital communion with you. I am self-reliant and self-trusting, more defined by this age than by the age to come. Forgive me, Gracious Father, for neglecting the gift of your Spirit. Today, fill me afresh with the Spirit’s presence. Revive my soul. Renew my zeal. Release your power in me, for the glory of Your name.
Old Testament Reading: Proverbs 30
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: 1 Corinthians 9:16-27
Prayer of Adoration:
God, I worship you for calling me into a life full of purpose. The life I live in Christ is not in vain. As your representative, I have been entrusted to preach the gospel and share in its blessings. Thank you for this calling, and for the imperishable inheritance that is mine in Jesus!
Psalm Reading: Psalm 37:23-40
Prayer of Consecration
Salvation is from the Lord. Not just the salvation that brings us to glory, but also in the form of many minor rescues along the way. I see your hand at work in my life, Lord, and I thank you for your constant supply of mercy, of resources, of comfort. When I look back, I see that you have indeed kept my way, even when it was invisible to me. I’m continuously trying to save myself with many old habits, deeply ingrained in my soul. But thank you that the very core of the gospel of grace is here: salvation is from the Lord. None of my own actions, good or bad, will save me. Salvation belongs only to you. Help me reckon truthfully with the things I do in an effort to save myself, to feel important, to feel safe, to be loved. Help me when I want to give them one more try. Remind me that my refuge, my stronghold, my salvation is in you. Put your law in my heart and draw me ever nearer to yourself.
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.
