Good Evening, Lord!
Words of Comfort
Behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age (Matt.
28:20 ESV)
Prayer of Confession
O God, You are the creator of all things, and I am your
creature. I come before you in peaceful gratitude for this day’s blessings:
·
For the mere
joy of living.
·
For all the
sights and sounds around me.
·
For the
stillness of nature and the busy-ness of the city.
·
For all things
bright and beautiful.
·
For friendship
and good company.
·
For work to do,
and for the skill and strength to do it.
·
For a time to
play when the day’s work is done, and for health and a glad heart to enjoy it.
As good as all these things are, and as grateful as I am for
them, O Father, never let me think that I am here to stay. Help me see that I
am an alien and stranger here; a pilgrim traveling to the eternal home Jesus
has prepared for me. So do not let me lose myself in the pleasures of earth, so
that my heart stops longing for the eternal pleasures of the New Creation. And
if today has brought me sorrows, sighing, hurt, loneliness, sickness, or disappointment,
give me grace to accept it from your hand as a loving reminder that this is not
my home.
I thank you, O Lord, for the dissatisfaction with this world
that rests in my heart. I thank you for the joys that are mixed with sadness
and unrest because these lead my mind upward to think of your promised life in
the resurrection on the Last Day, when all will be made right, and good, and
holy. Above all, I thank you for the sure hope and promise of eternal life
which you have given to me through Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection. Amen.[1]
Catechism Reflections
Confession
What is
Confession?
Confession has two parts. First, that we confess our sins,
and second, that we receive absolution, that is, forgiveness, from the pastor
as from God Himself, not doubting, but firmly believing that by it our sins are
forgiven before God in heaven.
Questions for Meditation
What does this reading teach you?
What does this reading lead you to be thankful for?
What behavior, thought, or attitude does this reading
challenge? What sin does it lead you to confess?
How might you pray for God to have a richer impact on your
life through this reading?
Petitions of the Lord’s Prayer
The Third
Petition: “Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”
O God, Your will is done even without our prayers, but we
pray that it may be done among us also. Please break and hinder every evil plan
and purpose of the devil, the world, and our sinful nature, which do not want
us to hallow Your name or let Your kingdom come. Strengthen and keep us firm in
Your Word and faith until we die. Let Your good and gracious will be done.
Amen.
Verse of Benediction
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in
believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.
(Rom. 15:13 ESV)
[1] This prayer is adapted
from John Baillie, A Diary of Private Prayer, 1949 – an evening prayer for the
21st day of the month. Baillie wrote wonderful prayers for the
morning and evening of each day of the month. They have inspired, educated, and
assisted many in their prayer lives. It was updated in 2014 by Susanna Wright.
That edition is available from Amazon here.
I personally prefer the 1949 edition with the older style of language. Those
can still be found if you search for it.
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