October 1, 2020
OPENING PRAYER
O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water. Because your steadfast love is better than life, my lips will praise you. I will bless you as long as I live; in your name, I will lift up my hands.
CONFESSION OF SIN & PRAYER FOR GRACE
Merciful God, I confess that I have sinned against you in thought, word, and deed, by what I have done, and by what I have left undone. I have not loved you with my whole heart; I have not loved my neighbor as myself. In your mercy, forgive what I have been, help me amend what I am, and direct what I shall be, so that I may delight in your will and walk in your ways, for the glory of your holy name. Through Jesus Christ our Lord: Amen.
OT READING: Isaiah 50
THE LORD’S PRAYER
NT READING: Philippians 2:1-13
PRAYER OF ADORATION:
Christ Jesus, I adore you because you took the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men, and humbling yourself to the point of death, even death on a cross. I adore your glorious name, which is above every name, and I look forward to the day when every knee will bow, and every tongue confess, that Jesus Christ is Lord.
PSALM READING: Psalm 116
PRAYER OF CONSECRATION
Thank you Lord that your word offers a pattern for calling on you in all kinds of situations. This psalm is the prayer of someone coming through a period of suffering. It expresses gratitude and worship, without glossing over the reality of affliction. This psalm is a great teacher. It shows me two things: how to be honest about my experience, and what I can expect from you, O Lord. It’s true that I need help, yet you bend down low to hear me. It’s true that my feet are prone to stumble and my eyes to shed tears, yet you lovingly preserve me. It’s true that I will die someday, yet even my death is precious to you. With the psalmist, when I feel afflicted, I will lift up the cup of salvation. I will remember the ways that you deal bountifully with me. I will remind my soul to rest, because of your goodness.
BENEDICTION
And now may the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship and communion of the Holy Spirit abide and remain with us, now and throughout our time on earth, until the day of His return: Amen.