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For Daily Prayers and more become a Member on PatreonVisit our Website for more www.commonprayerdaily.com_______________Year 1 - 1979 Daily Office LectionaryOpening Words:I will give you as a light to the nations, that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth.Isaiah 49:6b Confession:Let us humbly confess our sins unto Almighty God. Most merciful God, we confess that we have sinned against you in thought, word, and deed, by what we have done, and by what we have left undone. We have not loved you with our whole heart; we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. We are truly sorry and we humbly repent. For the sake of your Son Jesus Christ, have mercy on us and forgive us; that we may delight in your will, and walk in your ways, to the glory of your Name. Amen. Almighty God have mercy on you, forgive you all your sins through our Lord Jesus Christ, strengthen you in all goodness, and by the power of the Holy Spirit keep you in eternal life. Amen. The InvitatoryLord, open our lips.And our mouth shall proclaim your praise.Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen. Alleluia. Psalm 95:1-7The Lord has shown forth his glory: Come let us adore him.Come, let us sing to the Lord; *let us shout for joy to the Rock of our salvation.Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving *and raise a loud shout to him with psalms.For the Lord is a great God, *and a great King above all gods.In his hand are the caverns of the earth, *and the heights of the hills are his also.The sea is his, for he made it, *and his hands have molded the dry land.Come, let us bow down, and bend the knee, *and kneel before the Lord our Maker.For he is our God,and we are the people of his pasture and the sheep of his hand. *Oh, that today you would hearken to his voice!The Lord has shown forth his glory: Come let us adore him. The PsalterPsalm 251To you, O Lord, I lift up my soul;my God, I put my trust in you; *let me not be humiliated,nor let my enemies triumph over me.2Let none who look to you be put to shame; *let the treacherous be disappointed in their schemes.3Show me your ways, O Lord, *and teach me your paths.4Lead me in your truth and teach me, *for you are the God of my salvation;in you have I trusted all the day long.5Remember, O Lord, your compassion and love, *for they are from everlasting.6Remember not the sins of my youth and my transgressions; *remember me according to your loveand for the sake of your goodness, O Lord.7Gracious and upright is the Lord; *therefore he teaches sinners in his way.8He guides the humble in doing right *and teaches his way to the lowly.9All the paths of the Lord are love and faithfulness *to those who keep his covenant and his testimonies.10For your Name's sake, O Lord, *forgive my sin, for it is great.11Who are they who fear the Lord? *he will teach them the way that they should choose.12They shall dwell in prosperity, *and their offspring shall inherit the land.13The Lord is a friend to those who fear him *and will show them his covenant.14My eyes are ever looking to the Lord, *for he shall pluck my feet out of the net.15Turn to me and have pity on me, *for I am left alone and in misery.16The sorrows of my heart have increased; *bring me out of my troubles.17Look upon my adversity and misery *and forgive me all my sin.18Look upon my enemies, for they are many, *and they bear a violent hatred against me.19Protect my life and deliver me; *let me not be put to shame, for I have trusted in you.20Let integrity and uprightness preserve me, *for my hope has been in you.21Deliver Israel, O God, *out of all his troubles. Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: *as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen. LessonsIsa. 44:6-8,21-23A Reading from the Book of the Prophet Isaiah.Thus says the Lord, the King of Israel, and his Redeemer, the Lord of hosts: I am the first and I am the last; besides me there is no god. Who is like me? Let them proclaim it, let them declare and set it forth before me. Who has announced from of old the things to come? Let them tell us what is yet to be. Do not fear, or be afraid; have I not told you from of old and declared it? You are my witnesses! Is there any god besides me? There is no other rock; I know not one.Remember these things, O Jacob, and Israel, for you are my servant; I formed you, you are my servant; O Israel, you will not be forgotten by me. I have swept away your transgressions like a cloud, and your sins like mist; return to me, for I have redeemed you. Sing, O heavens, for the Lord has done it; shout, O depths of the earth; break forth into singing, O mountains, O forest, and every tree in it! For the Lord has redeemed Jacob, and will be glorified in Israel.The Word of the Lord.Thanks Be To God. Te Deum laudamusYou are God: we praise you; You are the Lord: we acclaim you; You are the eternal Father: All creation worships you. To you all angels, all the powers of heaven, Cherubim and Seraphim, sing in endless praise:Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might,heaven and earth are full of your glory. The glorious company of apostles praise you. The noble fellowship of prophets praise you. The white-robed army of martyrs praise you. Throughout the world the holy Church acclaims you;Father, of majesty unbounded, your true and only Son, worthy of all worship, and the Holy Spirit, advocate and guide.You, Christ, are the king of glory, the eternal Son of the Father. When you became man to set us free you did not shun the Virgin's womb. You overcame the sting of deathand opened the kingdom of heaven to all believers. You are seated at God's right hand in glory. We believe that you will come and be our judge.Come then, Lord, and help your people, bought with the price of your own blood, and bring us with your saintsto glory everlasting. Eph. 4:1-16A Reading from the Letter to the Ephesians.I therefore, the prisoner in the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, making every effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the one hope of your calling, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in all. But each of us was given grace according to the measure of Christ's gift. Therefore it is said, “When he ascended on high he made captivity itself a captive; he gave gifts to his people.” (When it says, “He ascended,” what does it mean but that he had also descended into the lower parts of the earth? He who descended is the same one who ascended far above all the heavens, so that he might fill all things.) The gifts he gave were that some would be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until all of us come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to maturity, to the measure of the full stature of Christ. We must no longer be children, tossed to and fro and blown about by every wind of doctrine, by people's trickery, by their craftiness in deceitful scheming. But speaking the truth in love, we must grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by every ligament with which it is equipped, as each part is working properly, promotes the body's growth in building itself up in love.The Word of the Lord.Thanks Be To God. Mark 3:7-19aA Reading from the Gospel According to Mark.Jesus departed with his disciples to the lake, and a great multitude from Galilee followed him; hearing all that he was doing, they came to him in great numbers from Judea, Jerusalem, Idumea, beyond the Jordan, and the region around Tyre and Sidon. He told his disciples to have a boat ready for him because of the crowd, so that they would not crush him; for he had cured many, so that all who had diseases pressed upon him to touch him. Whenever the unclean spirits saw him, they fell down before him and shouted, ‘You are the Son of God!' But he sternly ordered them not to make him known.He went up the mountain and called to him those whom he wanted, and they came to him. And he appointed twelve, whom he also named apostles, to be with him, and to be sent out to proclaim the message, and to have authority to cast out demons. So he appointed the twelve: Simon (to whom he gave the name Peter); James son of Zebedee and John the brother of James (to whom he gave the name Boanerges, that is, Sons of Thunder); and Andrew, and Philip, and Bartholomew, and Matthew, and Thomas, and James son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus, and Simon the Cananaean, and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.Then he went home;The Word of the Lord.Thanks Be To God. Benedictus Dominus DeusBlessed be the Lord, the God of Israel; * he has come to his people and set them free.He has raised up for us a mighty savior, * born of the house of his servant David.Through his holy prophets he promised of old, that he would save us from our enemies, * from the hands of all who hate us. He promised to show mercy to our fathers * and to remember his holy covenant. This was the oath he swore to our father Abraham, * to set us free from the hands of our enemies, Free to worship him without fear, * holy and righteous in his sight all the days of our life.You, my child, shall be called the prophet of the Most High, * for you will go before the Lord to prepare his way, To give his people knowledge of salvation * by the forgiveness of their sins.In the tender compassion of our God * the dawn from on high shall break upon us, To shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death, * and to guide our feet into the way of peace.Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen. The Apostles CreedI believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth.I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord. He was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended to the dead. On the third day he rose again. He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again to judge the living and the dead.I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen. The PrayersThe Lord be with you.And also with you.Let us pray.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. Suffrages BV. Save your people, Lord, and bless your inheritance;R. Govern and uphold them, now and always.V. Day by day we bless you;R. We praise your name for ever.V. Lord, keep us from all sin today;R. Have mercy on us, Lord, have mercy.V. Lord, show us your love and mercy;R. For we put our trust in you.V. In you, Lord, is our hope;R. And we shall never hope in vain. The CollectsCollect of the DayAlmighty God, whose Son our Savior Jesus Christ is the light of the world: Grant that your people, illumined by your Word and Sacraments, may shine with the radiance of Christ's glory, that he may be known, worshiped, and obeyed to the ends of the earth; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, one God, now and for ever. Amen. Daily Collects:A Collect for PeaceO God, the author of peace and lover of concord, to know you is eternal life and to serve you is perfect freedom: Defend us, your humble servants, in all assaults of our enemies; that we, surely trusting in your defense, may not fear the power of any adversaries, through the might of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.A Collect for GraceO Lord, our heavenly Father, almighty and everlasting God, you have brought us safely to the beginning of this day: Defend us by your mighty power, that we may not fall into sin nor run into any danger; and that, guided by your Spirit, we may do what is righteous in your sight; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. Take a moment of silence at this time to reflect and pray for others. Collect of Saint BasilO Christ God, Who art worshipped and glorified at every place and time; Who art long-suffering, most merciful and compassionate; Who lovest the righteous and art merciful to sinners; Who callest all to salvation with the promise of good things to come: receive, Lord, the prayers we now offer, and direct our lives in the way of Thy commandments. Sanctify our souls, cleanse our bodies, correct our thoughts, purify our minds and deliver us from all affliction, evil and illness. Surround us with Thy holy angels, that guarded and instructed by their forces, we may reach unity of faith and the understanding of Thine unapproachable glory: for blessed art Thou unto ages of ages. Amen. A Prayer of St. John ChrysostomAlmighty God, you have given us grace at this time, with one accord to make our common supplications to you; and you have promised through your well-beloved Son that when two or three are gathered together in his Name you will grant their requests: Fulfill now, O Lord, our desires and petitions as may be best for us; granting us in this world knowledge of your truth, and in the age to come life everlasting. Amen. DismissalLet us bless the LordThanks be to God!The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with us all evermore. Amen

Send us a textPsalm 27:7-8Hear, O LORD, when I cry with my voice!Have mercy also upon me, and answer me.When You said, “Seek My face,”My heart said to You, “Your face, LORD, I will seek.”Support the show

Every once in a while, not often, but consistently, I come to a particular episode that I'm doing for myself. Today is one of those. I have told my children, and then everyone else who might listen to this old guy, that the best place to be is at the foot of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit in communion with Him—Payer in a simpler term. No matter my circumstance, sad or joyful in my present, the best place for me is at the foot of our Creator, God, Redeemer, King, Rock, and Refuge. Because of His love and compassion, He is our peace, even in fear. Recently, I came across this quote "My sins prevail over me, and the terrors of their guiltiness. I am put often to ask, if Christ and I did ever shake hands together in earnest. I mean not that my feast-days are quite gone, but I am made of extremes." Samuel Rutherford We are children of God, and yet we are children of extremes. We have exquisite love for God in our inner man, and our souls exalt in His truths as we let them wash over us. At the same time we are brought to shame and wonder at the depths of our sins, and also know the cries of Paul: "Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death?" Romans 7:24 A song we referenced before is "Hallelujah," by Leonard Cohen. Whatever way, he came to this genius song verse: "I did my best, it wasn't much. I couldn't feel, so I tried to touch. I've told the truth, I didn't come to fool ya. And even though it all went wrong, I'll stand before the Lord of song with nothing on my tongue but Hallelujah." "There's a blaze of light in every word, it doesn't matter which you heard, the holy or the broken Hallelujah." We all come like Samual Rutherford and my hero/mentor David with great cheer and sorrow, but God accepts our holy and broken Hallelujahs. "I have become dumb, I do not open my mouth, Because it is Thou who hast done it. 10 "Remove Thy plague from me; Because of the opposition of Thy hand, I am perishing. 11 "With reproofs Thou dost chasten a man for iniquity; Thou dost consume as a moth what is precious to him; Surely every man is a mere breath. 12 "Hear my prayer, O LORD, and give ear to my cry; Do not be silent at my tears; For I am a stranger with Thee, A sojourner like all my fathers. 13 "Turn Thy gaze away from me, that I may smile again, Before I depart and am no more." Psalm 39:9-13 "My heart is steadfast, O God, my heart is steadfast; I will sing, yes, I will sing praises! 8 Awake, my glory; Awake, harp and lyre, I will awaken the dawn! 9 I will give thanks to Thee, O Lord, among the peoples; I will sing praises to Thee among the nations. 10 For Thy lovingkindness is great to the heavens, And Thy truth to the clouds. 11 Be exalted above the heavens, O God; Let Thy glory be above all the earth." Psalm 57:7-11 Our So what? That is my witness; that is what I have to give to thee. I know the depths of sorrow that says, turn away thy gaze from me. and I know his loving kindness is great to the heavens. One of the great ends while we are on this earth of our prayer lives is that we learn. That he accepts our holy and our broken, hallelujahs. Brethren, let's pray for one another. "What a man is on his knees before God, that he is and nothing more." Robert Murray M'Cheynee Donation link: https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=G9JGGR5W97D64 Or go to www.freerangepreacheronprayer.com and use the Donations tab. Assistant Editor: Seven Jefferson Gossard. www.freerangepreacheronprayer.com freerangeprayer@gmail.com Facebook - Free Range Preacher Ministries Instagram: freerangeministries All our Scripture quotes are drawn from the NASB 1977 edition. For access to the Voice Over services of Richard Durrington, please visit RichardDurrington.com or email him at Durringtonr@gmail.com Our podcast art was designed by @sammmmmmmmm23 Instagram Season 007 Episode 016

Your Nightly Prayer

Remember, O Lord...

ਜੈਤਸਰੀ ਮਹਲਾ ੪ ਘਰੁ ੧ ਚਉਪਦੇ ੴ ਸਤਿਗੁਰ ਪ੍ਰਸਾਦਿ ॥ਮੇਰੈ ਹੀਅਰੈ ਰਤਨੁ ਨਾਮੁ ਹਰਿ ਬਸਿਆ ਗੁਰਿ ਹਾਥੁ ਧਰਿਓ ਮੇਰੈ ਮਾਥਾ ॥ ਜਨਮ ਜਨਮ ਕੇ ਕਿਲਬਿਖ ਦੁਖ ਉਤਰੇ ਗੁਰਿ ਨਾਮੁ ਦੀਓ ਰਿਨੁ ਲਾਥਾ ॥੧॥ ਮੇਰੇ ਮਨ ਭਜੁ ਰਾਮ ਨਾਮੁ ਸਭਿ ਅਰਥਾ ॥ ਗੁਰਿ ਪੂਰੈ ਹਰਿ ਨਾਮੁ ਦ੍ਰਿੜਾਇਆ ਬਿਨੁ ਨਾਵੈ ਜੀਵਨੁ ਬਿਰਥਾ ॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥ ਬਿਨੁ ਗੁਰ ਮੂੜ ਭਏ ਹੈ ਮਨਮੁਖ ਤੇ ਮੋਹ ਮਾਇਆ ਨਿਤ ਫਾਥਾ ॥ ਤਿਨ ਸਾਧੂ ਚਰਣ ਨ ਸੇਵੇ ਕਬਹੂ ਤਿਨ ਸਭੁ ਜਨਮੁ ਅਕਾਥਾ ॥੨॥ ਜਿਨ ਸਾਧੂ ਚਰਣ ਸਾਧ ਪਗ ਸੇਵੇ ਤਿਨ ਸਫਲਿਓ ਜਨਮੁ ਸਨਾਥਾ ॥ ਮੋ ਕਉ ਕੀਜੈ ਦਾਸੁ ਦਾਸ ਦਾਸਨ ਕੋ ਹਰਿ ਦਇਆ ਧਾਰਿ ਜਗੰਨਾਥਾ ॥੩॥ ਹਮ ਅੰਧੁਲੇ ਗਿਆਨਹੀਨ ਅਗਿਆਨੀ ਕਿਉ ਚਾਲਹ ਮਾਰਗਿ ਪੰਥਾ ॥ ਹਮ ਅੰਧੁਲੇ ਕਉ ਗੁਰ ਅੰਚਲੁ ਦੀਜੈ ਜਨ ਨਾਨਕ ਚਲਹ ਮਿਲੰਥਾ ॥੪॥੧॥  ਅਰਥ: ਹੇ ਮੇਰੇ ਮਨ! ਸਦਾ) ਪਰਮਾਤਮਾ ਦਾ ਨਾਮ ਸਿਮਰਿਆ ਕਰ, (ਪਰਮਾਤਮਾ) ਸਾਰੇ ਪਦਾਰਥ (ਦੇਣ ਵਾਲਾ ਹੈ) । (ਹੇ ਮਨ! ਗੁਰੂ ਦੀ ਸਰਨ ਪਿਆ ਰਹੁ) ਪੂਰੇ ਗੁਰੂ ਨੇ (ਹੀ) ਪਰਮਾਤਮਾ ਦਾ ਨਾਮ (ਹਿਰਦੇ ਵਿਚ) ਪੱਕਾ ਕੀਤਾ ਹੈ। ਤੇ, ਨਾਮ ਤੋਂ ਬਿਨਾ ਮਨੁੱਖਾ ਜ਼ਿੰਦਗੀ ਵਿਅਰਥ ਚਲੀ ਜਾਂਦੀ ਹੈ।ਰਹਾਉ। (ਹੇ ਭਾਈ! ਜਦੋਂ) ਗੁਰੂ ਨੇ ਮੇਰੇ ਸਿਰ ਉੱਤੇ ਆਪਣਾ ਹੱਥ ਰੱਖਿਆ, ਤਾਂ ਮੇਰੇ ਹਿਰਦੇ ਵਿਚ ਪਰਮਾਤਮਾ ਦਾ ਰਤਨ (ਵਰਗਾ ਕੀਮਤੀ) ਨਾਮ ਆ ਵੱਸਿਆ। (ਹੇ ਭਾਈ! ਜਿਸ ਭੀ ਮਨੁੱਖ ਨੂੰ) ਗੁਰੂ ਨੇ ਪਰਮਾਤਮਾ ਦਾ ਨਾਮ ਦਿੱਤਾ, ਉਸ ਦੇ ਅਨੇਕਾਂ ਜਨਮਾਂ ਦੇ ਪਾਪ ਦੁੱਖ ਦੂਰ ਹੋ ਗਏ, (ਉਸ ਦੇ ਸਿਰੋਂ ਪਾਪਾਂ ਦਾ) ਕਰਜ਼ਾ ਉਤਰ ਗਿਆ।੧। ਹੇ ਭਾਈ! ਜੇਹੜੇ ਮਨੁੱਖ ਆਪਣੇ ਮਨ ਦੇ ਪਿੱਛੇ ਤੁਰਦੇ ਹਨ ਉਹ ਗੁਰੂ (ਦੀ ਸਰਨ) ਤੋਂ ਬਿਨਾ ਮੂਰਖ ਹੋਏ ਰਹਿੰਦੇ ਹਨ, ਉਹ ਸਦਾ ਮਾਇਆ ਦੇ ਮੋਹ ਵਿਚ ਫਸੇ ਰਹਿੰਦੇ ਹਨ। ਉਹਨਾਂ ਨੇ ਕਦੇ ਭੀ ਗੁਰੂ ਦਾ ਆਸਰਾ ਨਹੀਂ ਲਿਆ, ਉਹਨਾਂ ਦਾ ਸਾਰਾ ਜੀਵਨ ਵਿਅਰਥ ਚਲਾ ਜਾਂਦਾ ਹੈ।੨। ਹੇ ਭਾਈ! ਜੇਹੜੇ ਮਨੁੱਖ ਗੁਰੂ ਦੇ ਚਰਨਾਂ ਦੀ ਓਟ ਲੈਂਦੇ ਹਨ, ਉਹ ਖਸਮ ਵਾਲੇ ਬਣ ਜਾਂਦੇ ਹਨ, ਉਹਨਾਂ ਦੀ ਜ਼ਿੰਦਗੀ ਕਾਮਯਾਬ ਹੋ ਜਾਂਦੀ ਹੈ। ਹੇ ਹਰੀ! ਹੇ ਜਗਤ ਦੇ ਨਾਥ! ਮੇਰੇ ਉੱਤੇ ਮੇਹਰ ਕਰ, ਮੈਨੂੰ ਆਪਣੇ ਦਾਸਾਂ ਦੇ ਦਾਸਾਂ ਦਾ ਦਾਸ ਬਣਾ ਲੈ।੩। ਹੇ ਗੁਰੂ! ਅਸੀ ਮਾਇਆ ਵਿਚ ਅੰਨ੍ਹੇ ਹੋ ਰਹੇ ਹਾਂ, ਅਸੀਂ ਆਤਮਕ ਜੀਵਨ ਦੀ ਸੂਝ ਤੋਂ ਸੱਖਣੇ ਹਾਂ, ਸਾਨੂੰ ਸਹੀ ਜੀਵਨ-ਜੁਗਤਿ ਦੀ ਸੂਝ ਨਹੀਂ ਹੈ, ਅਸੀ ਤੇਰੇ ਦੱਸੇ ਹੋਏ ਜੀਵਨ-ਰਾਹ ਉੱਤੇ ਤੁਰ ਨਹੀਂ ਸਕਦੇ। ਹੇ ਦਾਸ ਨਾਨਕ! (ਆਖ-) ਹੇ ਗੁਰੂ! ਸਾਨੂੰ ਅੰਨਿ੍ਹਆਂ ਨੂੰ ਆਪਣਾ ਪੱਲਾ ਫੜਾ, ਤਾਂ ਕਿ ਤੇਰੇ ਪੱਲੇ ਲੱਗ ਕੇ ਅਸੀ ਤੇਰੇ ਦੱਸੇ ਹੋਏ ਰਸਤੇ ਉਤੇ ਤੁਰ ਸਕੀਏ।੪।੧। JAITSREE, FOURTH MEHL, FIRST HOUSE, CHAU-PADAS: ONE UNIVERSAL CREATOR GOD. BY THE GRACE OF THE TRUE GURU: The Jewel of the Lord's Name abides within my heart; the Guru has placed His hand on my forehead. The sins and pains of countless incarnations have been cast out. The Guru has blessed me with the Naam, the Name of the Lord, and my debt has been paid off. || 1 || O my mind, vibrate the Lord's Name, and all your affairs shall be resolved. The Perfect Guru has implanted the Lord's Name within me; without the Name, life is useless. || Pause || Without the Guru, the self-willed manmukhs are foolish and ignorant; they are forever entangled in emotional attachment to Maya. They never serve the feet of the Holy; their lives are totally useless. || 2 || Those who serve at the feet of the Holy, the feet of the Holy, their lives are made fruitful, and they belong to the Lord. Make me the slave of the slave of the slaves of the Lord; bless me with Your Mercy, O Lord of the Universe. || 3 || I am blind, ignorant and totally without wisdom; how can I walk on the Path? I am blind — O Guru, please let me grasp the hem of Your robe, so that servant Nanak may walk in harmony with You. || 4 || 1 ॥

Psalm 26 portrays a man devoted to God, seeking His glory, not his own (v12), wholehearted in leading a blameless life (v1), trusting God without wavering (v1b), keeping himself pure, walking in the light, his heart open to examination (v2), walking in God's love & truth (v3), avoiding close company with evil doers (v4-5). God's House (the setting) is central to his life (v6-8,12). Only Christ perfectly fulfils this description, but we are righteous in Christ, and as we walk with Him, He changes us into His image. David does not boast in a self-righteous way, claiming he is sinless, for he knows his need for redemption & mercy (v11), and trusts in divine grace as His foundation (v3,12). It inspires us to embrace the ideal of faith covenant keeping, but achieving it is not a pre-condition for entering into worship. It's given for us to affirm & strengthen our love for God. Declaring we love righteousness & hate evil, even if we're not perfect, helps us identify with the good & reject the evil. Saying: “I love You, Lord” is not a claim of perfection, but strengthens our commitment to Him. He describes his inner life & outward deeds (integrity). He declared his innocence of accusations against him, affirming he walks with God & seeks to keep His laws: “VINDICATE (judge) me, O Lord” (v1a). His enemies (v4-5, 9-10) slandered him (especially at Absalom's rebellion). In response, he brought his case to God, asking Him to judge in his favor, according to 1Ki 8:31-32. He declared his innocence: “O Lord, for I have (1) WALKED in my integrity (devoted heart, loyal to God). I have also (2) TRUSTED in the Lord; I shall not slip (unwavering trust)” (1Ki 9:4-5). Note the parallelism: (1) his outward WALK from (2) his inner TRUST in God's grace, the root & sap of moral integrity. His holiness empowers our morality, overcoming our sin-nature. He is willing to be examined & corrected by God: “Examine (test) me, O Lord, and prove me; try (refine, as in metals) my mind ('kidneys', seat of emotions) and my heart (will, moral centre)” (v2). A mark of believers is coming to the light, inviting God to search our heart and show us what is right & wrong (John 3:19-21). If we don't want to be told we're wrong, we don't come to the light, but then we live in a lie and will pay the price. “For Your lovingkindness is before my eyes and I have walked in Your truth (faithfulness)” (v3). Again, we see faith & works in balance. By trusting in God's faithfulness, He walks in faithfulness to God, in the truth of His Word in doctrine & deed. He then describes another vital aspect of holy living, separation from evil people & their corrupting ways. We must choose our close friends carefully. “(1) I have not SAT (had close fellowship with) with idolatrous (worthless, those given to the pursuit of vanity) mortals, nor (2) will I go in with hypocrites (play-actors)” (v4). “(1) I have HATED (rejected) the assembly of evildoers, and (2) will not SIT (fellowship) with the wicked” (v5). He rejects their ways, works & company. He hated sin & loved God as seen in his WORSHIP: “I will wash my hands in innocence” (v6a). The priests washed their hands at the Laver before ministering at the Altar, so he prepares his heart to minister to God (Eph 5:26). “So, I will go about Your Altar O Lord” (v6b). True worship centres on Christ's Sacrifice, the basis of God's grace. “That I may proclaim with the voice of thanksgiving, and tell of all Your wondrous works” (v7). We give thanks for His works of salvation. “Lord, I have LOVED the habitation of Your House (where God dwells & His people assemble), and the Place where Your Glory (manifest Presence) dwells (‘the Place of the Tabernacle of Your Glory')” (v8). As we draw near to God, His Glory will be revealed to us. Contrast his loves with his hates (v5). We should also love His Church. Knowing God is the Judge, he prays: “Do not gather (‘take away') my soul with sinners, nor my life with bloodthirsty men” (v9). "Do not sweep me away with sinners into Your rubbish dump (Hell)." He describes these sinners: “in whose hands is a sinister scheme (plotting for gain at the expense of others), and whose right hand is full of bribes (corruption)” (v10). God will separate the righteous & wicked. Next, he declares his full commitment to God by His help: “But as for me, I will walk in my integrity” (v11a). This is loyalty to God, not self-righteousness, for he knows his need for mercy: “(1) REDEEM me and (2) be MERCIFUL (gracious) to me” (v11b). As he walks round the Altar, he knows he needs redemption by Christ's blood, and so asks God to redeem, forgive & empower him to please Him. Finally, he is assured his prayer has been granted: “My foot stands in an even place” (v12a). By trusting in Christ, he stands on level solid ground, so will not go to Hell. So, what is left, but to declare His praise: “in the great congregation I will bless the Lord” (v12b). Praising God in Church is a mark of a true believer.

The Bible!LISTEN to Audio! This gem is a MUST listen!The Bible contains . . . the mind of God, the state of man, the way of salvation, the doom of sinners, and the happiness of believers.Its doctrines are holy,its precepts are binding,its stories are true,and its decisions are immutable.Read it to be wise,believe it to be safe,and practice it to be holy.It contains . . . light to direct you, food to support you, and comfort to cheer you.It is . . . the traveler's map, the pilgrim's staff, the pilot's compass, the soldier's sword, and the Christian's charter.Here . . . Paradise is restored, Heaven opened and the gates of Hell disclosed.Christ is its grand subject,our good the design, andthe glory of God its end.It should . . . fill the memory, rule the heart, and guide the feet.Read it . . . slowly, frequently, and prayerfully. It is . . . a mine of wealth, health to the soul, and a river of pleasure!It . . . involves the highest responsibility, will reward the greatest labor, and will condemn all who trifle with its sacred contents!(author unknown)"Forever, O LORD, Your Word is settled in Heaven!" Psalm 119:89"All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness-that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work." 2 Timothy 3:16-17"And we also thank God continually because, when you received the Word of God which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but as it actually is, the Word of God, which is at work in you who believe!" 1 Thessalonians 2:13

Psalm 26 portrays a man devoted to God, seeking His glory, not his own (v12), wholehearted in leading a blameless life (v1), trusting God without wavering (v1b), keeping himself pure, walking in the light, his heart open to examination (v2), walking in God's love & truth (v3), avoiding close company with evil doers (v4-5). God's House (the setting) is central to his life (v6-8,12). Only Christ perfectly fulfils this description, but we are righteous in Christ, and as we walk with Him, He changes us into His image. David does not boast in a self-righteous way, claiming he is sinless, for he knows his need for redemption & mercy (v11), and trusts in divine grace as His foundation (v3,12). It inspires us to embrace the ideal of faith covenant keeping, but achieving it is not a pre-condition for entering into worship. It's given for us to affirm & strengthen our love for God. Declaring we love righteousness & hate evil, even if we're not perfect, helps us identify with the good & reject the evil. Saying: “I love You, Lord” is not a claim of perfection, but strengthens our commitment to Him. He describes his inner life & outward deeds (integrity). He declared his innocence of accusations against him, affirming he walks with God & seeks to keep His laws: “VINDICATE (judge) me, O Lord” (v1a). His enemies (v4-5, 9-10) slandered him (especially at Absalom's rebellion). In response, he brought his case to God, asking Him to judge in his favor, according to 1Ki 8:31-32. He declared his innocence: “O Lord, for I have (1) WALKED in my integrity (devoted heart, loyal to God). I have also (2) TRUSTED in the Lord; I shall not slip (unwavering trust)” (1Ki 9:4-5). Note the parallelism: (1) his outward WALK from (2) his inner TRUST in God's grace, the root & sap of moral integrity. His holiness empowers our morality, overcoming our sin-nature. He is willing to be examined & corrected by God: “Examine (test) me, O Lord, and prove me; try (refine, as in metals) my mind ('kidneys', seat of emotions) and my heart (will, moral centre)” (v2). A mark of believers is coming to the light, inviting God to search our heart and show us what is right & wrong (John 3:19-21). If we don't want to be told we're wrong, we don't come to the light, but then we live in a lie and will pay the price. “For Your lovingkindness is before my eyes and I have walked in Your truth (faithfulness)” (v3). Again, we see faith & works in balance. By trusting in God's faithfulness, He walks in faithfulness to God, in the truth of His Word in doctrine & deed. He then describes another vital aspect of holy living, separation from evil people & their corrupting ways. We must choose our close friends carefully. “(1) I have not SAT (had close fellowship with) with idolatrous (worthless, those given to the pursuit of vanity) mortals, nor (2) will I go in with hypocrites (play-actors)” (v4). “(1) I have HATED (rejected) the assembly of evildoers, and (2) will not SIT (fellowship) with the wicked” (v5). He rejects their ways, works & company. He hated sin & loved God as seen in his WORSHIP: “I will wash my hands in innocence” (v6a). The priests washed their hands at the Laver before ministering at the Altar, so he prepares his heart to minister to God (Eph 5:26). “So, I will go about Your Altar O Lord” (v6b). True worship centres on Christ's Sacrifice, the basis of God's grace. “That I may proclaim with the voice of thanksgiving, and tell of all Your wondrous works” (v7). We give thanks for His works of salvation. “Lord, I have LOVED the habitation of Your House (where God dwells & His people assemble), and the Place where Your Glory (manifest Presence) dwells (‘the Place of the Tabernacle of Your Glory')” (v8). As we draw near to God, His Glory will be revealed to us. Contrast his loves with his hates (v5). We should also love His Church. Knowing God is the Judge, he prays: “Do not gather (‘take away') my soul with sinners, nor my life with bloodthirsty men” (v9). "Do not sweep me away with sinners into Your rubbish dump (Hell)." He describes these sinners: “in whose hands is a sinister scheme (plotting for gain at the expense of others), and whose right hand is full of bribes (corruption)” (v10). God will separate the righteous & wicked. Next, he declares his full commitment to God by His help: “But as for me, I will walk in my integrity” (v11a). This is loyalty to God, not self-righteousness, for he knows his need for mercy: “(1) REDEEM me and (2) be MERCIFUL (gracious) to me” (v11b). As he walks round the Altar, he knows he needs redemption by Christ's blood, and so asks God to redeem, forgive & empower him to please Him. Finally, he is assured his prayer has been granted: “My foot stands in an even place” (v12a). By trusting in Christ, he stands on level solid ground, so will not go to Hell. So, what is left, but to declare His praise: “in the great congregation I will bless the Lord” (v12b). Praising God in Church is a mark of a true believer.

Your Nightly Prayer

  ਸਲੋਕੁ ਮਃ ੩ ॥ ਰੇ ਜਨ ਉਥਾਰੈ ਦਬਿਓਹੁ ਸੁਤਿਆ ਗਈ ਵਿਹਾਇ ॥ ਸਤਿਗੁਰ ਕਾ ਸਬਦੁ ਸੁਣਿ ਨ ਜਾਗਿਓ ਅੰਤਰਿ ਨ ਉਪਜਿਓ ਚਾਉ ॥ ਅਰਥ: (ਮੋਹ-ਰੂਪ) ਉਥਾਰੇ ਦੇ ਦੱਬੇ ਹੋਏ ਹੇ ਭਾਈ! ਤੇਰੀ ਉਮਰ) ਸੁੱਤਿਆਂ ਹੀ ਗੁਜ਼ਰ ਗਈ ਹੈ; ਸਤਿਗੁਰੂ ਦਾ ਸ਼ਬਦ ਸੁਣ ਕੇ ਤੈਨੂੰ ਜਾਗ ਨਹੀਂ ਆਈ ਤੇ ਨਾ ਹੀ ਹਿਰਦੇ ਵਿਚ (ਨਾਮ ਜਪਣ ਦਾ) ਚਾਉ ਉਪਜਿਆ ਹੈ। ਸਰੀਰੁ ਜਲਉ ਗੁਣ ਬਾਹਰਾ ਜੋ ਗੁਰ ਕਾਰ ਨ ਕਮਾਇ ॥ ਜਗਤੁ ਜਲੰਦਾ ਡਿਠੁ ਮੈ ਹਉਮੈ ਦੂਜੈ ਭਾਇ ॥ ਨਾਨਕ ਗੁਰ ਸਰਣਾਈ ਉਬਰੇ ਸਚੁ ਮਨਿ ਸਬਦਿ ਧਿਆਇ ॥੧॥  ਅਰਥ: ਗੁਣਾਂ ਤੋਂ ਸੱਖਣਾ ਸਰੀਰ ਸੜ ਜਾਏ ਜੋ ਸਤਿਗੁਰੂ ਦੀ (ਦੱਸੀ ਹੋਈ) ਕਾਰ ਨਹੀਂ ਕਰਦਾ; (ਇਸ ਤਰ੍ਹਾਂ ਦਾ) ਸੰਸਾਰ ਮੈਂ ਹਉਮੈ ਵਿਚ ਤੇ ਮਾਇਆ ਦੇ ਮੋਹ ਵਿਚ ਸੜਦਾ ਵੇਖਿਆ ਹੈ। ਹੇ ਨਾਨਕ! ਗੁਰੂ ਦੇ ਸ਼ਬਦ ਦੀ ਰਾਹੀਂ ਸੱਚੇ ਹਰੀ ਨੂੰ ਮਨ ਵਿਚ ਸਿਮਰ ਕੇ (ਜੀਵ) ਸਤਿਗੁਰੂ ਦੀ ਸ਼ਰਨ ਪੈ ਕੇ (ਇਸ ਹਉਮੈ ਵਿਚ ਸੜਨ ਤੋਂ) ਬਚਦੇ ਹਨ।੧। ਮਃ ੩ ॥ ਸਬਦਿ ਰਤੇ ਹਉਮੈ ਗਈ ਸੋਭਾਵੰਤੀ ਨਾਰਿ ॥ ਪਿਰ ਕੈ ਭਾਣੈ ਸਦਾ ਚਲੈ ਤਾ ਬਨਿਆ ਸੀਗਾਰੁ ॥  ਅਰਥ: ਜਿਸ ਦੀ ਹਉਮੈ ਸਤਿਗੁਰੂ ਦੇ ਸ਼ਬਦ ਵਿਚ ਰੰਗੇ ਜਾਣ ਨਾਲ ਦੂਰ ਹੋ ਜਾਂਦੀ ਹੈ ਉਹ (ਜੀਵ-ਰੂਪੀ) ਨਾਰੀ ਸੋਭਾਵੰਤੀ ਹੈ; ਉਹ ਨਾਰੀ ਆਪਣੇ ਪ੍ਰਭੂ-ਪਤੀ ਦੇ ਹੁਕਮ ਵਿਚ ਸਦਾ ਤੁਰਦੀ ਹੈ, ਇਸੇ ਕਰਕੇ ਉਸ ਦਾ ਸ਼ਿੰਗਾਰ ਸਫਲ ਸਮਝੋ। ਸੇਜ ਸੁਹਾਵੀ ਸਦਾ ਪਿਰੁ ਰਾਵੈ ਹਰਿ ਵਰੁ ਪਾਇਆ ਨਾਰਿ ॥ ਨਾ ਹਰਿ ਮਰੈ ਨ ਕਦੇ ਦੁਖੁ ਲਾਗੈ ਸਦਾ ਸੁਹਾਗਣਿ ਨਾਰਿ ॥ ਨਾਨਕ ਹਰਿ ਪ੍ਰਭ ਮੇਲਿ ਲਈ ਗੁਰ ਕੈ ਹੇਤਿ ਪਿਆਰਿ ॥੨॥  ਅਰਥ: ਜਿਸ ਜੀਵ-ਇਸਤ੍ਰੀ ਨੇ ਪ੍ਰਭੂ-ਪਤੀ ਲੱਭ ਲਿਆ ਹੈ, ਉਸ ਦੀ (ਹਿਰਦੇ-ਰੂਪ) ਸੇਜ ਸੁੰਦਰ ਹੈ, ਕਿਉਂਕਿ ਉਸ ਨੂੰ ਪਤੀ ਸਦਾ ਮਿਲਿਆ ਹੋਇਆ ਹੈ, ਉਹ ਇਸਤ੍ਰੀ ਸਦਾ ਸੁਹਾਗ ਵਾਲੀ ਹੈ ਕਿਉਂਕਿ ਉਸ ਦਾ ਪਤੀ ਪ੍ਰਭੂ ਕਦੇ ਮਰਦਾ ਨਹੀਂ, (ਇਸ ਲਈ) ਉਹ ਕਦੇ ਦੁਖੀ ਨਹੀਂ ਹੁੰਦੀ। ਹੇ ਨਾਨਕ! ਗੁਰੂ ਦੇ ਪਿਆਰ ਵਿਚ ਉਸ ਦੀ ਬ੍ਰਿਤੀ ਹੋਣ ਕਰਕੇ ਪ੍ਰਭੂ ਨੇ ਆਪਣੇ ਨਾਲ ਮਿਲਾਇਆ ਹੈ।੨। ਪਉੜੀ ॥ ਜਿਨਾ ਗੁਰੁ ਗੋਪਿਆ ਆਪਣਾ ਤੇ ਨਰ ਬੁਰਿਆਰੀ ॥ ਹਰਿ ਜੀਉ ਤਿਨ ਕਾ ਦਰਸਨੁ ਨਾ ਕਰਹੁ ਪਾਪਿਸਟ ਹਤਿਆਰੀ ॥ ਓਹਿ ਘਰਿ ਘਰਿ ਫਿਰਹਿ ਕੁਸੁਧ ਮਨਿ ਜਿਉ ਧਰਕਟ ਨਾਰੀ ॥ ਅਰਥ: ਜੋ ਮਨੁੱਖ ਪਿਆਰੇ ਸਤਿਗੁਰੂ ਦੀ ਨਿੰਦਾ ਕਰਦੇ ਹਨ, ਉਹ ਬਹੁਤ ਭੈੜੇ ਹਨ, ਰੱਬ ਮਿਹਰ ਹੀ ਕਰੇ! ਹੇ ਭਾਈ! ਉਨ੍ਹਾਂ ਦਾ ਦਰਸ਼ਨ ਨਾਹ ਕਰੋ, ਉਹ ਬੜੇ ਪਾਪੀ ਤੇ ਹੱਤਿਆਰੇ ਹਨ; ਮਨੋਂ ਖੋਟੇ ਉਹ ਆਦਮੀ ਵਿਭਚਾਰਨ ਇਸਤ੍ਰੀ ਵਾਂਗ ਘਰ ਘਰ ਫਿਰਦੇ ਹਨ। ਵਡਭਾਗੀ ਸੰਗਤਿ ਮਿਲੇ ਗੁਰਮੁਖਿ ਸਵਾਰੀ ॥ ਹਰਿ ਮੇਲਹੁ ਸਤਿਗੁਰ ਦਇਆ ਕਰਿ ਗੁਰ ਕਉ ਬਲਿਹਾਰੀ ॥੨੩॥  ਅਰਥ: ਵਡਭਾਗੀ ਮਨੁੱਖ ਸਤਿਗੁਰੂ ਦੀ ਨਿਵਾਜੀ ਹੋਈ ਗੁਰਮੁਖਾਂ ਦੀ ਸੰਗਤ ਵਿਚ ਮਿਲਦੇ ਹਨ। ਹੇ ਹਰੀ! ਮੈਂ ਸਦਕੇ ਹਾਂ ਸਤਿਗੁਰੂ ਤੋਂ, ਮੇਹਰ ਕਰ ਤੇ ਸਤਿਗੁਰੂ ਨੂੰ ਮਿਲਾ।੨੩। SHALOK, THIRD MEHL: O man, you have been tormented by a nightmare, and you have passed your life in sleep. You did not wake to hear the Word of the True Guru’s Shabad; you have no inspiration within yourself. That body burns, which has no virtue, and which does not serve the Guru. I have seen that the world is burning, in egotism and the love of duality. O Nanak, those who seek the Guru’s Sanctuary are saved; within their minds, they meditate on the True Word of the Shabad. || 1 || THIRD MEHL: Attuned to the Word of the Shabad, the soul-bride is rid of egotism, and she is glorified. If she walks steadily in the way of His Will, then she is adorned with decorations. Her couch becomes beautiful, and she constantly enjoys her Husband Lord; she obtains the Lord as her Husband. The Lord does not die, and she never suffers pain; she is a happy soul-bride forever. O Nanak, the Lord God unites her with Himself; she enshrines love and affection for the Guru. || 2 || PAUREE: Those who conceal and deny their Guru, are the most evil people. O Dear Lord, let me not even see them; they are the worst sinners and murderers. They wander from house to house, with impure minds, like wicked, forsaken women. But by great good fortune, they may meet the Company of the Holy; as Gurmukhs, they are reformed. O Lord, please be kind and let me meet the True Guru; I am a sacrifice to the Guru. || 23 ||,

The Baptism of our Lord The Collect Almighty God, whose Son our Savior Jesus Christ is the light of the world: Grant that your people, illumined by your Word and Sacraments, may shine with the radiance of Christ's glory, that he may be known, worshipped, and obeyed to the ends of the earth; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, one God, now and for ever. Amen. Old Testament Isaiah 62:1-5 For Zion's sake I will not keep silent, and for Jerusalem's sake I will not rest, until her vindication shines out like the dawn, and her salvation like a burning torch. The nations shall see your vindication, and all the kings your glory; and you shall be called by a new name that the mouth of the Lord will give. You shall be a crown of beauty in the hand of the Lord, and a royal diadem in the hand of your God. You shall no more be termed Forsaken, and your land shall no more be termed Desolate; but you shall be called My Delight Is in Her, and your land Married; for the Lord delights in you, and your land shall be married. For as a young man marries a young woman, so shall your builder marry you, and as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride, so shall your God rejoice over you. The Psalm Psalm 36:5-10 Dixit injustus 5 Your love, O Lord, reaches to the heavens, * and your faithfulness to the clouds. 6 Your righteousness is like the strong mountains, your justice like the great deep; * you save both man and beast, O Lord. 7 How priceless is your love, O God! * your people take refuge under the shadow of your wings. 8 They feast upon the abundance of your house; * you give them drink from the river of your delights. 9 For with you is the well of life, * and in your light we see light. 10 Continue your loving-kindness to those who know you, * and your favor to those who are true of heart. The New Testament 1 Corinthians 12:1-11 Now concerning spiritual gifts, brothers and sisters, I do not want you to be uninformed. You know that when you were pagans, you were enticed and led astray to idols that could not speak. Therefore I want you to understand that no one speaking by the Spirit of God ever says "Let Jesus be cursed!" and no one can say "Jesus is Lord" except by the Holy Spirit. Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of services, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who activates all of them in everyone. To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. To one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the discernment of spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. All these are activated by one and the same Spirit, who allots to each one individually just as the Spirit chooses. The Gospel Luke 24:13-35 Now on that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem, and talking with each other about all these things that had happened. While they were talking and discussing, Jesus himself came near and went with them, but their eyes were kept from recognizing him. And he said to them, “What are you discussing with each other while you walk along?” They stood still, looking sad. Then one of them, whose name was Cleopas, answered him, “Are you the only stranger in Jerusalem who does not know the things that have taken place there in these days?” He asked them, “What things?” They replied, “The things about Jesus of Nazareth, who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, and how our chief priests and leaders handed him over to be condemned to death and crucified him. But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel. Yes, and besides all this, it is now the third day since these things took place. Moreover, some women of our group astounded us. They were at the tomb early this morning, and when they did not find his body there, they came back and told us that they had indeed seen a vision of angels who said that he was alive. Some of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said; but they did not see him.” Then he said to them, “Oh, how foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have declared! 2Was it not necessary that the Messiah should suffer these things and then enter into his glory?” Then beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them the things about himself in all the scriptures. As they came near the village to which they were going, he walked ahead as if he were going on. But they urged him strongly, saying, “Stay with us, because it is almost evening and the day is now nearly over.” So he went in to stay with them. When he was at the table with them, he took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. Then their eyes were opened, and they recognized him; and he vanished from their sight. They said to each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he was talking to us on the road, while he was opening the scriptures to us?” That same hour they got up and returned to Jerusalem; and they found the eleven and their companions gathered together. They were saying, “The Lord has risen indeed, and he has appeared to Simon!” Then they told what had happened on the road, and how he had been made known to them in the breaking of the bread. Artwork: Vulnerability by Lorraine Almeida (used with permission).

This is Christian Meditation for A Bigger Life – a time for you to relax your body, refocus your mind, and to re-imagine and re-narrate your life to a truer reality. I'm Dave Cover. I want to help you with Christian meditation where you can break through all the distractions and experience God's presence through biblically guided imagination.  If your podcast app is set to skip the silent sections, disable that in your podcast app for this podcast. Psalm 145:10 ESV “All your works shall give thanks to you, O LORD, and all your saints shall bless you!” Who can you share this podcast with? If you found this episode helpful, consider sharing it on social media or texting it to a friend you think might benefit from it. Follow Dave Cover on X (Twitter) @davecover Follow A Bigger Life on X @ABiggerLifePod Our audio engineer is Matthew Matlack. This podcast is a ministry of The Crossing, a church in Columbia, Missouri, a college town where the flagship campus of the University of Missouri is located. 

Passage: 1 When Abram was ninety-nine years old the Lord appeared to Abram and said to him, “I am God Almighty; walk before me, and be blameless, 2 that I may make my covenant between me and you, and may multiply you greatly.” 3 Then Abram fell on his face. And God said to him, 4 “Behold, my covenant is with you, and you shall be the father of a multitude of nations. 5 No longer shall your name be called Abram, but your name shall be Abraham, for I have made you the father of a multitude of nations. 6 I will make you exceedingly fruitful, and I will make you into nations, and kings shall come from you. 7 And I will establish my covenant between me and you and your offspring after you throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and to your offspring after you. 8 And I will give to you and to your offspring after you the land of your sojournings, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession, and I will be their God.” 9 And God said to Abraham, “As for you, you shall keep my covenant, you and your offspring after you throughout their generations. 10 This is my covenant, which you shall keep, between me and you and your offspring after you: Every male among you shall be circumcised. 11 You shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskins, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and you. 12 He who is eight days old among you shall be circumcised. Every male throughout your generations, whether born in your house or bought with your money from any foreigner who is not of your offspring, 13 both he who is born in your house and he who is bought with your money shall surely be circumcised. So shall my covenant be in your flesh an everlasting covenant. 14 Any uncircumcised male who is not circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin shall be cut off from his people; he has broken my covenant.” (Genesis 17:1-14 ESV) Song: The Blessing (https://open.spotify.com/track/3b3r4F5ynaUxn3TpMd4F9e?si=fc67dbad0f4c4bf4) by Chris Brown, Cody Carnes, Kari Jobe, and Steven Furtick Lyrics: The Lord bless you And keep you Make his face shine upon you And be gracious to you The Lord turn his Face toward you And give you peace Chorus Amen Amen Amen May his favor Be upon you And a thousand generations And your family And your children And their children And their children May his presence Go before you And behind you And beside you All around you And within you He is with you He is with you In the morning In the evening In your coming And your going In your weeping And rejoicing He is for you He is for you He is for you He is for you Prayer: With what shall we come before you, O Lord? Or bow ourselves in your presence, O you Most High God? Cause us to come unto you in faith: mentioning no other name, pleading no other righteousness, and trusting in no other atonement than the name, righteousness, and atonement of your blessed Son and our… Mediator Jesus Christ. In him, we desire to be found; through him, we hope for favor with you, and acceptance in your sight. Blessed be your goodness for the mercies of the day, for the blessings of your providence, the comforts of your Spirit, and the privileges we enjoy. Amen. -Augustus Toplady

Because God lives in us, here are seven individual ways we can face today and tomorrow with God include: 1.    Focus on Who God is and what He means to you2.    Prayer that acknowledges who He is as well as casting your cares on Him 3.    Meditate on verses that comfort you  4.    Trust God, 5.    Seek peace through reliance on His presence.6.    Set realistic goals to keep our lives focused on living as God would want us to live, and 7.    Using practical strategies to manage the stresses that we feel. Walter Harrington penned this prayer Blessed are you, O Lord our God, King of the universe, who brings everything into being. Who gives the sun and the rain, the continuing cycles that bring forth life.Who appoints the days and the seasons to bless the sons of men.Blessed are you, O Lord our God, King of the universe, whose breath goes forth and sustains all. Who is in all and through all, a God near and not far. In whom we live and move and have our being.Blessed are you, O Lord our God, King of the universe, who brings forth bread from the earth.Who gives fertility to our lands, and blesses our tables with food.Who is the true bread of Life.Blessed are you, O Lord our God, King of the universe, whose mighty hand is seen in creation. Who is more vast than the ocean, mightier than the storm, and more gentle than the still small voice.At whose voice the waters are stilled, and the winds obey.Blessed are you, O Lord our God, King of the universe, who loves beyond measure.Who stepped down into the creation, to become one of us.Who lived among us, and identified with us.Blessed are you, O Lord our God, King of the universe, whose loving kindness endures forever.Who did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself.Who took the form of man, of a servant, and humbled himself and was obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.Blessed are you, O Lord our God, King of the universe, who raised the Savior from the grave. Who buried sin and defeated death.Who brought victory to the world, and offered salvation to we who have been ensnared by that final enemy.Blessed are you, O Lord our God, King of the universe, whose love has redeemed us and given us true life, life everlasting. Through whom we have the sure hope of salvation, the renewal of all things.May the earth be filled with your knowledge and glory, as waters that cover the sea. Maranatha. Come, Lord Jesus.

Tucker continues our devotional series by looking at the topic of Restoration and how we all need to seek it from the Lord in order to be effective in everything He has for us."Now restore us again, O God of our salvation. Put aside your anger against us once more. Will you be angry with us always? Will you prolong your wrath to all generations? Won't you revive us again, so your people can rejoice in you? Show us your unfailing love, O Lord, and grant us your salvation." (Psalm 84:4-7)

Welcome to Day 2545 of Wisdom-Trek. Thank you for joining me. This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom Day 2545 – Wisdom Nuggets – Psalm 41:4-9 – Daily Wisdom Wisdom-Trek Podcast Script - Day 2545 Welcome to Wisdom-Trek with Gramps! I am Guthrie Chamberlain, and we are on Day 2545 of our Trek. The Purpose of Wisdom-Trek is to create a legacy of wisdom, to seek out discernment and insights, and to boldly grow where few have chosen to grow before. In today's Wisdom Nugget, we'll explore Psalm 41:4-9 from the New Living Translation. This passage is a heartfelt plea from David during a time of personal suffering, betrayal, and the weight of sin. It shows us how to turn to God for healing and comfort in moments of pain and when facing betrayal by those we trust. As we walk through these verses, we'll uncover profound truths about God's mercy, the reality of human frailty, and how we can find hope even when we feel abandoned or betrayed. Let's begin by reading the passage together: Psalm 41:4-9 (NLT) 4 “O Lord,” I prayed, “have mercy on me. Heal me, for I have sinned against You.” 5 But my enemies say nothing but evil about me. “How soon will he die and be forgotten?” they ask. 6 They visit me as if they were my friends, but all the while they gather gossip, and when they leave, they spread it everywhere. 7 All who hate me whisper about me, imagining the worst. 8 “He has some fatal disease,” they say. “He will never get out of that bed!” 9 Even my best friend, the one I trusted completely, the one who shared my food, has turned against me. A Cry for Mercy and Healing (Verse 4): David begins this section with a personal and vulnerable prayer: “O Lord, I prayed, ‘have mercy on me. Heal me, for I have sinned against You.'” This verse highlights David's recognition of his physical need for healing and his spiritual need for forgiveness. He acknowledges that his suffering isn't just external—it's tied to his own sin and brokenness. David's plea for mercy is a model of humility. He doesn't demand healing or try to justify himself; instead, he admits his sin and asks for God's mercy. This shows us that when we approach God, we should do so with a spirit of repentance, trusting in His compassion and grace. Illustration: I once heard a story about a young man who had distanced himself from his family after making poor choices. When he finally returned home, he didn't come with excuses—he simply asked for forgiveness. His parents welcomed him with open arms, overjoyed that he had returned. In a similar way, when we come to God with a repentant heart, He is ready to offer mercy and healing. David's prayer reminds us that God's mercy is always available. Whether we're seeking physical healing, spiritual renewal, or emotional restoration, we can come to God, knowing that He is compassionate and ready to heal. Facing Hostility and Gossip (Verses 5-7): In verses 5 through 7, David describes the hostile environment he faces: “But my enemies say nothing but evil about me. ‘How soon will he die and be forgotten?' they ask. They visit me as if they were my friends, but all the while they gather...

Imagine the impact on your life if you began to make this verse your daily prayer. What if we began every morning by letting God know we desire that the words of our mouths and the thoughts in our minds be pleasing to Him?Main Points:1. Our choices, decisions, actions, and ultimately our lifestyle are determined by our thoughts and our words. This makes self-control so vital for us. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, we must control our words and thoughts. 2. All of us have said, “I shouldn't have thought that and I wish I hadn't said that.” I believe with this prayer David is telling us that our thoughts and words don't have to be impetuous. You and I are not without control. The Holy Spirit resides within us to give us power for daily living.3. As we learn to pay attention to our thoughts, we ask the question, “Does this thought please God? Does it honor the Lord? As we ask this all-important question, we can immediately take action. We can entertain the thought if it does please God, but if it doesn't we can cast it out. We can reject the thought. We can refuse to think things that don't please the Lord.Today's Scripture Verses:Psalm 19:14 - “May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing to you, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.”2 Corinthians 10:5 - “…we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” James 3:8 - “…no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.”James 1:19 - “Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry.”Quick Links:Donate to support this podcastLeave a review on Apple PodcastsGet a copy of The 5 Minute Discipleship JournalConnect on SocialJoin The 5 Minute Discipleship Facebook Group

For Daily Prayers and more become a Member on PatreonVisit our Website for more www.commonprayerdaily.com_______________Year 1 - 1979 Daily Office LectionaryOpening Words:I will give you as a light to the nations, that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth.Isaiah 49:6b Confession:Let us humbly confess our sins unto Almighty God. Most merciful God, we confess that we have sinned against you in thought, word, and deed, by what we have done, and by what we have left undone. We have not loved you with our whole heart; we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. We are truly sorry and we humbly repent. For the sake of your Son Jesus Christ, have mercy on us and forgive us; that we may delight in your will, and walk in your ways, to the glory of your Name. Amen. Almighty God have mercy on you, forgive you all your sins through our Lord Jesus Christ, strengthen you in all goodness, and by the power of the Holy Spirit keep you in eternal life. Amen. The InvitatoryLord, open our lips.And our mouth shall proclaim your praise.Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen. Alleluia. Psalm 95:1-7The Lord has shown forth his glory: Come let us adore him.Come, let us sing to the Lord; *let us shout for joy to the Rock of our salvation.Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving *and raise a loud shout to him with psalms.For the Lord is a great God, *and a great King above all gods.In his hand are the caverns of the earth, *and the heights of the hills are his also.The sea is his, for he made it, *and his hands have molded the dry land.Come, let us bow down, and bend the knee, *and kneel before the Lord our Maker.For he is our God,and we are the people of his pasture and the sheep of his hand. *Oh, that today you would hearken to his voice!The Lord has shown forth his glory: Come let us adore him. The PsalterPsalm 119AlephBeati immaculati1Happy are they whose way is blameless, *who walk in the law of the Lord!2Happy are they who observe his decrees *and seek him with all their hearts!3Who never do any wrong, *but always walk in his ways.4You laid down your commandments, *that we should fully keep them.5Oh, that my ways were made so direct *that I might keep your statutes!6Then I should not be put to shame, *when I regard all your commandments.7I will thank you with an unfeigned heart, *when I have learned your righteous judgments.8I will keep your statutes; *do not utterly forsake me. BethIn quo corrigit?9How shall a young man cleanse his way? *By keeping to your words.10With my whole heart I seek you; *let me not stray from your commandments.11I treasure your promise in my heart, *that I may not sin against you.12Blessed are you, O Lord; *instruct me in your statutes.13With my lips will I recite *all the judgments of your mouth.14I have taken greater delight in the way of your decrees *than in all manner of riches.15I will meditate on your commandments *and give attention to your ways.16My delight is in your statutes; *I will not forget your word. GimelRetribue servo tuo17Deal bountifully with your servant, *that I may live and keep your word.18Open my eyes, that I may see *the wonders of your law.19I am a stranger here on earth; *do not hide your commandments from me.20My soul is consumed at all times *with longing for your judgments.21You have rebuked the insolent; *cursed are they who stray from your commandments!22Turn from me shame and rebuke, *for I have kept your decrees.23Even though rulers sit and plot against me, *I will meditate on your statutes.24For your decrees are my delight, *and they are my counselors. Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: *as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen. LessonsIsa. 41:1-16A Reading from the Book of the Prophet Isaiah.Listen to me in silence, O coastlands;        let the peoples renew their strength;    let them approach, then let them speak;        let us together draw near for judgment.            Who stirred up one from the east        whom victory meets at every step?    He gives up nations before him,        so that he tramples kings underfoot;    he makes them like dust with his sword,        like driven stubble with his bow.    He pursues them and passes on safely,        by paths his feet have not trod.    Who has performed and done this,        calling the generations from the beginning?    I, the Lord, the first,        and with the last; I am he.            The coastlands have seen and are afraid;        the ends of the earth tremble;        they have drawn near and come.    Everyone helps his neighbor        and says to his brother, “Be strong!”    The craftsman strengthens the goldsmith,        and he who smooths with the hammer him who strikes the anvil,    saying of the soldering, “It is good”;        and they strengthen it with nails so that it cannot be moved.            But you, Israel, my servant,        Jacob, whom I have chosen,        the offspring of Abraham, my friend;    you whom I took from the ends of the earth,        and called from its farthest corners,    saying to you, “You are my servant,        I have chosen you and not cast you off”;    fear not, for I am with you;        be not dismayed, for I am your God;    I will strengthen you, I will help you,        I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.            Behold, all who are incensed against you        shall be put to shame and confounded;    those who strive against you        shall be as nothing and shall perish.    You shall seek those who contend with you,        but you shall not find them;    those who war against you        shall be as nothing at all.    For I, the Lord your God,        hold your right hand;    it is I who say to you, “Fear not,        I am the one who helps you.”            Fear not, you worm Jacob,        you men of Israel!    I am the one who helps you, declares the Lord;        your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel.    Behold, I make of you a threshing sledge,        new, sharp, and having teeth;    you shall thresh the mountains and crush them,        and you shall make the hills like chaff;    you shall winnow them, and the wind shall carry them away,        and the tempest shall scatter them.    And you shall rejoice in the Lord;        in the Holy One of Israel you shall glory.The Word of the Lord.Thanks Be To God. Te Deum laudamusYou are God: we praise you; You are the Lord: we acclaim you; You are the eternal Father: All creation worships you. To you all angels, all the powers of heaven, Cherubim and Seraphim, sing in endless praise:Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might,heaven and earth are full of your glory. The glorious company of apostles praise you. The noble fellowship of prophets praise you. The white-robed army of martyrs praise you. Throughout the world the holy Church acclaims you;Father, of majesty unbounded, your true and only Son, worthy of all worship, and the Holy Spirit, advocate and guide.You, Christ, are the king of glory, the eternal Son of the Father. When you became man to set us free you did not shun the Virgin's womb. You overcame the sting of deathand opened the kingdom of heaven to all believers. You are seated at God's right hand in glory. We believe that you will come and be our judge.Come then, Lord, and help your people, bought with the price of your own blood, and bring us with your saintsto glory everlasting. Eph. 2:1-10A Reading from the Letter to the Ephesians.And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience—among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.The Word of the Lord.Thanks Be To God. Mark 1:29-45A Reading from the Gospel According to Mark.And immediately he left the synagogue and entered the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John. Now Simon's mother-in-law lay ill with a fever, and immediately they told him about her. And he came and took her by the hand and lifted her up, and the fever left her, and she began to serve them.  That evening at sundown they brought to him all who were sick or oppressed by demons. And the whole city was gathered together at the door. And he healed many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons. And he would not permit the demons to speak, because they knew him.  And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed. And Simon and those who were with him searched for him, and they found him and said to him, “Everyone is looking for you.” And he said to them, “Let us go on to the next towns, that I may preach there also, for that is why I came out.” And he went throughout all Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and casting out demons.  And a leper came to him, imploring him, and kneeling said to him, “If you will, you can make me clean.” Moved with pity, he stretched out his hand and touched him and said to him, “I will; be clean.” And immediately the leprosy left him, and he was made clean. And Jesus sternly charged him and sent him away at once, and said to him, “See that you say nothing to anyone, but go, show yourself to the priest and offer for your cleansing what Moses commanded, for a proof to them.” But he went out and began to talk freely about it, and to spread the news, so that Jesus could no longer openly enter a town, but was out in desolate places, and people were coming to him from every quarter.The Word of the Lord.Thanks Be To God. Benedictus Dominus DeusBlessed be the Lord, the God of Israel; * he has come to his people and set them free.He has raised up for us a mighty savior, * born of the house of his servant David.Through his holy prophets he promised of old, that he would save us from our enemies, * from the hands of all who hate us. He promised to show mercy to our fathers * and to remember his holy covenant. This was the oath he swore to our father Abraham, * to set us free from the hands of our enemies, Free to worship him without fear, * holy and righteous in his sight all the days of our life.You, my child, shall be called the prophet of the Most High, * for you will go before the Lord to prepare his way, To give his people knowledge of salvation * by the forgiveness of their sins.In the tender compassion of our God * the dawn from on high shall break upon us, To shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death, * and to guide our feet into the way of peace.Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen. The Apostles CreedI believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth.I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord. He was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended to the dead. On the third day he rose again. He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again to judge the living and the dead.I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen. The PrayersThe Lord be with you.And also with you.Let us pray.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. Suffrages BV. Save your people, Lord, and bless your inheritance;R. Govern and uphold them, now and always.V. Day by day we bless you;R. We praise your name for ever.V. Lord, keep us from all sin today;R. Have mercy on us, Lord, have mercy.V. Lord, show us your love and mercy;R. For we put our trust in you.V. In you, Lord, is our hope;R. And we shall never hope in vain. The CollectsCollect of the DayFather in heaven, who at the baptism of Jesus in the River Jordan proclaimed him your beloved Son and anointed him with the Holy Spirit: Grant that all who are baptized into his Name may keep the covenant they have made, and boldly confess him as Lord and Savior; who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, one God, in glory everlasting. Amen Daily Collects:A Collect for PeaceO God, the author of peace and lover of concord, to know you is eternal life and to serve you is perfect freedom: Defend us, your humble servants, in all assaults of our enemies; that we, surely trusting in your defense, may not fear the power of any adversaries, through the might of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.A Collect for GraceO Lord, our heavenly Father, almighty and everlasting God, you have brought us safely to the beginning of this day: Defend us by your mighty power, that we may not fall into sin nor run into any danger; and that, guided by your Spirit, we may do what is righteous in your sight; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. Take a moment of silence at this time to reflect and pray for others. Collect of Saint BasilO Christ God, Who art worshipped and glorified at every place and time; Who art long-suffering, most merciful and compassionate; Who lovest the righteous and art merciful to sinners; Who callest all to salvation with the promise of good things to come: receive, Lord, the prayers we now offer, and direct our lives in the way of Thy commandments. Sanctify our souls, cleanse our bodies, correct our thoughts, purify our minds and deliver us from all affliction, evil and illness. Surround us with Thy holy angels, that guarded and instructed by their forces, we may reach unity of faith and the understanding of Thine unapproachable glory: for blessed art Thou unto ages of ages. Amen. A Prayer of St. John ChrysostomAlmighty God, you have given us grace at this time, with one accord to make our common supplications to you; and you have promised through your well-beloved Son that when two or three are gathered together in his Name you will grant their requests: Fulfill now, O Lord, our desires and petitions as may be best for us; granting us in this world knowledge of your truth, and in the age to come life everlasting. Amen. DismissalLet us bless the LordThanks be to God!The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with us all evermore. Amen

Psalm 77 Listen to verses 1-3 and 10-13.  I cry out to God; yes, I shout. Oh, that God would listen to me! When I was in deep trouble, I searched for the Lord. All night long I prayed, with hands lifted toward heaven, but my soul was not comforted. I think of God, and I moan, overwhelmed with longing for his help. … And I said, “This is my fate; the Most High has turned his hand against me.” But then I recall all you have done, O Lord; I remember your wonderful deeds of long ago. They are constantly in my thoughts. I cannot stop thinking about your mighty works. O God, your ways are holy. Is there any god as mighty as you? The psalmist says that just when he feels like God has turned His back on him because of troubles, he remembers everything that God has done. All His mighty works. When you feel like your back is against the wall and begin to wonder where God is, where does your mind take you? What are your thoughts about God? With this in mind listen again to the passage Listen to verses 10-13 again: And I said, “This is my fate; the Most High has turned his hand against me.” But then I recall all you have done, O Lord; I remember your wonderful deeds of long ago. They are constantly in my thoughts. I cannot stop thinking about your mighty works. O God, your ways are holy. Is there any god as mighty as you? I once read this quote: “What we think about the most is our God.” … Tough but true. How can you “remember God's wonderful deeds”? How can He be constantly in your thoughts? More than your trouble and stresses? More than your fears and doubts? Let's pray together: “Heavenly Father, when I feel like life is coming apart, help me to think about You and what You have done, not what might happen to me because of bad things from the past or what might come. Help me to remember You first and give the problem to You. As above, so below.”

Passage: 7 The angel of the Lord found her by a spring of water in the wilderness, the spring on the way to Shur. 8 And he said, “Hagar, servant of Sarai, where have you come from and where are you going?” She said, “I am fleeing from my mistress Sarai.” 9 The angel of the Lord said to her, “Return to your mistress and submit to her.” 10 The angel of the Lord also said to her, “I will surely multiply your offspring so that they cannot be numbered for multitude.” 11 And the angel of the Lord said to her, “Behold, you are pregnant and shall bear a son. You shall call his name Ishmael, because the Lord has listened to your affliction. 12 He shall be a wild donkey of a man, his hand against everyone and everyone's hand against him, and he shall dwell over against all his kinsmen.” 13 So she called the name of the Lord who spoke to her, “You are a God of seeing,” for she said, “Truly here I have seen him who looks after me.” (Genesis 16:7-13 ESV) 21 And Jesus went away from there and withdrew to the district of Tyre and Sidon. 22 And behold, a Canaanite woman from that region came out and was crying, “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David; my daughter is severely oppressed by a demon.” 23 But he did not answer her a word. And his disciples came and begged him, saying, “Send her away, for she is crying out after us.” 24 He answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” 25 But she came and knelt before him, saying, “Lord, help me.” 26 And he answered, “It is not right to take the children's bread and throw it to the dogs.” 27 She said, “Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters' table.” 28 Then Jesus answered her, “O woman, great is your faith! Be it done for you as you desire.” And her daughter was healed instantly. (Matthew 15:21-28 ESV) Song: O God of Mercy, Hear Our Plea (https://open.spotify.com/track/4ZGdBfvkzpitsdbJJoySGN?si=f7f6fc4fd03140bf) by Brittany Kauflin and Matt Merker, arranged by Hope College Lyrics: O God we've seen Your faithfulness You brought us from the wilderness But now our faith is frail and weak O God of mercy hear our plea When will You comfort our distress How long until the promised rest We cry to You from deepest need O God of mercy hear our plea Abba Father our Redeemer In this barren land be our hope and strength Until glory we will trust and sing Abba Father hear our plea We join creation's longing groan To take Your ransomed children home For then the eyes of all will see The God of mercy hears our plea For then the eyes of all will see The God of mercy hears our plea Abba Father hear our plea Prayer: Father, what we know not, teach us; what we have not, give us; what we are not, make us; for the sake of your Son our Savior. Amen. -Old Anglican Prayer

In Psalm 13, David asks, "How long, O Lord?" as he feels abandoned in his distress. Pastor Fredo examines the raw honesty of David's prayer, showing that it's okay to express our doubts and fears before God. Even in times of seeming silence, God is present and working on our behalf.This Psalm teaches us that even in the darkest seasons, we can find hope in the Lord's unfailing love. Pastor Fredo emphasizes the turning point in David's heart, where he moves from despair to trusting in God's salvation and mercy.--Support content like this and the vision of Sandals Church at http://sandalschurch.com/support/Join our email list for content updates: http://sandalschurch.com/subscribeDownload the Sandals Church App: http://sandalschurch.com/app/If you have questions, need prayer or want to get connected, please email us anytime at online@sandalschurch.com!

Evening lessons: Psalm 38; Jeremiah 13; 2 Thessalonians 1.  Rebuke me not, O Lord, in your anger, neither chasten me in your weighty displeasure.

In ancient times a rock symbolized something secure and God was the ultimate rock!  David wrote in the Psalms, as we read 2 days ago, “To you, O LORD, I call; my rock, be not deaf to me” [Psalm 28 v.1]  He also pleads with God, “when my heart is faint, lead me to the rock that is higher than I” [Psalm 61 v.2]    In today's reading in Matthew, Jesus seems to call Peter a “rock” [16 v.18], but read the context carefully; among the people there is increasing speculation as to who Jesus is – and he asks his disciples, “Who do you say that I am? [v.15]  Peter declared, ‘You are the Christ (Messiah), the Son of the living God.” [v16]    This declaration is the “rock”! The possession of true insight and real faith. It is “on this ‘rock” says Jesus, “that I will build my church and the gates of hell (hades, i.e. the grave) will not prevail against it” [v.18] It is true faith that makes death but a sleep with a wonderful waking – as David believed – see Psalm 17 v.15.   We recall it was Jesus who added the name ‘Peter' to Simon (Luke 6 v.14) when he called him to be a disciple. The name Peter means a rock – petros.  Yet human rocks have to prove themselves; Jesus was, and still is, looking for such rocks; those who have the true insight of faith – on which “I will build my church” [v.18] As the early chapters of the book of Acts reveal Peter became the rock around which the first community of believers in Jerusalem was built.  But before then he failed disastrously!  The next verses tell us that “from that time Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem … and be killed.” Peter reacted in an astonishing way; he “began to rebuke him, saying ‘Far be it from you Lord! This shall never happen to you.'” [v.22]  Jesus responded by saying “to Peter, ‘Get behind me, Satan!  You are a hindrance to me … you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.” [v.23]  The “set” of our minds is vital!  If they are wrong we end up being opposed to God and to Jesus. At the end of his life the set of Solomon's mind became wrong and God raised up “adversaries” to him and this word in the Hebrew is the word ‘satanas' as in 2 Kings 11 v.14,23,25, which names the ‘Satans' that opposed Solomon.        Those who develop a true faith become, in Christ's eyes, a ‘rock' on which, even today, he can build.  Let us make sure the ‘set' of our minds is on godly ways with a readiness to become a ‘rock' with a true faith in his service – and never a satan..

Your Nightly Prayer

For Daily Prayers and more become a Member on PatreonVisit our Website for more www.commonprayerdaily.com_______________Year 1 - 1979 Daily Office LectionaryOpening Words:I will give you as a light to the nations, that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth.Isaiah 49:6b Confession:Let us humbly confess our sins unto Almighty God. Most merciful God, we confess that we have sinned against you in thought, word, and deed, by what we have done, and by what we have left undone. We have not loved you with our whole heart; we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. We are truly sorry and we humbly repent. For the sake of your Son Jesus Christ, have mercy on us and forgive us; that we may delight in your will, and walk in your ways, to the glory of your Name. Amen. Almighty God have mercy on you, forgive you all your sins through our Lord Jesus Christ, strengthen you in all goodness, and by the power of the Holy Spirit keep you in eternal life. Amen. The InvitatoryLord, open our lips.And our mouth shall proclaim your praise.Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen. Alleluia. Psalm 95:1-7The Lord has shown forth his glory: Come let us adore him.Come, let us sing to the Lord; *let us shout for joy to the Rock of our salvation.Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving *and raise a loud shout to him with psalms.For the Lord is a great God, *and a great King above all gods.In his hand are the caverns of the earth, *and the heights of the hills are his also.The sea is his, for he made it, *and his hands have molded the dry land.Come, let us bow down, and bend the knee, *and kneel before the Lord our Maker.For he is our God,and we are the people of his pasture and the sheep of his hand. *Oh, that today you would hearken to his voice!The Lord has shown forth his glory: Come let us adore him. The PsalterPsalm 11Happy are they who have not walked in the counsel of the wicked, *nor lingered in the way of sinners,nor sat in the seats of the scornful!2Their delight is in the law of the Lord, *and they meditate on his law day and night.3They are like trees planted by streams of water,bearing fruit in due season, with leaves that do not wither; *everything they do shall prosper.4It is not so with the wicked; *they are like chaff which the wind blows away.5Therefore the wicked shall not stand upright when judgment comes, *nor the sinner in the council of the righteous.6For the Lord knows the way of the righteous, *but the way of the wicked is doomed. Psalm 21Why are the nations in an uproar? *Why do the peoples mutter empty threats?2Why do the kings of the earth rise up in revolt,and the princes plot together, *against the Lord and against his Anointed?3“Let us break their yoke,” they say; *“let us cast off their bonds from us.”4He whose throne is in heaven is laughing; *the Lord has them in derision.5Then he speaks to them in his wrath, *and his rage fills them with terror.6“I myself have set my king *upon my holy hill of Zion.”7Let me announce the decree of the Lord: *he said to me, “You are my Son;this day have I begotten you.8Ask of me, and I will give you the nations for your inheritance *and the ends of the earth for your possession.9You shall crush them with an iron rod *and shatter them like a piece of pottery.”10And now, you kings, be wise; *be warned, you rulers of the earth.11Submit to the Lord with fear, *and with trembling bow before him;12Lest he be angry and you perish; *for his wrath is quickly kindled.13Happy are they all *who take refuge in him! Psalm 31Lord, how many adversaries I have! *how many there are who rise up against me!2How many there are who say of me, *“There is no help for him in his God.”3But you, O Lord, are a shield about me; *you are my glory, the one who lifts up my head.4I call aloud upon the Lord, *and he answers me from his holy hill;5I lie down and go to sleep; *I wake again, because the Lord sustains me.6I do not fear the multitudes of people *who set themselves against me all around.7Rise up, O Lord; set me free, O my God; *surely, you will strike all my enemies across the face,you will break the teeth of the wicked.8Deliverance belongs to the Lord. *Your blessing be upon your people! Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: *as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen. LessonsIsa. 40:12-23A Reading from the Book of the Prophet Isaiah.Who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand        and marked off the heavens with a span,    enclosed the dust of the earth in a measure        and weighed the mountains in scales        and the hills in a balance?    Who has measured the Spirit of the Lord,        or what man shows him his counsel?    Whom did he consult,        and who made him understand?    Who taught him the path of justice,        and taught him knowledge,        and showed him the way of understanding?    Behold, the nations are like a drop from a bucket,        and are accounted as the dust on the scales;        behold, he takes up the coastlands like fine dust.    Lebanon would not suffice for fuel,        nor are its beasts enough for a burnt offering.    All the nations are as nothing before him,        they are accounted by him as less than nothing and emptiness.            To whom then will you liken God,        or what likeness compare with him?    An idol! A craftsman casts it,        and a goldsmith overlays it with gold        and casts for it silver chains.    He who is too impoverished for an offering        chooses wood that will not rot;    he seeks out a skillful craftsman        to set up an idol that will not move.            Do you not know? Do you not hear?        Has it not been told you from the beginning?        Have you not understood from the foundations of the earth?    It is he who sits above the circle of the earth,        and its inhabitants are like grasshoppers;    who stretches out the heavens like a curtain,        and spreads them like a tent to dwell in;    who brings princes to nothing,        and makes the rulers of the earth as emptiness.The Word of the Lord.Thanks Be To God. Te Deum laudamusYou are God: we praise you; You are the Lord: we acclaim you; You are the eternal Father: All creation worships you. To you all angels, all the powers of heaven, Cherubim and Seraphim, sing in endless praise:Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might,heaven and earth are full of your glory. The glorious company of apostles praise you. The noble fellowship of prophets praise you. The white-robed army of martyrs praise you. Throughout the world the holy Church acclaims you;Father, of majesty unbounded, your true and only Son, worthy of all worship, and the Holy Spirit, advocate and guide.You, Christ, are the king of glory, the eternal Son of the Father. When you became man to set us free you did not shun the Virgin's womb. You overcame the sting of deathand opened the kingdom of heaven to all believers. You are seated at God's right hand in glory. We believe that you will come and be our judge.Come then, Lord, and help your people, bought with the price of your own blood, and bring us with your saintsto glory everlasting. Eph. 1:1-14A Reading from the Letter to the Ephesians.Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God,  To the saints who are in Ephesus, and are faithful in Christ Jesus:  Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.  Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.  In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will, so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory. In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.The Word of the Lord.Thanks Be To God. Mark 1:1-13A Reading from the Gospel According to Mark.The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.  As it is written in Isaiah the prophet,    “Behold, I send my messenger before your face,        who will prepare your way,    the voice of one crying in the wilderness:        ‘Prepare the way of the Lord,        make his paths straight,'”              John appeared, baptizing in the wilderness and proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. And all the country of Judea and all Jerusalem were going out to him and were being baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. Now John was clothed with camel's hair and wore a leather belt around his waist and ate locusts and wild honey. And he preached, saying, “After me comes he who is mightier than I, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. I have baptized you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”  In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. And when he came up out of the water, immediately he saw the heavens being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. And a voice came from heaven, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.”  The Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness. And he was in the wilderness forty days, being tempted by Satan. And he was with the wild animals, and the angels were ministering to him.The Word of the Lord.Thanks Be To God. Benedictus Dominus DeusBlessed be the Lord, the God of Israel; * he has come to his people and set them free.He has raised up for us a mighty savior, * born of the house of his servant David.Through his holy prophets he promised of old, that he would save us from our enemies, * from the hands of all who hate us. He promised to show mercy to our fathers * and to remember his holy covenant. This was the oath he swore to our father Abraham, * to set us free from the hands of our enemies, Free to worship him without fear, * holy and righteous in his sight all the days of our life.You, my child, shall be called the prophet of the Most High, * for you will go before the Lord to prepare his way, To give his people knowledge of salvation * by the forgiveness of their sins.In the tender compassion of our God * the dawn from on high shall break upon us, To shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death, * and to guide our feet into the way of peace.Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen. The Apostles CreedI believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth.I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord. He was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended to the dead. On the third day he rose again. He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again to judge the living and the dead.I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen. The PrayersThe Lord be with you.And also with you.Let us pray.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. Suffrages BV. Save your people, Lord, and bless your inheritance;R. Govern and uphold them, now and always.V. Day by day we bless you;R. We praise your name for ever.V. Lord, keep us from all sin today;R. Have mercy on us, Lord, have mercy.V. Lord, show us your love and mercy;R. For we put our trust in you.V. In you, Lord, is our hope;R. And we shall never hope in vain. The CollectsCollect of the DayFather in heaven, who at the baptism of Jesus in the River Jordan proclaimed him your beloved Son and anointed him with the Holy Spirit: Grant that all who are baptized into his Name may keep the covenant they have made, and boldly confess him as Lord and Savior; who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, one God, in glory everlasting. Amen Daily Collects:A Collect for PeaceO God, the author of peace and lover of concord, to know you is eternal life and to serve you is perfect freedom: Defend us, your humble servants, in all assaults of our enemies; that we, surely trusting in your defense, may not fear the power of any adversaries, through the might of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.A Collect for GraceO Lord, our heavenly Father, almighty and everlasting God, you have brought us safely to the beginning of this day: Defend us by your mighty power, that we may not fall into sin nor run into any danger; and that, guided by your Spirit, we may do what is righteous in your sight; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. Take a moment of silence at this time to reflect and pray for others. Collect of Saint BasilO Christ God, Who art worshipped and glorified at every place and time; Who art long-suffering, most merciful and compassionate; Who lovest the righteous and art merciful to sinners; Who callest all to salvation with the promise of good things to come: receive, Lord, the prayers we now offer, and direct our lives in the way of Thy commandments. Sanctify our souls, cleanse our bodies, correct our thoughts, purify our minds and deliver us from all affliction, evil and illness. Surround us with Thy holy angels, that guarded and instructed by their forces, we may reach unity of faith and the understanding of Thine unapproachable glory: for blessed art Thou unto ages of ages. Amen. A Prayer of St. John ChrysostomAlmighty God, you have given us grace at this time, with one accord to make our common supplications to you; and you have promised through your well-beloved Son that when two or three are gathered together in his Name you will grant their requests: Fulfill now, O Lord, our desires and petitions as may be best for us; granting us in this world knowledge of your truth, and in the age to come life everlasting. Amen. DismissalLet us bless the LordThanks be to God!The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with us all evermore. Amen

Passage: 17 After his return from the defeat of Chedorlaomer and the kings who were with him, the king of Sodom went out to meet him at the Valley of Shaveh (that is, the King's Valley). 18 And Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine. (He was priest of God Most High.) 19 And he blessed him and said, “Blessed be Abram by God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth; 20 and blessed be God Most High, who has delivered your enemies into your hand!” And Abram gave him a tenth of everything. 21 And the king of Sodom said to Abram, “Give me the persons, but take the goods for yourself.” 22 But Abram said to the king of Sodom, “I have lifted my hand to the Lord, God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth, 23 that I would not take a thread or a sandal strap or anything that is yours, lest you should say, ‘I have made Abram rich.' 24 I will take nothing but what the young men have eaten, and the share of the men who went with me. Let Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre take their share.” (Genesis 14:17-24 ESV) Song: High Priest (https://open.spotify.com/track/5f36B77R5uSj8A3aTxqQJC?si=26cd661283a24d49) by Jonathan Ogden Lyrics: Oh the humility Of a King inside a manger Our shepherd and our saviour on the cross You gave Your life for me Now how can I repay You? All the riches I could gain are not enough You are the Prince of Peace You're our Great High Priest You have made a way for me You have set me free You got thirsty You got tired You were tempted You were tried And You can fully sympathise Cause You know just what it's like to live this life Fully God and fully man Who can fully comprehend the mystery? You are the Prince of Peace You're our Great High Priest You have made a way for me You have set me free I've found freedom in You Jesus There is nothing in between us You turn mourning into dancing And sorrow into joy oh Lord Prayer: This is another day, O Lord. I know not what it will bring forth, but make me ready, Lord, for whatever it may be. If I am to stand up, help me to stand bravely. If I am to sit still, help me to sit quietly. If I am to lie low, help me to do it patiently. And if I am to do nothing, let me do it gallantly. Make these words more than words, and give me the Spirit of Jesus. Amen. -The Book of Common Prayer

Welcome to our listeners in northern Italy! A young man, a friend I met a few months ago, is moving this year with his family to southern Italy to reconnect with his heritage. We are sending him off in prayer to be our first listener in south Italy. Leaders in any endeavor know authority. They also know authority demands action. In Matthew 8, we see that a centurion needed only the word of the Lord of glory, Jesus the Messiah, His Savior, had answered his prayer. Our So What? When our Savior says "Now He was telling them a parable to show that at all times they ought to pray and not to lose heart," Luke 18:1 Our Faithful response is: "When Thou didst say, Seek My face, my heart said to Thee, "Thy face, O LORD, I shall seek." Psalm 27:8 "In the morning, O LORD, Thou wilt hear my voice; In the morning I will order my prayer to Thee and eagerly watch." Psalm 5:3 You follow me. Brethren, let's pray for one another. "What a man is on his knees before God, that he is and nothing more." Robert Murray M'Cheynee Donation link: https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=G9JGGR5W97D64 Or go to www.freerangepreacheronprayer.com and use the Donations tab. Assistant Editor: Seven Jefferson Gossard. www.freerangepreacheronprayer.com freerangeprayer@gmail.com Facebook - Free Range Preacher Ministries Instagram: freerangeministries All our Scripture quotes are drawn from the NASB 1977 edition. For access to the Voice Over services of Richard Durrington, please visit RichardDurrington.com or email him at Durringtonr@gmail.com Our podcast art was designed by @sammmmmmmmm23 Instagram Season 007 Episode 014

From the responsorial psalm: “O LORD, our Lord, how glorious is your name over all the earth! What is man that you should be mindful of him, or the son of man that you should care for him? You have given your Son rule over the works of your hands." A reading from the holy Gospel according to Mark (Mark 1:21-28) The people were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as one having authority and not as the scribes. In their synagogue was a man with an unclean spirit; he cried out, “What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are–the Holy One of God!” Jesus rebuked him and said, “Quiet! Come out of him!” The unclean spirit convulsed him and with a loud cry came out of him. Mark describes a key event in the early ministry of Jesus as he reveals his divine authority in the synagogue at Capernaum by teaching and by casting out an unclean spirit. Mark describes Jesus' teaching and its effect four separate times in this short passage: "The people were astonished at his teaching"; "he entered the synagogue and taught:"; "he taught them as one having authority and not as the scribes"; and, "A new teaching with authority." The interrelationship between teaching and his exorcism of the unclean spirit demonstrates that the power of Jesus is present in his words and actions. As the Son of God, the Word made flesh in the person of Christ, Jesus makes known the truth of the Father in life-giving words and redemptive actions. God, you are present every moment of every day in the teachings of Jesus and in the sacraments as the Word made flesh. The astonishment of the people in the synagogue is my astonishment, at hand today. It is even a more present reality in the Church, the Body of Christ, and in the sacraments Jesus instituted during his earthly ministry. How can I not be astonished as I give thanks for the sacraments that are at their roots, as the Catechism teaches, from the actions and teachings of Jesus. The unclean spirit cries out, "I know who you are—the Holy One of God." In naming you, Lord, the Evil One has no power but is instead driven out to "prowl about the world seeking the ruin of souls." Let the Gospel acclamation teach me today: "Receive the word of God not as the word of men, but as it truly is, the word of God." Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

"I saw Father A. [Andrasz's] surprise at my actions, but all that is for the glory of God. Oh, how great is Your grace, O Lord," St. Faustina writes. To order a copy of the Diary of Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska, visit  ShopMercy.org. Support our Ministries here. 

Audio Recording Audio Block Double-click here to upload or link to a .mp3. Learn more Sermon OutlineSpeaker: Rev. Scott StrickmanSermon Series: Come, Let Us Walk in the Light of the LordIsaiah 25:1-12 (ESV)1 O Lord, you are my God; I will exalt you; I will praise your name,for you have done wonderful things, plans formed of old, faithful and sure.2 For you have made the city a heap, the fortified city a ruin;the foreigners' palace is a city no more; it will never be rebuilt.3 Therefore strong peoples will glorify you; cities of ruthless nations will fear you.4 For you have been a stronghold to the poor, a stronghold to the needy in his distress, a shelter from the storm and a shade from the heat;for the breath of the ruthless is like a storm against a wall,5 like heat in a dry place.You subdue the noise of the foreigners; as heat by the shade of a cloud, so the song of the ruthless is put down.6 On this mountain the Lord of hosts will make for all peoples a feast of rich food, a feast of well-aged wine, of rich food full of marrow, of aged wine well refined.7 And he will swallow up on this mountain the covering that is cast over all peoples, the veil that is spread over all nations.8 He will swallow up death forever;and the Lord God will wipe away tears from all faces, and the reproach of his people he will take away from all the earth, for the Lord has spoken.9 It will be said on that day, “Behold, this is our God; we have waited for him, that he might save us. This is the Lord; we have waited for him; let us be glad and rejoice in his salvation.”10 For the hand of the Lord will rest on this mountain, and Moab shall be trampled down in his place, as straw is trampled down in a dunghill.11 And he will spread out his hands in the midst of it as a swimmer spreads his hands out to swim, but the Lord will lay low his pompous pride together with the skill of his hands.12 And the high fortifications of his walls he will bring down, lay low, and cast to the ground, to the dust.Sermon OutlineHow do we live when the veil of death (v7) produces ignorance and confusion?1. Humblyv11 “the Lord will lay low his pompous pride together with the skill of his hands” v3 “cities of ruthless nations” (vv4-5)2. Faithfullyv6 “…the Lord of hosts will make… a feast of rich food…”v7-8 “he will swallow up on this mountain the covering… death forever…will wipe away tears from all faces, and the reproach… he will take away”v1 “for you have done wonderful things, plans formed of old, faithful and sure”3. Wiselyv9 “It will be said… ‘this is our God; we have waited for him… let us be glad…”v1 “O Lord, you are my God… I will praise your name, for you have done wonderful things, plans formed of old, faithful and sure.”v5 “You subdue the noise…”Prayer of ConfessionO Lord, we have been confused and fearful. We are guilty of pride and ruthlessness. We admit we have sinned. We have failed to know and trust you. We have followed the course of the world, causing harm and shame. We are guilty in our actions and in our secret thoughts. Take away the reproach and free us from sin and death. Your word, your plan, your purposes are trustworthy. We rejoice that you are so merciful to us. We wait on you, trusting in the grace you have shown us through Christ, in whose name we pray. Amen.Questions for ReflectionWhat can we know about death? What can't we know? How does mortality affect you? What are implications of your view of what happens after we die?Why are people so prone to pride? What draws us towards pride, associating with the proud, and having buy-in on the values or ways of those who are proud?Why does pride move in the trajectory towards ruthlessness?What impact does pride have on how we view and understand God? What are some things we can learn from God “swallowing up death”?How does understanding God's plans help make sense of life? While we don't know all the details of our particular lives, how does knowing the framework help you navigate the present?What has God shown us that gives us cause to rejoice and have hope? How do we sustain hope in a world that has so much that is terrible in it?Is the Christian life worth living? Is it wise, good, worthy of our devotion? Why or why not?What are some outcomes of a life faithfully lived with Christ, according to his ways?Read AheadIsaiah Sermon Series