Evening Devotion for September 27, 2023
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 by Bob Dylan became a secular hit with covers by Billy Joel and Adele; but Dylan wrote it as a tribute to Christ.
When the rain is blowing in your face
And the whole world is on your case
I could offer you a warm embrace
To make you feel my love.
When the evening shadows and the stars appear
And there is no one there to dry your tears
Oh, I hold you for a million years
To make you feel my love.
I know you haven't made your mind up yet
But I will never do you wrong
I've known it from the moment that we met
No doubt in my mind where you belong.
I'd go hungry; I'd go black and blue
And I'd go crawling down the avenue
No, there's nothing that I wouldn't do
To make you feel my love.
The storms are raging on the rolling sea
And on the highway of regret
The winds of change are blowing wild and free
You ain't seen nothing like me yet.
I could make you happy, make your dreams come true
There's nothing that I wouldn't do -
Go to the ends of this Earth for you
To make you feel my love, oh yes,
To make you feel my love.
Music and Lyrics by Bob Dylan
Prayer for Strength of Faith
Heavenly Father, this evening I pray for those who are beginning to know Christ: may You strengthen them on their journey. I pray for all children, and for those who take care of them, especially those who awaken them to faith.
I pray for the ill and those who are ending their lives in loneliness: Oh Lord, give them the strength they need. I pray for those who are condemned to prison or exile: Lord, sustain their hope. I pray that the fire of your Spirit may renew the energies of all your saints and enable us to welcome those who do not know you. And finally, Lord, may your Church be constantly renewed, in prayer, in your Word and in your worship; in Christ’s name, this I ask,
Confession
Have mercy on me, Oh Lord, for I am a humble and miserable sinner. [At this point, pause to remember specific sins you have committed during the day and speak or think them.] I renounce all of these sins, heavenly Father, and repent of them, and I promise to make every effort not to repeat them.
Have mercy on me, I pray; pardon me for these offences and any I might have omitted from forgetfulness or ignorance; in the name of Jesus Christ, my Lord and Savior, I pray for forgiveness. And I pray that your Holy Spirit may dwell with me in the coming day, to comfort me, to give me strength against temptation, and to guide me into the path of righteousness.
To Treat Others with Love and Understanding
Heavenly Lord, you have commanded us to love one another, but sometimes even when I am pleasant to another person it is not sincere. Help me, I pray, to be sincere in choosing good over evil. Let my love and concern for others not be a sham. When I work for you, fill me with your Holy Spirit, that I might be committed and enthusiastic in your service. Let me live in your presence, and not get so wrapped up in my life that I forget about you.
And may I be patient when difficulties arise and not give way to frustration and anger, knowing always that the result belongs to you. Let me not take offense at others, let me not be thin-skinned; but shielded by the power of your Spirit, let me not hear insult where none is intended, and shrug off even the most intentional. In Christ’s name, I pray this.
Benediction
May the God of hope fill me and all of us with the joy and peace that comes from believing, so that we may abound in hope, by the power of the Holy Spirit.
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
Identify this passage: “Although He existed in the form of God, Christ did not retain equality with God, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant and being made in the likeness of men.”
Psalm 71:5-8 (ESV)
You have been my hope, O Sovereign Lord,
my confidence since my youth.
From birth I have relied on you;
you brought me forth from my mother’s womb.
I will ever praise you.
I have become like a portent to many,
but you are my strong refuge.
My mouth is filled with your praise,
declaring your splendor all day long.
Luke 12:4-7 (ESV)
esus said, “I tell you, my friends, do not fear those who kill the body, and after that can do nothing more. But I will warn you whom to fear: fear him who, after he has killed, has authority to cast into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him!
Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten in God’s sight. But even the hairs of your head are all counted. Do not be afraid; you are of more value than many sparrows.”
Notes on the Scripture
Fear of Death
Jesus is not telling us that we should not avoid death, or that we can somehow make our natural avoidance of danger, pain, disease, or injury disappear. He is comparing the fear that we might have of someone who is able to kill our earthly body, compared to the fear we have of God. Physical death is a terrible moment, but it is inevitable. Our odds of dying are one out of one.
But once we learn that our souls are eternal, and that God’s mercy has given us hope of eternal existence in a world where there is no anxiety or pain, we realize that there is something worse than physical death. The stronger our faith becomes, the less anxious we are about the inevitable time when our bodies perish, and the more concerned we are about the salvation of our souls.
It is interesting to reflect on how strong and immediate our reactions become when we feel threatened by physical death. Yet so often we are calm, even cavalier, when faced with something that could cast us into hell. A vicious criminal with a gun, or direct exposure to a dangerous wild animal, will send us into emergency overdrive. But Satan is the most dangerous and vicious force in existence-- a creature or force poised and motivated to send our souls to eternal oblivion -- and when he threatens us, we generally show a comparatively mild reaction.
Jesus wants us to understand the greater threat. This is about taking God seriously (reverence and fear toward Him), and along with this - a sober, watchful defensive position toward evil. Who really cares about you? God cares about you in the deepest, purest way.
Simply reflect that, if it were not for God, you would not have life in the first place. He created us and loves us. We are his children. He has sent us a message, through the life of Christ, that He will guard and protect us for all eternity, if we are true to him.
