Good Evening, Lord!
Words of Comfort
[O God, you are] like a hiding place from the wind, a
shelter from the storm, like streams of water in a dry place, like the shade of
a great rock in a weary land. (Isa. 32:2 ESV)
Prayer of Confession
Now to you, O heavenly Father, be all praise and glory
because day by day you richly fill my life with various blessings.
·
A home, people
to love, and friends to cherish.
·
A vocation for
my life and work to do.
·
A green world
to live in, blue skies above me, and clean air to breathe.
·
Healthy
exercise and simple pleasures.
·
A heritage of
humanity with the best history has to offer.
·
Good books to
read, podcasts to which I might listen, shows that I can watch in each of which
I may find enjoyment.
·
Things that are
worth knowing and the skill and science to know them.
·
Those inspired
thoughts that sometimes fill my mind.
·
Happy days, and
inward calm in times of trouble.
·
Peace which
passes understanding, that comes from your presence with me.
·
Faith that sees
beyond death holding on to the hope of Christ’s resurrection at work in me
through my baptism.
I thank you, O Lord God, that you have generously showered
your blessings on all of humanity, but more so, I thank you that in Jesus Christ
you have redeemed us from sin and death, revealed your love to your rebellious
children, and won salvation for everyone to receive through faith in him. In
Christ we pray that you will make our peace more peaceful, our joy more joyful,
and our faith and hope more secure, for Jesus has removed death’s sting and
robbed sin of its power. Amen.[1]
Catechism Reflections
Confession
What do you
believe according to these words? (That is the words of absolution.)
I believe that when the called ministers of Christ deal with
us by His divine command, in particular when they exclude openly unrepentant
sinners from the Christian congregation and absolve those who repent of their
sins and want to do better, this is just as valid and certain, even in heaven,
as if Christ our dear Lord dealt with us Himself.
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
“And lead us not into temptation.”
Father in heaven, You tempt no one. Please guard and keep us
so that the devil, the world, and our sinful nature may not deceive us or
mislead us into false belief, despair, and other great shame and vice. Although
we are attacked by these things, we pray that we may finally overcome them and
win the victory through Jesus, our Savior and Lord. Amen.
Verse of Benediction
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and
the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. (2 Cor. 13:14 ESV)
[1] This prayer is adapted
from John Baillie, A Diary of Private Prayer, 1949 – an evening prayer for the
24th 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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