The watchword for the week:
Jesus says, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness. 2 Corinthians 12:9
O come, let us worship the One who created us, who has redeemed us, and who sustains us each day.
We seek to worship you gracious God with glad and generous hearts.
Let us give God all that is due.
Let us respond to God’s infinite love with the lives that we live, the words that we share, and the work that we do.
Psalm 123
1 To you I lift up my eyes,
O you who are enthroned in the heavens!
2 As the eyes of servants look to the hand of their master, as the eyes of a maid to the hand of her mistress,
so our eyes look to the LORD our God, until he has mercy upon us.
3 Have mercy upon us, O LORD, have mercy upon us,
for we have had more than enough of contempt.
4 Our soul has had more than its fill of the scorn of those who are at ease,
of the contempt of the proud.
Let us confess our Sins:
Creator God, Redeeming Savior, Sustaining Spirit, we humbly acknowledge your sovereignty over all of who we are. It is you who gave us life; it is you who forgives our sins; you whisper in our souls and breathe new life into us. You are woven into the very fabric of our being. We confess the times that we hold back from you that which you deserve from us: the times that we have held tightly to our wallets instead of giving generously; the times when our mouths have uttered words that have caused damage instead of spreading grace; the times when moral decisions have been made for immediate gratification, rather than seeking your will for our lives. For these sins of commission and omission, we humbly ask for your forgiveness.
Our Sovereign Lord will wipe away the tears from all faces and remove the disgrace of his people from the earth. On that day, we will say, “Surely this is our God; we trusted in him, and he saved us. Let us rejoice in his salvation.”
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
Take time to read today’s Daily Texts. God speaks to us through the inspiration of scripture, so approach the opportunity to read the texts as a privilege, eagerly anticipating what might be spoken to you today. How might today’s Word make a part of your life new again? If you do not have a copy of the Daily Texts, you will find today’s texts posted in the margin on your page’s right side (at the bottom of the page if you are on a mobile phone). When you have finished praying, continue as follows.
O Lord, hear us now as we brothers and sisters in Christ pray together.
Creator of all humanity, we call you Holy and seek to worship you all the days of our lives. We pray that the ways of your heavenly kingdom may be made real in the world that surrounds us. May the bread that we need for today be made available for us and all who are hungry, and may you forgive us, just as we can forgive those who have sinned against us. In the time of moral testing, may we listen first for your voice calling to us, instead of the call of the world; take from us the self-centeredness of our society. This world, and all that is in it, always has been and always will be yours, help us to lose ourselves to you and your kingdom. Help us to find ourselves complete in giving ourselves to you, forever. Amen.
Living God, you invite us to take on the mind of Christ.
Everyone who follows you in the ways of your love is born of you and knows you well.
Loving Savior, you sacrificed your life in love for us,
You show us how to love in being vulnerable, unconditional, and persistent to the end.
Since you love us so much,
you empower us to love one another.
And if we love one another,
you abide in us, and we in you.
Your love will bear fruit through us,
complete and perfect at the harvest.
Almighty God, unto whom all hearts are open, all desires known, and from whom no secrets are hid;
cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of Your Holy Spirit, that we may perfectly love You, and worthily magnify your holy name, through Christ the Lord. Amen.