June 8, 2018

redeemer-PENTACOST-email.jpg

Season of Pentecost

As you enter into this Morning Prayer, remember that God is with you and ready to speak to you because he loves you. Enjoy the presence of your Lord and Savior. Pray as you are able: use the entire email or for a shorter time of prayer, be led through all five sections but focus on one element in each of the sections. 

- Calling - 

You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.   (Acts 1:8)

 

- Confession - 

Prayer of Repentance
Let us confess our sins against God and our neighbor.

Almighty and merciful Father, we have erred and strayed from your ways like lost sheep. We have followed too much the devices and desires of our own hearts. We have offended against your holy laws. We have left undone those things which we ought to have done; and we have done those things which we ought not to have done. But you, O Lord, have mercy upon us miserable offenders. Spare those, O God, who confess their faults. Restore those who are penitent, according to your promises declared to the world in Christ Jesus, our Lord. And grant, O merciful God, for his sake, that we may hereafter live a godly, righteous and sober life,  to the glory of your holy name. Amen.

(Pause for a time of silent confession)

Words of Assurance
The Lord God said: “A new heart I will give you, and a new spirit I will put within you; and I will remove from your body the heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh”   (Ezekiel 36:26)

The Invitation
(An invitation to praise God after confession and prior to the daily Psalm(s) and Lessons)

O Lord, open our lips.
And our mouth shall proclaim your praise.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
                  as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen. Alleluia!

Alleluia. The earth is the Lord's for he made it: O come, let us adore him. Alleluia.

 

- Constitution - 

Morning Psalm(s) - Psalm 40
To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David.

    I waited patiently for the LORD;
        he inclined to me and heard my cry.
    He drew me up from the pit of destruction,
        out of the miry bog,
    and set my feet upon a rock,
        making my steps secure.
    He put a new song in my mouth,
        a song of praise to our God.
    Many will see and fear,
        and put their trust in the LORD.    
    
    Blessed is the man who makes
        the LORD his trust,
    who does not turn to the proud,
        to those who go astray after a lie!
    You have multiplied, O LORD my God,
        your wondrous deeds and your thoughts toward us;
        none can compare with you!
    I will proclaim and tell of them,
        yet they are more than can be told.    
    
    In sacrifice and offering you have not delighted,
        but you have given me an open ear.
    Burnt offering and sin offering
        you have not required.
    Then I said, “Behold, I have come;
        in the scroll of the book it is written of me:
    I delight to do your will, O my God;
        your law is within my heart.”    
    
    I have told the glad news of deliverance
        in the great congregation;
    behold, I have not restrained my lips,
        as you know, O LORD.
    I have not hidden your deliverance within my heart;
        I have spoken of your faithfulness and your salvation;
    I have not concealed your steadfast love and your faithfulness
        from the great congregation.    
    
    As for you, O LORD, you will not restrain
        your mercy from me;
    your steadfast love and your faithfulness will
        ever preserve me!
    For evils have encompassed me
        beyond number;
    my iniquities have overtaken me,
        and I cannot see;
    they are more than the hairs of my head;
        my heart fails me.    
    
    Be pleased, O LORD, to deliver me!
        O LORD, make haste to help me!
    Let those be put to shame and disappointed altogether
        who seek to snatch away my life;
    let those be turned back and brought to dishonor
        who delight in my hurt!
    Let those be appalled because of their shame
        who say to me, “Aha, Aha!”    
    
    But may all who seek you
        rejoice and be glad in you;
    may those who love your salvation
        say continually, “Great is the LORD!”
    As for me, I am poor and needy,
        but the Lord takes thought for me.
    You are my help and my deliverer;
        do not delay, O my God!
 

Psalm 54
To the choirmaster: with stringed instruments. A Maskil of David, when the Ziphites went and told Saul, “Is not David hiding among us?”

    O God, save me by your name,
        and vindicate me by your might.
    O God, hear my prayer;
        give ear to the words of my mouth.    
    
    For strangers have risen against me;
        ruthless men seek my life;
        they do not set God before themselves. Selah    
    
    Behold, God is my helper;
        the Lord is the upholder of my life.
    He will return the evil to my enemies;
        in your faithfulness put an end to them.    
    
    With a freewill offering I will sacrifice to you;
        I will give thanks to your name, O LORD, for it is good.
    For he has delivered me from every trouble,
        and my eye has looked in triumph on my enemies.
 

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
          as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen


Old Testament - Ecclesiastes 5:1-7

Guard your steps when you go to the house of God. To draw near to listen is better than to offer the sacrifice of fools, for they do not know that they are doing evil.  Be not rash with your mouth, nor let your heart be hasty to utter a word before God, for God is in heaven and you are on earth. Therefore let your words be few. For a dream comes with much business, and a fool's voice with many words.

When you vow a vow to God, do not delay paying it, for he has no pleasure in fools. Pay what you vow. It is better that you should not vow than that you should vow and not pay. Let not your mouth lead you into sin, and do not say before the messenger that it was a mistake. Why should God be angry at your voice and destroy the work of your hands? For when dreams increase and words grow many, there is vanity; but God is the one you must fear.

The Word of the Lord
Thanks be to God


New Testament - Galatians 3:15-22

To give a human example, brothers: even with a man-made covenant, no one annuls it or adds to it once it has been ratified. Now the promises were made to Abraham and to his offspring. It does not say, “And to offsprings,” referring to many, but referring to one, “And to your offspring,” who is Christ. This is what I mean: the law, which came 430 years afterward, does not annul a covenant previously ratified by God, so as to make the promise void. For if the inheritance comes by the law, it no longer comes by promise; but God gave it to Abraham by a promise.

Why then the law? It was added because of transgressions, until the offspring should come to whom the promise had been made, and it was put in place through angels by an intermediary. Now an intermediary implies more than one, but God is one.

Is the law then contrary to the promises of God? Certainly not! For if a law had been given that could give life, then righteousness would indeed be by the law. But the Scripture imprisoned everything under sin, so that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe. 
  
The Word of the Lord
Thanks be to God


Slowly read one or more of the lessons again... did a word or phrase catch your eye or move your heart...meditate on it and pray your thoughts, desires, needs, and feelings.
 

A Song of Response - Let Us Love and Sing and Wonder

Let us love and sing and wonder
Let us praise the Savior’s name
He has hushed the law’s loud thunder
He has quenched Mount Sinai’s flame
He has washed us with His blood
He has washed us with His blood
He has washed us with His blood
He has brought us nigh to God

Let us love the Lord Who bought us
Pitied us when enemies
Called us by His grace and taught us
Gave us ears and gave us eyes
He has washed us with His blood
He has washed us with His blood
He has washed us with His blood
He presents our souls to God

Let us wonder grace and justice
Join and point to mercy’s store
When through grace in Christ our trust is
Justice smiles and asks no more
He Who washed us with His blood
He Who washed us with His blood
He Who washed us with His blood
Has secured our way to God
 

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
          as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.

 

The Apostle's Creed
I believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth;
and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord;
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried:
he descended into hell.
The third day He rose again from the dead.
He ascended into heaven,
and is seated at the right hand of God the Father Almighty;
from thence He shall come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy catholic church,
the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.

 

- Communion - 

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. Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil, for Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever. Amen.

Prayers of Thanksgiving & Petitions
Take this time to offer personal prayers.
Where have you seen the Lord faithfully at work this past week?
Where do you hope to see the Lord's help and healing this coming week?
What prayers can you offer for our church, neighborhood, nation, and world?


A Collect for the Third Week of Pentecost
O God, your never-failing providence sets in order all things both in heaven and earth: Put away from us, we entreat you, all hurtful things, and give us those things which are profitable for us; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

 

- Commission - 

The General Thanksgiving
Almighty God, Father of all mercies, we your unworthy servants give you humble thanks for all your goodness and loving-kindness to us and to all whom you have made. We bless you for our creation, preservation, and all the blessings of this life; but above all for your immeasurable love in the redemption of the world by our Lord Jesus Christ; for the means of grace, and for the hope of glory. We pray, give us such an awareness of your mercies, that with truly thankful hearts we may show forth your praise, not only with our lips, but in our lives, by giving up our selves to your service, and by walking before you in holiness and righteousness all our days; through Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom, with you and the Holy Spirit, be honor and glory throughout all ages. Amen.

Blessing - 2 Corinthians 13:14
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ
and the love of God
and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.

Let us bless the Lord.
Thanks be to God.

 

- Family Devotion- 

If you have children, below are two suggestions to help your family create a daily habit of prayer and Bible reading, meditation, and application. Use these suggestions as guides for your specific family situation and the ages of each of your children. Corporate times around the table (like breakfast or dinner) or during bedtime routines may be good times for your family.

Suggestion 1
For a family devotion follow the Calling - Commission flow: 

Calling - Remind your children that God loves them and is with them.                   

Cleansing - Together and/or individually pray your own prayer of repentance or use the corporate prayer of repentance. Remind them that Jesus died on the cross for their sins and rose from the dead, that their sins are forgiven and Jesus now reigns as their king.

Constitution - Read one or more of the appointed readings. Then ask them some follow up questions like: (Read) What does this passage say?  (Think) What does this passage mean? (Live) How does this passage apply to us today? In addition to an appointed reading, you can also read a children's Bible, like The Jesus Storybook Bible.   

Communion - Then pray thanksgivings & petitions and/or The Lord's Prayer. 

Commission - Close by saying the Blessing over your children.

Suggestion 2
For those families going through the 10-minute family devotional Old Story New, this week we are on WEEK 62, PAGES 434-440. 

Close your time with prayers of repentance, thanksgiving, petitions, and/or The Lord's Prayer.