Watchword for the week: Salvation belongs to our God who is seated on the throne, and to the Lamb! Revelation 7:10
Gracious Lord, from whom our salvation comes
may your Holy Spirit renew us.
Help us to lay aside those things that lead us astray from you,
and help us embrace those things that bring us closer to you and your will for our lives.
Psalm 23
1 The Lord is my shepherd,
I shall not want.
2 He makes me lie down in green pastures;
he leads me beside still waters;
3 he restores my soul.
He leads me in right paths for his name’s sake.
4 Even though I walk through the darkest valley,
I fear no evil; for you are with me; your rod and your staff— they comfort me. 5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;
you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.
6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life,
and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord my whole life long.
Confession of Sin
Almighty and merciful God, we have erred and strayed from your holy ways like lost sheep. We have too often followed the devices and desires of our hearts, and we have offended your holy laws. We have left undone those things which we ought to have done, and we have done things we ought not to have done, and we are truly sorry. O Lord, have mercy on us. Forgive us our sins as we honestly confess them to you. Restore your image in us, and create in us a clean heart. Make of us a new creation, ready and willing to serve you.
Grant to your faithful people pardon and peace, that we may be cleansed from our sins, and serve you with a quiet mind, through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. 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.
Together as brothers and sisters in Christ, let us profess our faith, saying:
I believe in God, the Father almighty,
creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit
born of the virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried;
he descended to the dead.
On the third day he rose again,
he ascended into heaven,
is seated at the right hand of the Father,
and will come again to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy Christian Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting. Amen.
Let us keep our eyes fixed on Jesus, the shepherd of our lives, who, for the joy that was set before him, endured the cross, disregarding its shame, and has taken his seat at the right hand of the throne of God.
We thank you, Lord Jesus, not only for the privilege of believing in you but also for suffering for you so that we may also be glorified with you.
Let the peace of Christ rule in our hearts since, as members of the body, we were called to peace. And let us be thankful.
May we share grace, mercy, and peace with those around us today. Amen.