Good Morning, Lord!
I Am Baptized
Christ loved the church and gave
himself up for her, 26 that he might sanctify her, having cleansed
her by the washing of water with the word, 27 so that he might
present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such
thing, that she might be holy and without blemish. (Eph. 5:25-27 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 God, whose never-failing
providence orders all things both in heaven and earth; we humbly beg you to put
away from us all hurtful things, and to give us those things which are
profitable for us, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.[1]
I Believe …
I believe in God, the Father
Almighty, maker of heaven and earth.
And in Jesus Christ, His only
Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the
virgin Mary, suffered under
Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried. He
descended into hell. The third
day He rose again from the dead. He ascended into heaven
and sits at the right hand of
God the Father Almighty. From thence He will come to judge
the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy Christian Church, the communion of saints, the
forgiveness of sins, the
resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.
To
the choirmaster: with stringed instruments. A Psalm of David.
4 Answer me when I call, O God of
my righteousness!
You have given me relief when I was in distress.
Be gracious to me and hear my prayer!
You have given me relief when I was in distress.
Be gracious to me and hear my prayer!
2 O men,[a] how long shall my honor be
turned into shame?
How long will you love vain words and seek after lies? Selah
3 But know that the Lord has set apart the godly for himself;
the Lord hears when I call to him.
How long will you love vain words and seek after lies? Selah
3 But know that the Lord has set apart the godly for himself;
the Lord hears when I call to him.
4 Be angry,[b] and do not sin;
ponder in your own hearts on your beds, and be silent. Selah
5 Offer right sacrifices,
and put your trust in the Lord.
ponder in your own hearts on your beds, and be silent. Selah
5 Offer right sacrifices,
and put your trust in the Lord.
6 There are many who say, “Who
will show us some good?
Lift up the light of your face upon us, O Lord!”
7 You have put more joy in my heart
than they have when their grain and wine abound.
Lift up the light of your face upon us, O Lord!”
7 You have put more joy in my heart
than they have when their grain and wine abound.
8 In peace I will both lie
down and sleep;
for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety.
for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety.
What
have you drawn from this Psalm? How has God instructed you through it? Has he
led you to confess any sins? Has he comforted you in any way? For what does
this psalm make you thankful? Is there anything in particular that it teaches
you to pray?
Please
take some time to meditate on Psalm 4 today, and, if you’re up to it, share an
insight in the comment section below.
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 your church, the pastor, and the staff.
Pray
for the needs of your fellow church members – parents, children, youth, the
elderly, the ill, and the dying.
Petitions of the Lord’s Prayer
The Seventh Petition: “But
deliver us from evil.”
Dear Father, please rescue us
from every evil of body and soul, possessions and reputation, and finally, when
our last hour comes, give us a blessed end, and graciously take us from this
valley of sorrow to heaven, where we will live eternally with You, and with
Jesus, and the Holy Spirit, One God, now and forever. Amen.
Benediction
Now may the God of peace who
brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by
the blood of the eternal covenant, equip you with everything good that you may
do his will, working in us that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus
Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen. (Heb. 13:20-21 ESV)
[1] Modernized and adapted
from Gelasian, (492 A.D.), in Tileston, Mary, Prayers Ancient and Modern, 1897, Grosset and Dunlap, p. 128
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