Daily Devotion for October 13, 2021
The “armor of God” can look like a simple cloth robe.
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.
This song is based on the oldest known Christian hymnal, compiled in about 100 AD, known as the Odes of Solomon. Fernando Ortega gives a beautiful setting for Ode #40, “Sing Allelu.”
Our hearts open wide to sing Your praise,
And our sound becomes sweet with Your Anthems ringing.
Praise to the name of the Lord.
Chorus:
Sing Allelu, Sing Allelu,
We rejoice in your love, most High.
Sing Allelu, Sing Allelu,
In Your light, You shine forever.
Shine in us, O Lord, forever
We're the light to the world, Allelu.
Let us who are afraid, find refuge in Christ,
and redemption assured in His name.
By day and by night, we delight in Your love
And forever your Word will remain.
Music and Lyrics by the Odes Project
Prayer to Find God
Grant me, O Lord my God, a mind to know you, a heart to seek you, wisdom to find you, conduct pleasing to you, faithful perseverance in waiting for you, and a hope of finally embracing you.
For Those Who Have Died, and Those Who Mourn
Almighty God, Father of all mercies and giver of all comfort: Deal graciously, I pray you, with those who mourn, that casting every care upon you, they may know the consolation of your love and the safety of those who have departed this life in the faith and fear of Christ.
And look after all such souls, I pray, (and especially _______________), that they may be reunited with their loved ones when Christ gathers the faithful to him. In the hope and faith of the resurrection, I give all of my confidence to you and you only, oh mighty God, that you will bring all of your saints to rest, where there is neither sickness, nor sorrow, nor sighing, but life and joy everlasting.
Dedication
O God and Father of all, whom the whole heavens adore: Let the whole earth also worship you, all nations obey you, all tongues confess and bless you, and men and women everywhere love you and serve you in peace; through Jesus Christ our Lord, I pray,
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.
Today’s “Remember the Bible” Question
What Bible verse makes it rather silly to swear an oath on the Bible?
Psalm 103 (NKJV)
Bless the Lord, O my soul;
And all that is within me, bless His holy Name;
Bless the Lord, O my soul;
And forget not all His benefits;
Who forgives all your iniquities
And heals all your diseases;
Who redeems your life from the pit
And crowns you with love and compassion;
Who satisfies your desire with good things
So that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.
Ephesians 6:10-18 (ESV)
The Armor of God
e strong in the Lord and in the strength of his power. Put on the whole armor of God, so that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For our struggle is not against enemies of blood and flesh, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.
Therefore take up the whole armor of God, so that you may be able to withstand on that evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. Stand therefore, and fasten the belt of truth around your waist, and put on the breastplate of righteousness. As shoes for your feet put on whatever will make you ready to proclaim the gospel of peace.
With all of these, take the shield of faith, with which you will be able to quench all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
Notes on the Scripture
This wonderful passage has such a flavor of the Puritan preacher; you can almost hear Cotton Mather or Jonathan Edwards declaiming it, loud enough to wake up the back row, with real conviction that they were destined for a flaming hell if they didn't "put on the breastplate of righteousness" that very afternoon.
The ideas of a real hell and fighting forces of evil with God's power is not so popular today. Mainstream theologians and ministers are not so dramatic, but in tempering their message to the sensibilities of the modern congregation, they have lost some truth. The power of evil is great; and it takes the strength of God to overcome it.
But even fighting the small struggles in ourselves, we are wise to put on God's armor in advance. If we encounter temptation unprepared, we will likely give into it. We must read, and pray, and think about our beliefs every day. In the morning we must fasten the belt of truth around our waist, no less than we fasten a leather belt around our pants. The allure of adultery, the automatic flash of anger when someone offends us, the moment when it is easier to ignore someone who needs a kind word — only if we have prepared ourselves can we fight the little voices of evil when the time for action arrives.
Comments (1)
Wearing the Whole Armor of God today! Have a blessed day fellow Christians.