Morning Prayer: Tue, 25 Oct – Psalm 119:137-140; 2 Kings 10:16-17; Matthew 23:1-13 ~ on going forward

+ 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 119:137-140 (NLT)

O Lord, you are righteous, and your regulations are fair. Your laws are perfect and completely trustworthy. I am overwhelmed with indignation, for my enemies have disregarded your words. Your promises have been thoroughly tested; that is why I love them so much.

Reading: 2 Kings 10:16-17 (NLT)

Then Jehu said, “Now come with me, and see how devoted I am to the Lord.” So Jehonadab rode along with him.

When Jehu arrived in Samaria, he killed everyone who was left there from Ahab’s family, just as the Lord had promised through Elijah.

Reading: Matthew 23:1-13 (NLT)

sara-hudson-in-panama — Senior friend In Panama helping Christian mission to indigenous mountain people.

Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples, “The teachers of religious law and the Pharisees are the official interpreters of the law of Moses. So practice and obey whatever they tell you, but don’t follow their example. For they don’t practice what they teach. They crush people with unbearable religious demands and never lift a finger to ease the burden.

“Everything they do is for show. On their arms they wear extra wide prayer boxes with Scripture verses inside, and they wear robes with extra long tassels. And they love to sit at the head table at banquets and in the seats of honor in the synagogues. They love to receive respectful greetings as they walk in the marketplaces, and to be called ‘Rabbi.’

“Don’t let anyone call you ‘Rabbi,’ for you have only one teacher, and all of you are equal as brothers and sisters. And don’t address anyone here on earth as ‘Father,’ for only God in heaven is your Father. And don’t let anyone call you ‘Teacher,’ for you have only one teacher, the Messiah. The greatest among you must be a servant. But those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.

“What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you shut the door of the Kingdom of Heaven in people’s faces. You won’t go in yourselves, and you don’t let others enter either.
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Prayer: Ita (480-570) – in fostering courage

I have set my heart on going forward,

+ do not ask me to turn back. Traveling uncomfortably in the right direction, I will not let middle age overtake me; I will not let old age overcome me.

+ Keep me out of any rut of my own making, and from the grave of habitual failings.

Keep me flexible and eager to serve.
__________

“I Will Follow” – Chris Tomlin

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!

Morning Prayer: Mon, 24 Oct – Psalm 119:136; Isaiah 5:1-4; Luke 13:34; 19:41 ~ tears of sorrow

+ 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 119:136 (NLT)

Rivers of tears gush from my eyes because people disobey your instructions.

Reading: Isaiah 5:1-4 (NLT)

Now I will sing for the one I love a song about his vineyard: My beloved had a vineyard on a rich and fertile hill. He plowed the land, cleared its stones, and planted it with the best vines. In the middle he built a watchtower and carved a winepress in the nearby rocks. Then he waited for a harvest of sweet grapes, but the grapes that grew were bitter.

Now, you people of Jerusalem and Judah, you judge between me and my vineyard. What more could I have done for my vineyard that I have not already done? When I expected sweet grapes, why did my vineyard give me bitter grapes?

Reading: Luke 13:34; 19:41 (NLT)

Statue of Jesus Weeping at St. Joseph’s Church near the Oklahoma City Bombing Memorial.

“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones God’s messengers! How often I have wanted to gather your children together as a hen protects her chicks beneath her wings, but you wouldn’t let me….”
_____

But as he came closer to Jerusalem and saw the city ahead, he began to weep.
__________

Prayer

Lord God:

Fill me with your sorrow and compassion for those who disobey and even flaunt your law.

+ Touch my heart with the sorrow of your broken heart, that I may love the lost.

Your law is good, and just, and given to care for and tend the people you love.

+ Conform my life to your Kingdom rule, that I may demonstrate your love to the lost.

Call out in me again a willingness to love and serve you.

“Sovereign Over Us” – Worship Mob

Blessing

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

Morning Prayer: Sat, 22 Oct – Psalm 119:129-132; Habakkuk 2:14; John 7:37-39 ~ come to the well

+ 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 119:129-132 (NLT)

Your laws are wonderful. No wonder I obey them! The teaching of your word gives light, so even the simple can understand. I pant with expectation, longing for your commands.

Come and show me your mercy, as you do for all who love your name.

Reading: Habakkuk 2:14 (NLT)

For as the waters fill the sea, the earth will be filled with an awareness of the glory of the Lord.

Reading: John 7:37-39 (NLT)

On the last day, the climax of the festival, Jesus stood and shouted to the crowds, “Anyone who is thirsty may come to me! Anyone who believes in me may come and drink! For the Scriptures declare, ‘Rivers of living water will flow from his heart.’” (When he said “living water,” he was speaking of the Spirit, who would be given to everyone believing in him. But the Spirit had not yet been given, because Jesus had not yet entered into his glory.)
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Prayer – 22 October, Celtic Daily Prayer (Aidan Readings)

O Lord, Your word enters and lets in the light. It gives understanding to the simple.

Open-mouthed and longing I come to You. To whom else shall I go? You have the words of eternal life. I have believed, sometimes recklessly, sometimes hesitantly, but I have believed, and come to know that You are the only one who can satisfy my thirst.

I am an emptiness for Thee to fill;
my soul a cavern for Thy sea.

George MacDonald

__________

“Come to the Well” – Casting Crowns

Blessing

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

Morning Prayer: Fri, 21 Oct – Psalm 119:121-128; 1 Kings 3:12-13; Matthew 22:15-22 ~ a wise and understanding heart

+ 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 119:121-128 (NLT)

Don’t leave me to the mercy of my enemies, for I have done what is just and right. Please guarantee a blessing for me. Don’t let the arrogant oppress me! My eyes strain to see your rescue, to see the truth of your promise fulfilled.

I am your servant; deal with me in unfailing love, and teach me your decrees. Give discernment to me, your servant; then I will understand your laws. Lord, it is time for you to act, for these evil people have violated your instructions.

Truly, I love your commands more than gold, even the finest gold. Each of your commandments is right. That is why I hate every false way.

Reading: 1 Kings 3:12-13 (NLT)

I will give you what you asked for! I will give you a wise and understanding heart such as no one else has had or ever will have! And I will also give you what you did not ask for—riches and fame! No other king in all the world will be compared to you for the rest of your life!

Reading: Matthew 22:15-22 (NLT)

Then the Pharisees met together to plot how to trap Jesus into saying something for which he could be arrested. They sent some of their disciples, along with the supporters of Herod, to meet with him. “Teacher,” they said, “we know how honest you are. You teach the way of God truthfully. You are impartial and don’t play favorites. Now tell us what you think about this: Is it right to pay taxes to Caesar or not?”

But Jesus knew their evil motives. “You hypocrites!” he said. “Why are you trying to trap me? Here, show me the coin used for the tax.” When they handed him a Roman coin, he asked, “Whose picture and title are stamped on it?”

“Caesar’s,” they replied.

“Well, then,” he said, “give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar, and give to God what belongs to God.”

His reply amazed them, and they went away.
__________

Prayer

Lord Jesus Christ, I thank You: Through Your cross and resurrection You offer freedom and hope to those ready to receive them. Lord, show me Your loving-kindness.

+ Give me wisdom and understanding: help me to live in the light of Your presence.
+ Guide my thoughts, my words, my actions: that what I do today may be pleasing to You.
+ Help me to avoid wrongdoing: redirect me and show me Your mercy and love.
+ Through Your passion and death You have won life for me: give me the strength of Your Holy Spirit.

Lord God, You hold out the light of your Word to those who do not know You. Strengthen in my heart the faith You have given me, so that no trials may quench the fire Your Spirit has kindled within me. Through my Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.
__________

“God I Look to You” – Jenn Johnson (Bethel Church)

Blessing

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

Morning Prayer: Thu, 20 Oct – Psalm 119:118-120; Nehemiah 8:9; James 3:3-8 ~ when trembling is a good thing

+ 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 119:118-120 (NLT)

You have rejected all who stray from your decrees. They are only fooling themselves. You skim off the wicked of the earth like scum; no wonder I love to obey your laws! I tremble in fear of you; I stand in awe of your regulations.

Reading: Nehemiah 8:9 (NLT)

Then Nehemiah the governor, Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who were interpreting for the people said to them, “Don’t mourn or weep on such a day as this! For today is a sacred day before the Lord your God.” For the people had all been weeping as they listened to the words of the Law.

Reading: James 3:3-8 (NLT)

Dear brothers and sisters, not many of you should become teachers in the church, for we who teach will be judged more strictly. Indeed, we all make many mistakes. For if we could control our tongues, we would be perfect and could also control ourselves in every other way.

We can make a large horse go wherever we want by means of a small bit in its mouth. And a small rudder makes a huge ship turn wherever the pilot chooses to go, even though the winds are strong. In the same way, the tongue is a small thing that makes grand speeches.

But a tiny spark can set a great forest on fire. And among all the parts of the body, the tongue is a flame of fire. It is a whole world of wickedness, corrupting your entire body. It can set your whole life on fire, for it is set on fire by hell itself.

People can tame all kinds of animals, birds, reptiles, and fish, but no one can tame the tongue. It is restless and evil, full of deadly poison.
__________

The fear of the Lord can help us… to be directed in the particular path that will best help us in our own journey with God. The paths may be as varied as the people! Specific obedience us what is required.

Celtic Daily Prayer – Aidan Readings for 20 Oct.

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Prayer – Saint Piran (sixth century) “A Call to New Beginnings”

Dare me to follow You, and I will obey Your truth. Always keep me faithful.

+ When things seem good and all my work yields harvest, and service at last is crowned with rich success, when all my work is bathed in earthly glory, help me to remember my beginning and my end is You.

Set me to following You. I will obey Your truth. Always keep me faithful.

+ Help me remember, Lord, that You are Alpha and Omega, that all the story lies within Your hands. You are at my beginning and ending.

Calling me on… and on.
__________

“Here In Your Presence” – New Life Worship

Blessing

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

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