Watchword for the week — Jesus said, “Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.” Luke 6:36
From the busyness that our jobs bring us
May we fix our attention on God’s way.
From the busyness that fills our daily lives,
May we fix our attention on God’s way.
From the distractions that re-order our life’s priorities,
May we fix our attention on God’s way.
From the slumber into which our faith can sometimes fall,
May we fix our attention on God’s way.
Psalm 37:1-11, 39-40
1Do not fret because of the wicked;
do not be envious of wrongdoers,
2 for they will soon fade like the grass,
and wither like the green herb.
3 Trust in the Lord, and do good;
so you will live in the land, and enjoy security.
4 Take delight in the Lord,
and he will give you the desires of your heart.
5 Commit your way to the Lord;
trust in him, and he will act.
6 He will make your vindication shine like the light,
and the justice of your cause like the noonday.
7 Be still before the Lord, and wait patiently for him;
do not fret over those who prosper in their way, over those who carry out evil devices.
8 Refrain from anger, and forsake wrath.
Do not fret—it leads only to evil.
9 For the wicked shall be cut off,
but those who wait for the Lord shall inherit the land.
10 Yet a little while, and the wicked will be no more;
though you look diligently for their place, they will not be there.
11 But the meek shall inherit the land,
and delight themselves in abundant prosperity.
39 The salvation of the righteous is from the Lord;
he is their refuge in the time of trouble.
40The Lord helps them and rescues them;
he rescues them from the wicked, and saves them, because they take refuge in him.
Let us humbly confess our sins.
Gracious God, we affirm that your way is perfect. The Biblical witness and the life of Jesus Christ give us the pattern of mercy by which we should live out our faith, but we have chosen to walk on our own path. We confess that we have found it all too easy to follow the way of our culture and have made keeping your statutes an option rather than an expectation for our lives.
We humbly ask that you create in us a clean heart, O God, and place within us the understanding that will help us see your way and observe it with our whole heart. Lord have mercy on us.
The Lord says to us: I will forgive your iniquity and remember your sin no more. Peace be with you.
With grateful hearts, we say: 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. 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). 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 conveyed to you today. How might today’s Word make a part of your life new again? When you have finished praying, continue as follows.
Let us pray together:
Creator of us all, we praise your name because you have lovingly made each one of us. May your intended purpose be made real here on earth, even as it is already done in heaven. Feed us today with the things we truly need, and may we share our abundance with others. Forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who have done wrong to us. In times of temptation, may we know of your life-giving strength and keep us from all evil. Gracious God, this is your kingdom, and we acknowledge your power and glory, both now and forever. AMEN.
God created a kingdom in which all was made to work together,
God has created a pattern of life intended to bring us to wholeness.
That wholeness was shown to us as Jesus brought the law of God into human form.
Jesus showed us a way of mercy even though life was made difficult for him by the sin of the world.
We pray that God might awaken in us the desire to follow his path more closely amidst the temptations and difficulties of our lives.
Come, Holy Spirit, show us the way, the truth, and the life.
Whatever we do, therefore, whether in word or deed, let us do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
Thanks be to God. Amen.