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
Heavenly Father, thank you for
bringing me through another day. I pray this evening for those whose day was
full of loneliness: for the forgotten, for those far from their loved ones, for
the incarcerated, and for the abandoned. I pray this evening for those whose
day was full of fear: for those struggling to make ends meet, for the
unemployed, for the sick, and for the abused. I pray this evening for those
whose day confronted their mortality: for those with terminal diagnoses, for
those who were injured, for those serving in the military, and for police,
firefighters and EMTs. I pray for all who are in need of your loving presence.
Be with them all. And I thank you that amid all these weighty matters of the
world, you think of me, bless me, forgive me, and hear the prayers I lift in
Jesus’ name. Amen.
Catechism Reflections
The Second Commandment
You shall not misuse the name of the LORD your God.
What does this mean? We should fear and love
God so that we do not curse, swear, use satanic arts, lie, or deceive by His
name, but call upon it in every trouble, pray, praise, and give thanks.
There are different ways to
misuse something. One way is abuse, to use something in a hurtful and damaging
way. This is what happens when we call upon God to curse, to damn, to cover
lies, or as though he were a genie to answer at our beck and call, and then to
go kindly back to his place until we call him again.
Another way to misuse something
is neglect, to leave something useful or beautiful never using or appreciating
it and letting it get ruined by the environment. This is what happens when we
do not use God’s name, when we do not call upon him in every trouble, praise
him, and give him thanks. When we do not take God’s name upon our lips in
prayer and blessing, the world gets the idea that we are just some kind of
weird social club or philosophical society and God’s honor in the world is
eroded.
God wants us to use his name. He
wants us to call upon him and promises to hear us.
One time I was visiting a lady
in a nursing home. I talked with her about Jesus, reassured her of his
forgiveness and faithfulness. After I prayed with her, I left. In the hall,
just outside her door, I found a man standing with tears in his eyes. I was a
little confused and asked if he was okay. He said, “Oh, yes. I heard you say
the sweet name of my savior, Jesus, and I just had to stop and listen.”
Say his name with love and faith
in your heart. Say his name with hope and confidence that he has redeemed you
and cares about your life. Say his name in praise that the world may know Jesus
as the Lord and God who saves his people.
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?
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.
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)
Comments