Tag: 26 Oct

Praying the Psalms: Fri, 26 Oct – Psalm 102 ~ hope in despair

Praying the Psalms

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

Opening – (Northumbria Community)

One thing I have asked of the Lord, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life; to behold the beauty of the Lord and to seek Him in His temple.

Praise to You, Lord Jesus Christ, King of endless glory.
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Morning Reading: Psalm 102 (NLT) – A prayer of one overwhelmed with trouble, pouring out problems before the Lord.

Lord, hear my prayer! Listen to my plea! Don’t turn away from me in my time of distress. Bend down to listen, and answer me quickly when I call to you.

  • For my days disappear like smoke, and my bones burn like red-hot coals.
  • My heart is sick, withered like grass, and I have lost my appetite.
  • Because of my groaning, I am reduced to skin and bones.
  • I am like an owl in the desert, like a little owl in a far-off wilderness.
  • I lie awake, lonely as a solitary bird on the roof.
  • My enemies taunt me day after day. They mock and curse me.
  • I eat ashes for food.
  • My tears run down into my drink because of your anger and wrath.
  • For you have picked me up and thrown me out.
  • My life passes as swiftly as the evening shadows.
  • I am withering away like grass.

But you, O Lord, will sit on your throne forever. Your fame will endure to every generation. You will arise and have mercy on Jerusalem—and now is the time to pity her, now is the time you promised to help. For your people love every stone in her walls and cherish even the dust in her streets. Then the nations will tremble before the Lord. The kings of the earth will tremble before his glory.

  • For the Lord will rebuild Jerusalem. He will appear in his glory.
  • He will listen to the prayers of the destitute. He will not reject their pleas.

Let this be recorded for future generations, so that a people not yet born will praise the Lord. Tell them the Lord looked down from his heavenly sanctuary. He looked down to earth from heaven

  • to hear the groans of the prisoners,
  • to release those condemned to die.

And so the Lord’s fame will be celebrated in Zion, his praises in Jerusalem, when multitudes gather together and kingdoms come to worship the Lord.

He broke my strength in midlife, cutting short my days. But I cried to him,

“O my God, who lives forever, don’t take my life while I am so young! Long ago you laid the foundation of the earth and made the heavens with your hands. They will perish, but you remain forever; they will wear out like old clothing. You will change them like a garment and discard them. But you are always the same; you will live forever. The children of your people will live in security. Their children’s children will thrive in your presence.”

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Morning Prayer

O Lord our God: Here the cries of your people living in despair; answer them with mercy and grace –

+ for they are near death; their lives are slipping away…
+ for they are filled with sorrow; they are weak and helpless…
+ for they are wasting away; reduced to skin and bones…
+ for they are isolated; alone and friendless…
+ for they are miserable; cursed by their enemies…
+ for they are distraught; your anger torments them…

O Lord our God: Here the cries of your people living in despair; answer them with mercy and grace –

+ for you are eternal; you rule and reign forever…
+ for you are unchanging: your loving-kindness lasts forever…
+ for you are present; your redemption is near…
+ for you are good; your restoration brings blessing…
+ for you are kind; your deliverance brings joyful praise…

O Lord our God: Here the cries of your people living in despair; answer them with mercy and grace. For you are able, through your mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. Glory to you, Lord God, in the church and in Christ Jesus through all generations forever and ever! Amen.
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“Psalm 102” (To this my prayer O listen Lord) – Jason Coghill

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Blessing – (Northumbrian Community)

May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you, wherever He may send you. May He guide you through the wilderness, and 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.

Morning Reading & Prayer: Thu, 26 Oct – Zephaniah ~ He will rejoice over you with singing

Morning Reading & Prayer

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

Opening – (Northumbria Community)

One thing I have asked of the Lord, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life; to behold the beauty of the Lord and to seek Him in His temple.

Praise to You, Lord Jesus Christ, King of endless glory.

Please Read: Zephaniah 1-3 (NLT) – click here

Reading Excerpts

Zephaniah 1:1 (NLT) – The Lord gave this message to Zephaniah when Josiah son of Amon was king of Judah. Zephaniah was the son of Cushi, son of Gedaliah, son of Amariah, son of Hezekiah.

Coming Judgment against Judah

Zephaniah 1:2, 4, 6 (NLT) – “I will sweep away everything from the face of the earth,” says the Lord…. I will crush Judah and Jerusalem with my fist and destroy every last trace of their Baal worship. I will put an end to all the idolatrous priests, so that even the memory of them will disappear…. And I will destroy those who used to worship me but now no longer do. They no longer ask for the Lord’s guidance or seek my blessings.”

Zephaniah 1:7, 14-18 (NLT) – “Stand in silence in the presence of the Sovereign Lord, for the awesome day of the Lord’s judgment is near….

“That terrible day of the Lord is near. Swiftly it comes—a day of bitter tears, a day when even strong men will cry out. It will be a day when the Lord’s anger is poured out—a day of terrible distress and anguish, a day of ruin and desolation, a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and blackness, a day of trumpet calls and battle cries. Down go the walled cities and the strongest battlements!

“Because you have sinned against the Lord, I will make you grope around like the blind. Your blood will be poured into the dust, and your bodies will lie rotting on the ground.”

Your silver and gold will not save you on that day of the Lord’s anger. For the whole land will be devoured by the fire of his jealousy. He will make a terrifying end of all the people on earth.

Call to Repentance

Zephaniah 2:1-3 (NLT) – Gather together—yes, gather together, you shameless nation. Gather before judgment begins, before your time to repent is blown away like chaff. Act now, before the fierce fury of the Lord falls and the terrible day of the Lord’s anger begins. Seek the Lord, all who are humble, and follow his commands. Seek to do what is right and to live humbly. Perhaps even yet the Lord will protect you—protect you from his anger on that day of destruction.

Judgment against Philistia

Zephaniah 2:5 (NLT) – And what sorrow awaits you Philistines who live along the coast and in the land of Canaan, for this judgment is against you, too! The Lord will destroy you until not one of you is left….

Judgment against Moab and Ammon

Zephaniah 2:8-9 (NLT) – “I have heard the taunts of the Moabites and the insults of the Ammonites, mocking my people and invading their borders. Now, as surely as I live,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, “Moab and Ammon will be destroyed—destroyed as completely as Sodom and Gomorrah…..

Judgment against Ethiopia and Assyria

Zephaniah 2:12-13, 15 (NLT) – “You Ethiopians will also be slaughtered by my sword,” says the Lord. And the Lord will strike the lands of the north with his fist, destroying the land of Assyria. He will make its great capital, Nineveh, a desolate wasteland, parched like a desert….

This is the boisterous city, once so secure. “I am the greatest!” it boasted. “No other city can compare with me!” But now, look how it has become an utter ruin, a haven for wild animals. Everyone passing by will laugh in derision and shake a defiant fist.

Jerusalem’s Rebellion

Zephaniah 3:1-5 (NLT) – What sorrow awaits rebellious, polluted Jerusalem, the city of violence and crime! No one can tell it anything; it refuses all correction. It does not trust in the Lord or draw near to its God. Its leaders are like roaring lions hunting for their victims. Its judges are like ravenous wolves at evening time, who by dawn have left no trace of their prey. Its prophets are arrogant liars seeking their own gain. Its priests defile the Temple by disobeying God’s instructions.

But the Lord is still there in the city, and he does no wrong. Day by day he hands down justice, and he does not fail. But the wicked know no shame.

Jerusalem’s Devastation

Zephaniah 3:6-10 (NLT) – “I have wiped out many nations, devastating their fortress walls and towers. Their streets are now deserted; their cities lie in silent ruin. There are no survivors—none at all. I thought, ‘Surely they will have reverence for me now! Surely they will listen to my warnings. Then I won’t need to strike again, destroying their homes.’ But no, they get up early to continue their evil deeds.

Therefore, be patient,” says the Lord. “Soon I will stand and accuse these evil nations. For I have decided to gather the kingdoms of the earth and pour out my fiercest anger and fury on them. All the earth will be devoured by the fire of my jealousy.  Then I will purify the speech of all people, so that everyone can worship the Lord together. My scattered people who live beyond the rivers of Ethiopia will come to present their offerings.

Jerusalem’s Redemption

Zephaniah 3:11-10 (NLT) – On that day you will no longer need to be ashamed, for you will no longer be rebels against me. I will remove all proud and arrogant people from among you. There will be no more haughtiness on my holy mountain. Those who are left will be the lowly and humble, for it is they who trust in the name of the Lord. The remnant of Israel will do no wrong; they will never tell lies or deceive one another. They will eat and sleep in safety, and no one will make them afraid.”

Sing, O daughter of Zion; shout aloud, O Israel! Be glad and rejoice with all your heart, O daughter of Jerusalem! For the Lord will remove his hand of judgment and will disperse the armies of your enemy. And the Lord himself, the King of Israel, will live among you! At last your troubles will be over, and you will never again fear disaster. On that day the announcement to Jerusalem will be,

“Cheer up, Zion! Don’t be afraid! For the Lord your God is living among you. He is a mighty savior. He will take delight in you with gladness. With his love, he will calm all your fears. He will rejoice over you with joyful songs.”

“I will gather you who mourn for the appointed festivals; you will be disgraced no more. And I will deal severely with all who have oppressed you. I will save the weak and helpless ones; I will bring together those who were chased away. I will give glory and fame to my former exiles, wherever they have been mocked and shamed. On that day I will gather you together and bring you home again. I will give you a good name, a name of distinction, among all the nations of the earth, as I restore your fortunes before their very eyes. I, the Lord, have spoken!”
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“He Will Rejoice Over You” – The ZOE Group


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Blessing – (Northumbrian Community)

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!

Morning Prayer: Wed, 26 Oct – Psalm 119:141-143; Jeremiah 9:23-24; Matthew 11:25-26 ~ too smart for my own good

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

Opening Sentence

I have come to seek You, O God, just as I am I come.
I have come to be sought by You, just as I am I come.

I will wait for the Lord. My soul waits, and in His word do I hope.

Reading: Psalm 119:141-143 (NLT)

I am small and despised, yet I do not forget your precepts. Your righteousness is righteous forever, and your law is true. Trouble and anguish have found me out, but your commandments are my delight.

Reading: Jeremiah 9:23-24 (NLT)

Thus says the Lord: “Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches, but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the Lord who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth. For in these things I delight, declares the Lord.”

Reading: Matthew 11:25-26 (NLT)

downsyndrome

At that time Jesus declared, “I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children; yes, Father, for such was your gracious will.”
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Prayer for Child-like Faith:

Lord Jesus: You bid me to come to you with child-like faith; but that’s not easy for me to do at my age. Bring me back to the basics, Lord, and strip away the baggage that I have accumulated over the years that prevent me from drawing ever closer to you.

+ Give me child-like innocence – that I may trust you in all things.
+ Give me simplicity of understanding – that I may follow your plain teaching.
+ Give me an open mind – that my decision-making may not be clouded by preconceived notions.
+ Give me a joyful spirit – that I may forget myself with light-hearted abandonment.
+ Give me a sense of wonder – that I may be awed by the majestic splendor of your creation.
+ Give me the gift of faith – that I may believe that all things are possible with you.
+ Give me an awareness of my own smallness – that I may live humbly before you.
+ Give me a child’s contentment with small things – that I may live simply, in a spirit of continual gratitude for all you have given me.

Lord Jesus: may I delight in you every day, in every way – to your honor and glory. Amen.
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“God Knows Me” – St Andrew’s Church, Kildwick

Blessing

May the peace of the Lord Jesus 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.

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