August 18, 2018

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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 - 

For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known. (1 Corinthians 13:12)
 

- 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 - 1 Corinthians 6:11, 19-20
You were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God. You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. 


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 107:33–43

    He turns rivers into a desert,
        springs of water into thirsty ground,
    a fruitful land into a salty waste,
        because of the evil of its inhabitants.
    He turns a desert into pools of water,
        a parched land into springs of water.
    And there he lets the hungry dwell,
        and they establish a city to live in;
    they sow fields and plant vineyards
        and get a fruitful yield.
    By his blessing they multiply greatly,
        and he does not let their livestock diminish.    
    
    When they are diminished and brought low
        through oppression, evil, and sorrow,
    he pours contempt on princes
        and makes them wander in trackless wastes;
    but he raises up the needy out of affliction
        and makes their families like flocks.
    The upright see it and are glad,
        and all wickedness shuts its mouth.    
    
    Whoever is wise, let him attend to these things;
        let them consider the steadfast love of the LORD.
 

Psalm 108
A Song. A Psalm of David.

    My heart is steadfast, O God!
        I will sing and make melody with all my being!
    Awake, O harp and lyre!
        I will awake the dawn!
    I will give thanks to you, O LORD, among the peoples;
        I will sing praises to you among the nations.
    For your steadfast love is great above the heavens;
        your faithfulness reaches to the clouds.    
    
    Be exalted, O God, above the heavens!
        Let your glory be over all the earth!
    That your beloved ones may be delivered,
        give salvation by your right hand and answer me!    
    
    God has promised in his holiness:
        “With exultation I will divide up Shechem
        and portion out the Valley of Succoth.
    Gilead is mine; Manasseh is mine;
        Ephraim is my helmet,
        Judah my scepter.
    Moab is my washbasin;
        upon Edom I cast my shoe;
        over Philistia I shout in triumph.”    
    
    Who will bring me to the fortified city?
        Who will lead me to Edom?
    Have you not rejected us, O God?
        You do not go out, O God, with our armies.
    Oh grant us help against the foe,
        for vain is the salvation of man!
    With God we shall do valiantly;
        it is he who will tread down our foes. 
 

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 - Judges 16:1–14

Samson went to Gaza, and there he saw a prostitute, and he went in to her. The Gazites were told, “Samson has come here.” And they surrounded the place and set an ambush for him all night at the gate of the city. They kept quiet all night, saying, “Let us wait till the light of the morning; then we will kill him.” But Samson lay till midnight, and at midnight he arose and took hold of the doors of the gate of the city and the two posts, and pulled them up, bar and all, and put them on his shoulders and carried them to the top of the hill that is in front of Hebron.

After this he loved a woman in the Valley of Sorek, whose name was Delilah. And the lords of the Philistines came up to her and said to her, “Seduce him, and see where his great strength lies, and by what means we may overpower him, that we may bind him to humble him. And we will each give you 1,100 pieces of silver.” So Delilah said to Samson, “Please tell me where your great strength lies, and how you might be bound, that one could subdue you.”

Samson said to her, “If they bind me with seven fresh bowstrings that have not been dried, then I shall become weak and be like any other man.” Then the lords of the Philistines brought up to her seven fresh bowstrings that had not been dried, and she bound him with them. Now she had men lying in ambush in an inner chamber. And she said to him, “The Philistines are upon you, Samson!” But he snapped the bowstrings, as a thread of flax snaps when it touches the fire. So the secret of his strength was not known.

Then Delilah said to Samson, “Behold, you have mocked me and told me lies. Please tell me how you might be bound.” And he said to her, “If they bind me with new ropes that have not been used, then I shall become weak and be like any other man.” So Delilah took new ropes and bound him with them and said to him, “The Philistines are upon you, Samson!” And the men lying in ambush were in an inner chamber. But he snapped the ropes off his arms like a thread.

Then Delilah said to Samson, “Until now you have mocked me and told me lies. Tell me how you might be bound.” And he said to her, “If you weave the seven locks of my head with the web and fasten it tight with the pin, then I shall become weak and be like any other man.” So while he slept, Delilah took the seven locks of his head and wove them into the web. And she made them tight with the pin and said to him, “The Philistines are upon you, Samson!” But he awoke from his sleep and pulled away the pin, the loom, and the web.


The Word of the Lord
Thanks be to God


New Testament - Acts 7:30–43

“Now when forty years had passed, an angel appeared to him in the wilderness of Mount Sinai, in a flame of fire in a bush. When Moses saw it, he was amazed at the sight, and as he drew near to look, there came the voice of the Lord: ‘I am the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham and of Isaac and of Jacob.’ And Moses trembled and did not dare to look. Then the Lord said to him, ‘Take off the sandals from your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy ground. I have surely seen the affliction of my people who are in Egypt, and have heard their groaning, and I have come down to deliver them. And now come, I will send you to Egypt.’

“This Moses, whom they rejected, saying, ‘Who made you a ruler and a judge?’—this man God sent as both ruler and redeemer by the hand of the angel who appeared to him in the bush. This man led them out, performing wonders and signs in Egypt and at the Red Sea and in the wilderness for forty years. This is the Moses who said to the Israelites, ‘God will raise up for you a prophet like me from your brothers.’ This is the one who was in the congregation in the wilderness with the angel who spoke to him at Mount Sinai, and with our fathers. He received living oracles to give to us. Our fathers refused to obey him, but thrust him aside, and in their hearts they turned to Egypt, saying to Aaron, ‘Make for us gods who will go before us. As for this Moses who led us out from the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.’ And they made a calf in those days, and offered a sacrifice to the idol and were rejoicing in the works of their hands. But God turned away and gave them over to worship the host of heaven, as it is written in the book of the prophets:

    “‘Did you bring to me slain beasts and sacrifices,
        during the forty years in the wilderness, O house of Israel?
    You took up the tent of Moloch
        and the star of your god Rephan,
        the images that you made to worship;
    and I will send you into exile beyond Babylon.’


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 - Revelation Song

Worthy is the Lamb
who was slain;
Holy, holy is He.
Sing a new song
to Him who sits on
Heaven’s mercy seat.

Holy, holy, holy
is the Lord God Almighty,
Who was and is
and is to come.
With all creation, I sing
praise to the King of kings;
You are my everything
and I will adore You.

Clothed in rainbows
of living color,
Flashes of lightning,
rolls of thunder.
Blessing and honor,
strength and glory
and power be To You,
the only wise King.

Holy, holy, holy
is the Lord God Almighty,
Who was and is
and is to come.
With all creation, I sing
praise to the King of kings;
You are my everything
and I will adore You.

Filled with wonder,
awestruck wonder,
At the mention of Your name.
Jesus, Your name is power,
breath, and Living Water,
Such a marvelous mystery!


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 Thirteenth Week of Pentecost
Grant to us, Lord, we pray, the spirit to think and do always those things that are right, that we, who cannot exist without you, may by you be enabled to live according to your will; 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 - Numbers 6:24-26
“The LORD bless you and keep you;
the LORD make his face shine upon you
and be gracious to you;
the LORD turn his face toward you
and give you peace.”

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 72, PAGES 502-508. 

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