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Daily Devotion for August 6, 2017
Prayers
Scripture
Lord's Prayer
Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come; Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever and ever.
E'en though it be a cross that raiseth me,
still all my song shall be,
nearer, my God, to thee;
nearer, my God, to thee, nearer to thee!
2. Though like the wanderer, the sun gone down,
darkness be over me, my rest a stone;
yet in my dreams I'd be
nearer, my God, to thee;
nearer, my God, to thee, nearer to thee!
3. There let the way appear, steps unto heaven;
all that thou sendest me, in mercy given;
angels to beckon me
nearer, my God, to thee;
nearer, my God, to thee, nearer to thee!
4. Then, with my waking thoughts bright with thy praise,
out of my stony griefs Bethel I'll raise;
so by my woes to be
nearer, my God, to thee;
nearer, my God, to thee, nearer to thee!
5. Or if, on joyful wing cleaving the sky,
sun, moon, and stars forgot, upward I fly,
still all my song shall be,
nearer, my God, to thee;
nearer, my God, to thee, nearer to thee!
Prayer of St. Chrysostom
Almighty God, Who has given us grace at this time with one accord to make our common supplications unto thee and does promise that when two or three are gathered together in Thy name you will grant their requests; fulfill now, O Lord, the desires and petitions of your servants, as may be most expedient for them; granting us in this world knowledge of your truth, and in the world to come life everlasting,
Prayer of Penitence
Almighty Father; I enter your presence confessing the things I try to conceal from you and the things I try to conceal from others. I confess the heartbreak, worry, and sorrow I have caused, that make it difficult for others to forgive me, the times I have made it easy for others to do wrong, the harm I have done that makes it hard for me to forgive myself. Lord have mercy and forgive me, in the name of my Lord Christ, by your grace and love; and help me to grow in faith, that I might not repeat these sins.
Prayer for the Unfortunate
God of love, you see all the suffering, injustice, and misery which reign in this world; have pity, I pray, on whom you have created; in your mercy look upon the poor, the oppressed, the destitute, and all who are heavy-laden. Fill my heart with deep compassion for those who suffer, and hasten the coming of your kingdom of justice and truth; for the sake of Jesus Christ our Lord.
Meditation
[The love of God for those He created.]
Dedication
Let me not forget my prayers as I go out into the world. Holy Spirit, be with me, and let me praise you and remember you in my every action and thought, for the entire week to come. In Christ's name I ask this,
Think of the day ahead in terms of God with you, and visualize health, strength, guidance, purity, calm confidence, and victory as the gifts of His presence.
The Impact of Jesus
It is impossible to conceive how different things would have turned out if that birth had not happened whenever, wherever, however it did ... for millions of people who have lived since, the birth of Jesus made possible not just a new way of understanding life but a new way of living it. It is a truth that, for twenty centuries, there have been untold numbers of men and women who, in untold numbers of ways, have been so grasped by the child who was born, so caught up in the message he taught and the life he lived, that they have found themselves profoundly changed by their relationship with him.
from Listening to Your Life by Frederick Buechner
Philippians 1:12-20 (ESV)
Paul in Rome
My dear friends, I want you to know that what has happened to me has helped to spread the good news. The Roman guards and all the others know that I am here in jail because I serve Christ.
Now most of the Lord's followers have become brave and are fearlessly telling the message. Some are preaching about Christ because they are jealous and envious of us. Others are preaching because they want to help. They love Christ and know that I am here to defend the good news about him.
But the ones who are jealous of us are not sincere. They just want to cause trouble for me while I am in jail. But that doesn't matter. All that matters is that people are telling about Christ, whether they are sincere or not. That is what makes me glad.
I will keep on being glad, because I know that your prayers and the help that comes from the Spirit of Christ Jesus will keep me safe. I honestly expect and hope that I will never do anything to be ashamed of. Whether I live or die, I always want to be as brave as I am now and bring honor to Christ.
Notes on the Scripture
aul's spirits are raised because he knows that his imprisonment has helped spread Christ's word. Other Christians, instead of being cowed by it, have become braver and tell a hostile world the good news fearlessly. Even “agent provocateurs,” who preach the Gospel hoping to upset the authorities further and thus make Paul's punishment more severe, make him happy: they are unwittingly furthering the spread of Christianity.
Most of us struggle with our work and testimony about our belief, at some level, and it can be discouraging. How uplifting to hear Paul, in prison and uncertain of his future, so full of spirit and determination. The secular world can be so far from God's work today, with the increasingly wide spread of pornography, sexual activity at younger ages, dislike and even hatred among people within the country and in attitudes towards other countries and cultures — and receiving the same hostility from neighbors and people in foreign countries alike.
But we know, in our hearts, that hatred and hostility are the anathema to Christ's message. We must keep faith that telling his Word, telling people the true message of Christ's gospel and salvation, is the work of God and is done to His glory.
