April 27: Evening Devotion



Good Evening, Lord!
Words of Comfort
Let my prayer rise before You as incense, and the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice. – Psalm 141:2

Prayer of Confession
O Christ, the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. You bore my sins on the cross and paid for all my wrongdoing. Three days later, you rose from the dead to secure everlasting life for me. Through You I am reconciled with God. Through You I have new life. Through You I have been set free from sin and death. All of those statements are true, but I often find that I return to my sins and death. I live as though nothing has changed in me. I do things that would break my relationship with God. Forgive me. Renew me. Re-renew me! Fill my ears, my mind, my heart and soul with your grace, forgiveness, and salvation. You bore my sins to the cross. Help me to remember that there is where they belong, and there they remain in the Father’s eyes. Let me rest in Your forgiveness. Refresh me. Fill my night with hope and peace that I may face tomorrow in faith. Amen.

Catechism Reflections
The Sacrament of the Altar
What is the Sacrament of the Altar?
It is the true body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ under the bread and wine, instituted by Christ Himself for us Christians to eat and to drink.

Where is this written?
The holy Evangelists Matthew, Mark, Luke, and St. Paul write:
Our Lord Jesus Christ, on the night when He was betrayed, took bread, and when He had given thanks, He broke it and gave it to the disciples and said: “Take eat; this is My body, which is given for you. This do in remembrance of Me.”
In the same way also He took the cup after supper, and when He had given thanks, He gave it to them, saying, “Drink of it, all of you; this cup is the new testament in My blood, which is shed for you for the forgiveness of sins. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.”

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 Second Petition of the Lord’s Prayer - “Thy kingdom come”
O God, everlasting Father, Your kingdom comes even without our prayer, but, please, let it come to us, too! Please give us Your Holy Spirit, so that by His grace we may believe Your Word, and live godly lives here in time and there in eternity. Amen.

Verse of Benediction
May the blessing of the eternal God be upon us, and upon our work and worship; His light to guide us, His presence to strengthen us, His love to unite us; Now and always. Amen.[1]



[1] Doberstein, John W., The Minister’s Prayer Book, Fortress Press, Philadelphia, 1959, p. 18

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