April 21: Morning Devotion



Good Morning, Lord!
I Am Baptized
And Peter said to them, "Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. (Acts 2:38 ESV)

Make the sign of the cross as you say, “In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.”

A Morning Prayer
O Holy Spirit of God, visit my soul, and dwell within me all through this day. Inspire my thoughts. Infuse my imaginations. Suggest all my decisions. Make your home in my will’s most inward fortress and organize all that I do according to your will. Be with me in my silence and in my speech, in my haste and in my leisure, when I am alone and when I am with others, in the freshness of the morning and the weariness of the evening; and give me grace at all times to rejoice knowing that you are with me.

Accompany me today, dear Spirit of God, in everything I do, but especially when I am home with my family. Don’t let me show less courtesy and kindness to those closest to me, and let your grace show through me to them in consideration, mercy, and a willingness to explain everything in the kindest way. Let charity begin at home.

Do not leave me, O Holy Counsellor, as I read books, articles, or various internet posts. Guide my mind to discern truth from fiction and to recognize what is profitable for godly living and what merely leads me to wallow in this world’s muck. Always focus me on the things which are from above.

Be near to me, O Comforter, and help me to know your presence in all my days, but especially in my times of prayer, as I read the Scriptures, at the Divine Service, and when I receive Holy Communion. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.[1]

I Believe …
I believe that God has made me and all creatures; that He has given me my body and soul, eyes, ears, and all my members, my reason and all my senses, and still takes care of them. He also gives me clothing and shoes, food and drink, house and home, wife and children, land, animals, and all I have. He richly and daily provides me with all that I need to support this body and life. He defends me against all danger and guards and protects me from all evil. All this He does only out of fatherly, divine goodness and mercy, without any merit or worthiness in me. For all this it is my duty to thank and praise, serve and obey Him. This is most certainly true.

Bible Reading – Psalm 1

Question for Meditation
What does this reading teach you about Jesus, what He said and did, or what He wants His followers to believe? What does it teach you about God’s love and forgiveness?
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?

Prayer
Pray for the government and all who are in authority.
Pray that God grants wisdom, integrity, courage, and safety to all our leaders, to police, firefighters, health care professionals, and all who work for the public good.

Lord’s Prayer
Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be Thy name,
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done on earth
as it is in heaven;
give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those
who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the kingdom
and the power and the glory
forever and ever. Amen.

Benediction
Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Thess. 5:23 ESV)



[1] This prayer is adapted from John Baillie, A Diary of Private Prayer, 1949 – a morning 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. That edition can still be found if you search for it.

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