Morning Prayer: Monday, 16 Nov 2020
+ In the Name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Opening:
Stir up, O Lord, the wills of your faithful people, that bringing forth in abundance the fruit of good works, they may be abundantly rewarded when our Savior Jesus Christ comes to restore all things; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
“The LORD shall preserve you from all evil; indeed,
it is he who shall keep your soul.”
(Psalm 121:7)
Preparation:
Holy Spirit, breath of God and fire of love, I cannot pray without your aid: Kindle in me the fire of your love, and illumine me with your light; that with a steadfast will and holy thoughts I may approach the Father in spirit and in truth; through Jesus Christ my Lord, who reigns with you and the Father in eternal union. Amen.
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Psalm 121 (He Watches Over You) – The Psalms Project
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The New Cloverdale Psalter (2019 Update of 1535 Original)
“Psalm 121”
1 I will lift up my eyes unto the hills; *
from whence comes my help?
2 My help comes from the LORD, *
who has made heaven and earth.
3 He will not let your foot be moved, *
and he who keeps you will not sleep.
4 Behold, he who keeps Israel *
shall neither slumber nor sleep.
5 The LORD himself is your keeper; *
the LORD is your defense upon your right hand,
6 So that the sun shall not burn you by day, *
neither the moon by night.
7 The LORD shall preserve you from all evil; *
indeed, it is he who shall keep your soul.
8 The LORD shall preserve your going out and your coming in, *
from this time forth for evermore.
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Proverbs (16) (The Wisdom of Solomon)
1 We can make our own plans,
but the Lord gives the right answer.
2 People may be pure in their own eyes,
but the Lord examines their motives.
3 Commit your actions to the Lord,
and your plans will succeed.
4 The Lord has made everything for his own purposes,
even the wicked for a day of disaster.
33 We may throw the dice,
but the Lord determines how they fall.
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Consider:
“The LORD shall preserve you from all evil; indeed,
it is he who shall keep your soul.”
(Psalm 121:7)
The LORD is the keeper of my soul
- God not only keeps his own in all evil times but from all evil influences and operations, yes, from evils themselves.
- God is the sole keeper of the soul. Our soul is kept from the dominion of sin, the infection of error, the crush of despondency, the puffing up of pride; kept from the world, the flesh, and the devil; kept for holier and greater things; kept in the love of God; kept unto the eternal kingdom and glory. What can harm a soul that is kept of the Lord?
__ Spurgeon
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- “Consider how difficult it is to correct our distrust….”
- Only when the truth that the LORD keeps us “is deeply rooted in our hearts… and we depend upon his guardianship alone, may we bid adieu to all the vain confidences of the world.”
—John Calvin.
Q: Where, or to whom, do you go when you’re in trouble?
Q: How do you respond when faced with evil times and influences?
Q: How do you deal with the crush of the world, the flesh, and the devil?
God is the sole keeper of your soul.
Q: Can you rely on that declaration of truth to preserve your soul?
Q: What prevents you?
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Prayer:
+ Most loving Father, you will us to give thanks for all things, to dread nothing but the loss of you, and to cast all our care on the One who cares for us. Preserve us from faithless fears and worldly anxieties, and grant that no clouds of this mortal life may hide from us the light of that love which is immortal, and which you have manifested unto us in your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
+ O God of peace, who hast taught us that in returning and rest we shall be saved, in quietness and in confidence shall be our strength: By the might of thy Spirit lift us, we pray thee, to thy presence, where we may be still and know that thou art God; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
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“Keeper of my Soul” – written and performed by Julie Hufstetler.
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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.