Tuesday Morning Prayer, 04 Aug 2020

+ In the Name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Opening: (Luke 1:78-79)

God’s love and kindness will shine upon us
like the sun that rises in the sky.
On us who live in the dark shadow of death
this light will shine to guide us
into a life of peace.

[God] himself is fair and just, and he makes sinners right in his sight
when they believe in Jesus.
Romans 3:26

Collect for Purity

Almighty God, to you all hearts are open, all desires known, and from you no secrets are hid: Cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of your Holy Spirit, that we may perfectly love you, and worthily magnify your holy Name; through Christ our Lord. Amen.

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Scripture Reading (NLT)

Psalm Psalm 81: 1, 7,11-16

Sing praises to God, our strength.
Sing to the God of Jacob.

You cried to me in trouble, and I saved you;
I answered out of the thundercloud

“But no, my people wouldn’t listen.
Israel did not want me around.
So I let them follow their own stubborn desires,
living according to their own ideas.
Oh, that my people would listen to me!
Oh, that Israel would follow me, walking in my paths!
How quickly I would then subdue their enemies!
How soon my hands would be upon their foes!
Those who hate the Lord would cringe before him;
they would be doomed forever.
But I would feed you with the finest wheat.
I would satisfy you with wild honey from the rock.”

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Psalm 81 (Honey from the Rock) – (Psalms Reborn)
“the people wouldn’t listen to me”

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Scripture Reading (NLT

Romans 3:22-26

We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are.

For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. Yet God, in his grace, freely makes us right in his sight. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins. For God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin. People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed his life, shedding his blood. This sacrifice shows that God was being fair when he held back and did not punish those who sinned in times past, for he was looking ahead and including them in what he would do in this present time. God did this to demonstrate his righteousness, for he himself is fair and just, and he makes sinners right in his sight when they believe in Jesus.

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Reflection on God’s fairness and justice:

For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard.
Yet God, in his grace, freely makes us right in his sight.
He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins.
(Romans 3:23-24)

The righteousness of God is not ours by faith; it is ours through faith. We do not earn righteousness by our faith. We receive righteousness through faith in Jesus Christ.

Faith is not ‘trusting’ or ‘expecting’ God to do something, but relying on His testimony concerning the person of Christ as His Son, and the work of Christ for us on the cross… After saving faith, the life of trust begins… trust is always looking forward to what God will do; but faith sees that what God says has been done, and believes God’s Word, having the conviction that it is true, and true for ourselves.” (Newell)

The work of Jesus on the cross freed God from the charge that He lightly passed over sin committed before the cross. Those sins were passed over for a time but they were finally paid for.

At the cross, God demonstrated His righteousness by offering man justification (a legal verdict of “not guilty”), while remaining completely just (because the righteous penalty of sin had been paid at the cross).

• It’s easy to see how someone could be only just – simply send every guilty sinner to hell, as a just judge would do. It’s easy to see how someone could only be the justifier – simply tell every guilty sinner, “I declare a pardon. You are all declared ‘not guilty.’” But only God could find a way to be both just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.
• “Here we learn that God designed to give the most evident displays of both his justice and mercy. Of his justice, in requiring a sacrifice, and absolutely refusing to give salvation to a lost world in any other way; and of his mercy, in providing the sacrifice which his justice required.” (Clarke)

We are justified freely by His grace, there is no room for self-congratulation or credit.
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Prayer of Gratitude for God’s Grace: by Andrew (Sydney)

Lord I thank you for giving me the chance to come closer to you through your grace and forgiveness. Even though my life has been turbulent as the stormy seas and I have not always seen your light. But I know you have always been watching over me. Thank you for opening my heart to your love and showing me a new life through your guidance.

I thank you for making every day brand new and my new path to a better life. Dear lord I thank you for the sins that you have forgiven me for and the wrongs you have turned me away from. You are forever in my heart.

Please accept my humble prayer of thanks for your guidance and love everyday. Thank you for letting me see other people’s point of views and understanding people better. Thank you for taking my anger and fear in my heart and turning it into gratitude and joy. Dear lord please hear my prayer. I am eternally your humble servant.  Amen.
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“In Christ Alone” – Praise & Harmony

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Closing -(Romans 3:26)

[God] himself is fair and just, and he makes sinners right in his sight when they believe in Jesus.

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+ In the Name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.