Morning Prayer, Thursday, 10 Sep 2020
+ In the Name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Opening:
O Lord God, grant me grace to withstand the temptations of the world, the flesh, and the devil, and with a pure heart and mind to follow you, the only God; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
The Sovereign Lord says: “I take no pleasure in the death of wicked people.
I only want them to turn from their wicked ways so they can live.”
(Ezekiel 33:11)
Preparation:
Almighty God, to you all hearts are open, all desires known, and from you no secrets are hid: Cleanse the thoughts of my heart by the inspiration of your Holy Spirit, that I may perfectly love you, and worthily magnify your holy Name; through Christ my Lord. Amen.
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The New Cloverdale Psalter (2019 Update of 1535 Original)
Psalm 10
1 Why do you stand so far off, O LORD, *
and hide your face in the time of need and trouble?
2 The ungodly in his pride persecutes the poor; *
let him be taken in the crafty schemes that he has imagined.
3 For the ungodly has boasted of his own heart’s desire; *
the covetous holds the LORD in contempt and blasphemes his Name.
4 The ungodly is so proud that he cares not for God; *
neither is God in any of his thoughts.
5 His ways are always grievous; *
your judgments are far above, out of his sight, and therefore he defies all his enemies.
6 For he has said in his heart, “I shall never be cast down; *
no harm shall happen to me.”
7 His mouth is full of cursing, deceit, and fraud; *
under his tongue are ungodliness and vanity.
8 He sits lurking in the thievish corners of the streets, and in his hiding places he murders the innocent; *
his eyes are set against the poor.
9 For he lies waiting secretly, even as a lion lurks in his den, *
that he may ravish the poor.
10 He ravishes the poor *
when he gets him into his net.
11 The innocent is crushed and humbled before him, *
and the weak cannot stand against his might.
12 He has said in his heart, “God has forgotten; *
he hides away his face, and he will never see it.”
13 Arise, O LORD God, and lift up your hand; *
forget not the poor.
14 Why should the wicked blaspheme God, *
while he says in his heart, “You, O God, do not care”?
15 Surely you have seen it, for you behold ungodliness and wrong,*
that you may take the matter into your hand.
16 The poor commits himself unto you, *
for you are the helper of the fatherless.
17 Break the power of the ungodly and malicious; *
search out his ungodliness until you have brought it all to light.
18 The LORD is King for ever and ever, *
and the nations have perished out of the land.
19 O LORD, you have heard the desire of the poor; *
you prepare their heart, and your ear hearkens to it,
20 To help the fatherless and poor with justice, *
that the one who is of the earth may terrify no more.
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On This Troubled Day (Psalm 10): – The Shiyr Poets
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Contemporary English Version (CEV)
Proverbs 10
Here are some proverbs of Solomon:
3 If you obey the Lord, you won’t go hungry;
if you are wicked, God won’t let you have
what you want.
11 The words of good people are a source of life,
but evil hides behind the words of the wicked.
24 What evil people dread most will happen to them,
but good people will get what they want most.
28 If you obey the Lord, you will be happy,
but there is no future for the wicked.
29 The Lord protects everyone who lives right,
but he destroys anyone who does wrong.
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Consider:
“Why do you stand so far off, O LORD, and hide your face in the time of need and trouble?”
(Psalm 10:1)
“The presence of God is the joy of his people, but any suspicion of his absence is distracting beyond measure. . . . It is not the trouble, but the hiding of our Father’s face, which cuts us to the quick.” (Spurgeon)
Q: Have you ever cried out to God when you were in trouble? What happened? Did God intervene on your behalf?
Q: Have you ever experienced a time of trouble when God didn’t intervene on your behalf? What happened?
Q: Do you believe that God is with you, and for you, when you are in trouble – even though you may feel alone?
Q: Do you believe that God will ultimately judge evil, wicked, mean, bad. nasty people?
Q: How would you feel if God chose to save them instead?
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Prayer:
+ For the Unrepentant
Merciful God, you desire not the death of sinners, but rather that they should turn to you and live; and through your only Son you have revealed yourself as the God who pardons iniquity. Have mercy on the unrepentant and those who do not believe, especially those wicked, nasty people roaming the streets of this country. Awaken in them, by your Word and Holy Spirit, a deep sense of their sinfulness and peril. Take from them all ignorance, hardness of heart, and contempt of your Word. Grant them to know and feel that there is no other Name under heaven given among men by which they must be saved, but only the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ. And so bring them home and number them among your children, that they may be yours for ever; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, world without end. Amen.
+ For Submission to God’s Will (Joseph Mercier)
O Holy Spirit, beloved of my soul, I adore you. Enlighten me, guide me, strengthen me, console me. Tell me what I should do; give me your orders. I promise to submit myself to all that you desire of me and to accept all that you permit to happen to me. Let me only know your will. Amen.
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First & Last : Royal City Worship
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Blessing:
May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you, wherever He may send you.
May He guide you through the wilderness, protect you through the storm.
May He bring you home rejoicing at the wonders He has shown you.
May He bring you home rejoicing once again into our doors.
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+ In the Name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
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