From: asimpledesire.wordpress.com, emu.edu, biblegateway.com:
Daily Readings and Devotionals:
A Sip of Scripture
Daily Scripture:
Believe
The apostles worked many miracles and wonders among the people. … Many men and women started having faith in the Lord.
Reference: Acts 5: 12a, 14. CEV
New King James Version (NKJV)
Acts 5:12
View commentary related to this passage
Continuing Power in the Church
12 And through the hands of the apostles many signs and wonders were done among the people. And they were all with one accord in Solomon’s Porch.
New King James Version (NKJV)
Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.
Acts 5:12
View commentary related to this passage
Continuing Power in the Church
12 And through the hands of the apostles many signs and wonders were done among the people. And they were all with one accord in Solomon’s Porch.
**************************************************************
Glimpses of God's Hand
Carol Honderich invites you to study the lives of women of the Bible with her in a twice-monthly column.
Glimpses of God's Hand
Reflections on God's hand at work in the lives of women of the Bible
Leaving Sodom with Lot's Wife
With the coming of dawn, the angels urged Lot, saying, “Hurry! Take your wife and your two daughters who are here, or you will be swept away when the city is punished.” When he hesitated, the men grasped his hand and the hands of his wife and of his two daughters and led them safely out of the city, for the LORD was merciful to them. As soon as they had brought them out, one of them said, “Flee for your lives! Don’t look back, and don’t stop anywhere in the plain! Flee to the mountains or you will be swept away!” Genesis 19:15-17
But Lot’s wife looked back, and she became a pillar of salt.
Genesis 19:26
For more than 20 years, from when they initially separated their flocks and people from those of Abraham and Sarah’s, Lot and his family made their home on the plains near, and eventually in, Sodom. Given the opportunity to choose his territory, this land was the most attractive to Lot. He saw it as providing an easier life, with well-watered grassy grazing land for his flocks, and the convenience and excitement of city dwelling for his family in the nearby cities of Sodom and Gomorra. Lot chose this location in spite of knowing these cities had a reputation for wickedness. He chose this land not only for his flocks, but also where he would raise his family. In Sodom, Lot and his wife established their home and became part of the community. Lot sat at the city gate, a place of authority and leadership, and from the residents of Sodom, Lot found husbands for his daughters.
We know very little about Lot’s wife. Jewish folklore provides us with the name of Edith. She is called Ado in the apocryphal Book of Jasher, which contains more stories and illustrations of the wickedness of Sodom. We also know that she and Lot had at least two daughters still living at home, and possibly more adult children living in Sodom. In an earlier time of war between the kings of Sodom and the surrounding territories, Lot and his family were taken as prisoners. Abraham sent his 318 trained men to rescue them. And again, when Abraham heard of God’s plan to destroy Sodom, he bargained with God to save Lot and his family. God honored Abraham’s plea and sent angels to Sodom to guide Lot and his family out of the city. Clearly, it was dangerous to live in Sodom, but something held Lot and his wife there, making it difficult for them to see the danger, and difficult for them to extract themselves from their circumstances.
When Lot first greeted these strangers as they arrived in Sodom on their mission of rescue, did Lot recognize them as angels? If not at this initial encounter, when in this story did Lot realize that he was being protected by angels? These “strangers” to whom Lot offered hospitality, revealed to him God’s plans for the destruction of the city, and also demonstrated their power of protection by causing blindness to strike the men who attacked Lot’s house demanding to have their way with his guests. Here was real danger and Lot’s response was to offer his virgin daughters to appease the threatening mob, a response that indicates the eroded condition of Lot’s moral judgment.
Lot and his family were offered a miraculous rescue, and yet they resisted leaving this place. Their lives were so steeped in the ways of this wicked place that they could not hear or respond to the warning of angels, who quite literally had to pull them from the city. What was the strong attraction for Lot’s family in Sodom that they were willing to risk their lives to stay? In spite of his reluctance, Genesis 19:16-17 tells us that the angels were finally successful in extracting Lot from the city: When he hesitated, the men grasped his hand and the hands of his wife and of his two daughters and led them safely out of the city, for the LORD was merciful to them. As soon as they had brought them out, one of them said, “Flee for your lives! Don’t look back, and don’t stop anywhere in the plain! Flee to the mountains or you will be swept away!” They were saved! Abraham’s bargaining with God had made a difference. God’s mercy and provisions had rescued them. They were ushered (dragged) to safety, pulled away from harm and destruction.
But Lot’s wife turned back … this was not a curious look over her shoulder, not an involuntary response to the explosions and fire pouring down on Sodom. No, she followed her heart and turned back. In Luke 17, Jesus referred to Lot’s wife when he warned us of the dangers of placing our hope and dependence in the things of this world, “Remember Lot’s wife! Whoever tries to keep their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life will preserve it.”
What creature comforts or activities hold such strong attachments for you that you can’t let them go? What activities are replacing time you could spend with God? What relationships may be eroding your own moral judgment? Ask God for insight and awareness of these dangers in your life, and then consider a “week-long retreat” from anything that may have a tight and negative hold on your life.
Show me your ways, LORD; teach me your paths. Guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long. Remember, LORD, your great mercy and love, for they are from of old. Do not remember the sins of my youth and my rebellious ways; according to your love, remember me, for you, LORD, are good.
Guard my life and rescue me; do not let me be put to shame, for I take refuge in you. May integrity and uprightness protect me, because my hope, LORD, is in you.
Psalm 25:4-7, 20-21
Posted 2/26/2011 7:00:00 AM
**************************************************************
Related Blog
A Simple Desire
The weblog "a simple desire" provides brief commentaries on "A Sip of Scripture" from a Mennonite perspective, The commentaries are written by Carole Boshart, of Oregon; Will Fitzgerald, of Michigan; and others on occasion
Short commentary on “A Sip of Scripture” from Third Way Cafe
Miracles in Mission
leave a comment »
“The apostles worked many miracles and wonders among the people. … Many men and women started having faith in the Lord. “ ( Acts 5: 12a, 14. CEV )
Miracle and wonders. I have the mental image of sorcerers in gowns and tall pointed hats decorated with stars waving their hands in the air and conjuring things up. Right out some Walt Disney special, probably influenced by the original “Sorcerer’s Apprentice.” But that’s not what this verse is about.
However, that’s what it may have seemed like; that the apostles seem to have some special power or knowledge that allowed them to heal, prophesy, and ease problems. And if the apostles faithfully attributed it to God and told the people they too could be ushered into this “magical” faith, I am sure many would believe.
But missional reader, the test of faith is not what is possible in good times but what people cling to and what lasts in bad times. This passage is fairly early in Acts; Saul who would become Paul has not started at yet persecuting the Christians. Acts is fairly early in the history of Christianity (and mission, for that matter). Christians have been tested over and over again in many countries and in many generations. Each time the true miracle and wonder is that Christians hold fast to their beliefs, continue having faith in the Lord, and think so much of it that they pass it on.
May you missional reader remember the miracle of mission, and may you pass on the miracle to those you meet. Selah!
Written by Carole
February 28, 2011 at 12:30 am
Posted in commentary
Tagged with evangelism, Acts, Missional, Mission, Fellowship, Missiology
**************************************************************
Related Website
Soul Space
You are invited to take some time each day for "Soul Space," written by Wendy Miller and posted on the Eastern Mennonite University website. Each day's guidance centers around a theme for reflection and prayer drawn from the lectionary readings for the week.
Morning- Week Four
Opening the day with prayer.
As darkness fades and dawn awakens
Lord, give me the joy of your saving help
And sustain me with your bountiful Spirit.
In the tender light of morning
Help me as I pray.
In the name of Jesus, bright and morning star. Amen.
Morning by morning God wakens–
wakens my ear
to listen
as those who are taught. Isaiah 50:5
Coming
Loving God,
Help me to hear your call
To be with you –
In the solitude of the desert.
Awaken my mind and soul to your work
And your guidance;
help me not to run into busy avoidance,
Open my eyes to see Jesus.
Amen
Silence
Be still.
Open your awareness to God’s presence
Within and all around.
“Be still and know that I am God.” (Psalm 46:10)
Being With- Lent Week One
Prayer before reading:
Lord Jesus Christ,
You call us to come
To be with you.
By your Spirit help me
To see you,
To hear you,
To receive your Spirit,
To be led by your Spirit.
Amen
Read slowly. Listen deeply. Indwell the scripture.
Season of Lent: Week One
The Lenten journey draws us into the desert and in many ways leaves us there for a season. Why the desert? “The desert has nothing to offer. It affords no hiding place, no refuge. It is a place of desolation and liberation. But the desert is not merely a place. It is a symbol of Christian experience. The desert as both place and experience becomes associated with journeying; with testing (to discern and sift); with seeking another country, a promised land – the reality of the kingdom of God.” (from John Moses, The Desert: An Anthology for Lent. Morehouse, 1997. 15)
Being in the desert is no escape from the realities of the world’s system, rather it is a place where God frees us from our captivity to what the world offers. This season in the wilderness releases us gradually from our attachments and from the myriad of distractions that keep us occupied and unable to see God’s presence and work within and around us. This season in the desert prepares us to be in the world, but not of the world. Jesus is here, in this desert place – facing into the lure of how to be successful, how to attract people’s attention, how to prove God is present. But he chooses to trust, to rest in Abba. He sees the temptation for what it is. Rather than turning stones into bread, he trusts God to offer manna in the wilderness.
As the lectionary guides us into the gospel narratives which in turn lead us to Jerusalem, we will become aware of the tension this journey to Golgotha sets up for Jesus’ followers. This journey to Jerusalem is a desert for them – for the structures and attachments to which they cling are being exposed and challenged. And they are not yet ready to receive the map Jesus offers them in this wilderness of life and soul.
The invitation here is to enter into the silence and solitude of this desert journey, and to learn to be with Jesus – who in turn dwells in the presence of Abba God, and receives help and sustenance. Here we are brought face to face with our own interior world, and God. This is the Lenten journey.
Prayer before reading:
Lord Jesus Christ,
You come to us.
Help me to see as you see,
To recognize your presence
In the desert,
And to learn God’s way.
Amen
Season of Lent: Week One
» 3/8 Monday: Matthew 6:1-6
Editor's Picks
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New Testament Exegesis: A Handbook for Students and Pastors, Third Edition
$25.00$15.64
You Save $9.36 (37%)
NIV/KJV Parallel Bible, Hardcover
$36.99$28.99
You Save $8 (22%)
See more books at the Bible Gateway storeMatthew 6:1-6 (King James Version)
Matthew 6
1Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven.
2Therefore when thou doest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.
3But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth:
4That thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly.
5And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.
6But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.
Responding
The third movement within Soul Space is Responding. Here we shift our focus towards outward engagement.
Monday
Pray for the coming day, and for God’s servants who are bringing good news, healing and hope in the world, especially for ___________________________ (persons you desire to pray for).
Loving God,
You are Lord of the harvest, and Owner of the farm.
Thank you for calling _____________________ to co-labor with You in the field of this world.
Help ___________________ this day to know your voice and guidance, to be led and empowered by your Spirit, and protected from all that is against you and your work in the world. May your kingdom come, and your will be done in their life and in the lives of those they companion into your gracious love and salvation.
In the name of Jesus, Savior, Emmanuel.
Amen.
INTERCESSION
Pray for the coming day, and for the alienated world in which we live.
Lord Jesus,
You who came among us,
moving into the painful fractures of our cultures
offering the healing invitation of the Kingdom,
walk into the lonely chasms in our world,
our nation, our cities, our households.
Lord,
help me feel the sadness and pain of persons
who are suffering because of terrorism, hate crimes, war, prejudice.
Soften my heart with your sorrow and compassion.
Lord Jesus,
walk among us by your Spirit. I bring to
you this day, for your care, release, and healing:
persons who are victims of violence, of greed, of addictions; ___________________________
prisoners of war, of illness, old age, famine and hunger; _______________________
people who are homeless and suffering, who have lost family, friends, neighbors,
because of storms, earthquakes, floods. ____________________________
People who grieve, Whose hearts weep, Whose bodies suffer. ________________________
Comfort and heal through your goodness and provision, healing and hope, as I pray and wait in Jesus’ name. Amen.
CLOSING PRAYER
Loving God,
Help me to hear your call
To be with you –
In the solitude of the desert.
Awaken my mind and soul to your work
And your guidance;
help me not to run into busy avoidance,
Open my eyes to see Jesus.
Amen
Evening- Week Four
Closing the day with gratefulness.
It is a good thing to give thanks to the LORD,
And to sing praises to your Name, O Most High;
To tell of your loving-kindness early in the morning
And of your faithfulness in the night season.
Psalm 92:1,2
As I come to the end of this day,
For what am I thankful?
How have I known God’s faithfulness this day?
What do bring to God . . .?
For confession . . .
For forgiveness . . .
For help . . .
For God’s holding.
Reading
The psalm for this week’s lectionary readings.
Silence
Closing Prayer
Living God,
In you there is no darkness;
Shed upon us through this night the light of your forgiveness,
Your healing and your peace.
Cover us with the blanket of your protection.
When we wake from sleep
May we know once more the light of your presence,
Through Jesus Christ our Lord,
Amen.
Daily Readings and Devotionals:
A Sip of Scripture
Daily Scripture:
Believe
The apostles worked many miracles and wonders among the people. … Many men and women started having faith in the Lord.
Reference: Acts 5: 12a, 14. CEV
New King James Version (NKJV)
Acts 5:12
View commentary related to this passage
Continuing Power in the Church
12 And through the hands of the apostles many signs and wonders were done among the people. And they were all with one accord in Solomon’s Porch.
New King James Version (NKJV)
Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.
Acts 5:12
View commentary related to this passage
Continuing Power in the Church
12 And through the hands of the apostles many signs and wonders were done among the people. And they were all with one accord in Solomon’s Porch.
**************************************************************
Glimpses of God's Hand
Carol Honderich invites you to study the lives of women of the Bible with her in a twice-monthly column.
Glimpses of God's Hand
Reflections on God's hand at work in the lives of women of the Bible
Leaving Sodom with Lot's Wife
With the coming of dawn, the angels urged Lot, saying, “Hurry! Take your wife and your two daughters who are here, or you will be swept away when the city is punished.” When he hesitated, the men grasped his hand and the hands of his wife and of his two daughters and led them safely out of the city, for the LORD was merciful to them. As soon as they had brought them out, one of them said, “Flee for your lives! Don’t look back, and don’t stop anywhere in the plain! Flee to the mountains or you will be swept away!” Genesis 19:15-17
But Lot’s wife looked back, and she became a pillar of salt.
Genesis 19:26
For more than 20 years, from when they initially separated their flocks and people from those of Abraham and Sarah’s, Lot and his family made their home on the plains near, and eventually in, Sodom. Given the opportunity to choose his territory, this land was the most attractive to Lot. He saw it as providing an easier life, with well-watered grassy grazing land for his flocks, and the convenience and excitement of city dwelling for his family in the nearby cities of Sodom and Gomorra. Lot chose this location in spite of knowing these cities had a reputation for wickedness. He chose this land not only for his flocks, but also where he would raise his family. In Sodom, Lot and his wife established their home and became part of the community. Lot sat at the city gate, a place of authority and leadership, and from the residents of Sodom, Lot found husbands for his daughters.
We know very little about Lot’s wife. Jewish folklore provides us with the name of Edith. She is called Ado in the apocryphal Book of Jasher, which contains more stories and illustrations of the wickedness of Sodom. We also know that she and Lot had at least two daughters still living at home, and possibly more adult children living in Sodom. In an earlier time of war between the kings of Sodom and the surrounding territories, Lot and his family were taken as prisoners. Abraham sent his 318 trained men to rescue them. And again, when Abraham heard of God’s plan to destroy Sodom, he bargained with God to save Lot and his family. God honored Abraham’s plea and sent angels to Sodom to guide Lot and his family out of the city. Clearly, it was dangerous to live in Sodom, but something held Lot and his wife there, making it difficult for them to see the danger, and difficult for them to extract themselves from their circumstances.
When Lot first greeted these strangers as they arrived in Sodom on their mission of rescue, did Lot recognize them as angels? If not at this initial encounter, when in this story did Lot realize that he was being protected by angels? These “strangers” to whom Lot offered hospitality, revealed to him God’s plans for the destruction of the city, and also demonstrated their power of protection by causing blindness to strike the men who attacked Lot’s house demanding to have their way with his guests. Here was real danger and Lot’s response was to offer his virgin daughters to appease the threatening mob, a response that indicates the eroded condition of Lot’s moral judgment.
Lot and his family were offered a miraculous rescue, and yet they resisted leaving this place. Their lives were so steeped in the ways of this wicked place that they could not hear or respond to the warning of angels, who quite literally had to pull them from the city. What was the strong attraction for Lot’s family in Sodom that they were willing to risk their lives to stay? In spite of his reluctance, Genesis 19:16-17 tells us that the angels were finally successful in extracting Lot from the city: When he hesitated, the men grasped his hand and the hands of his wife and of his two daughters and led them safely out of the city, for the LORD was merciful to them. As soon as they had brought them out, one of them said, “Flee for your lives! Don’t look back, and don’t stop anywhere in the plain! Flee to the mountains or you will be swept away!” They were saved! Abraham’s bargaining with God had made a difference. God’s mercy and provisions had rescued them. They were ushered (dragged) to safety, pulled away from harm and destruction.
But Lot’s wife turned back … this was not a curious look over her shoulder, not an involuntary response to the explosions and fire pouring down on Sodom. No, she followed her heart and turned back. In Luke 17, Jesus referred to Lot’s wife when he warned us of the dangers of placing our hope and dependence in the things of this world, “Remember Lot’s wife! Whoever tries to keep their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life will preserve it.”
What creature comforts or activities hold such strong attachments for you that you can’t let them go? What activities are replacing time you could spend with God? What relationships may be eroding your own moral judgment? Ask God for insight and awareness of these dangers in your life, and then consider a “week-long retreat” from anything that may have a tight and negative hold on your life.
Show me your ways, LORD; teach me your paths. Guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long. Remember, LORD, your great mercy and love, for they are from of old. Do not remember the sins of my youth and my rebellious ways; according to your love, remember me, for you, LORD, are good.
Guard my life and rescue me; do not let me be put to shame, for I take refuge in you. May integrity and uprightness protect me, because my hope, LORD, is in you.
Psalm 25:4-7, 20-21
Posted 2/26/2011 7:00:00 AM
**************************************************************
Related Blog
A Simple Desire
The weblog "a simple desire" provides brief commentaries on "A Sip of Scripture" from a Mennonite perspective, The commentaries are written by Carole Boshart, of Oregon; Will Fitzgerald, of Michigan; and others on occasion
Short commentary on “A Sip of Scripture” from Third Way Cafe
Miracles in Mission
leave a comment »
“The apostles worked many miracles and wonders among the people. … Many men and women started having faith in the Lord. “ ( Acts 5: 12a, 14. CEV )
Miracle and wonders. I have the mental image of sorcerers in gowns and tall pointed hats decorated with stars waving their hands in the air and conjuring things up. Right out some Walt Disney special, probably influenced by the original “Sorcerer’s Apprentice.” But that’s not what this verse is about.
However, that’s what it may have seemed like; that the apostles seem to have some special power or knowledge that allowed them to heal, prophesy, and ease problems. And if the apostles faithfully attributed it to God and told the people they too could be ushered into this “magical” faith, I am sure many would believe.
But missional reader, the test of faith is not what is possible in good times but what people cling to and what lasts in bad times. This passage is fairly early in Acts; Saul who would become Paul has not started at yet persecuting the Christians. Acts is fairly early in the history of Christianity (and mission, for that matter). Christians have been tested over and over again in many countries and in many generations. Each time the true miracle and wonder is that Christians hold fast to their beliefs, continue having faith in the Lord, and think so much of it that they pass it on.
May you missional reader remember the miracle of mission, and may you pass on the miracle to those you meet. Selah!
Written by Carole
February 28, 2011 at 12:30 am
Posted in commentary
Tagged with evangelism, Acts, Missional, Mission, Fellowship, Missiology
**************************************************************
Related Website
Soul Space
You are invited to take some time each day for "Soul Space," written by Wendy Miller and posted on the Eastern Mennonite University website. Each day's guidance centers around a theme for reflection and prayer drawn from the lectionary readings for the week.
Morning- Week Four
Opening the day with prayer.
As darkness fades and dawn awakens
Lord, give me the joy of your saving help
And sustain me with your bountiful Spirit.
In the tender light of morning
Help me as I pray.
In the name of Jesus, bright and morning star. Amen.
Morning by morning God wakens–
wakens my ear
to listen
as those who are taught. Isaiah 50:5
Coming
Loving God,
Help me to hear your call
To be with you –
In the solitude of the desert.
Awaken my mind and soul to your work
And your guidance;
help me not to run into busy avoidance,
Open my eyes to see Jesus.
Amen
Silence
Be still.
Open your awareness to God’s presence
Within and all around.
“Be still and know that I am God.” (Psalm 46:10)
Being With- Lent Week One
Prayer before reading:
Lord Jesus Christ,
You call us to come
To be with you.
By your Spirit help me
To see you,
To hear you,
To receive your Spirit,
To be led by your Spirit.
Amen
Read slowly. Listen deeply. Indwell the scripture.
Season of Lent: Week One
The Lenten journey draws us into the desert and in many ways leaves us there for a season. Why the desert? “The desert has nothing to offer. It affords no hiding place, no refuge. It is a place of desolation and liberation. But the desert is not merely a place. It is a symbol of Christian experience. The desert as both place and experience becomes associated with journeying; with testing (to discern and sift); with seeking another country, a promised land – the reality of the kingdom of God.” (from John Moses, The Desert: An Anthology for Lent. Morehouse, 1997. 15)
Being in the desert is no escape from the realities of the world’s system, rather it is a place where God frees us from our captivity to what the world offers. This season in the wilderness releases us gradually from our attachments and from the myriad of distractions that keep us occupied and unable to see God’s presence and work within and around us. This season in the desert prepares us to be in the world, but not of the world. Jesus is here, in this desert place – facing into the lure of how to be successful, how to attract people’s attention, how to prove God is present. But he chooses to trust, to rest in Abba. He sees the temptation for what it is. Rather than turning stones into bread, he trusts God to offer manna in the wilderness.
As the lectionary guides us into the gospel narratives which in turn lead us to Jerusalem, we will become aware of the tension this journey to Golgotha sets up for Jesus’ followers. This journey to Jerusalem is a desert for them – for the structures and attachments to which they cling are being exposed and challenged. And they are not yet ready to receive the map Jesus offers them in this wilderness of life and soul.
The invitation here is to enter into the silence and solitude of this desert journey, and to learn to be with Jesus – who in turn dwells in the presence of Abba God, and receives help and sustenance. Here we are brought face to face with our own interior world, and God. This is the Lenten journey.
Prayer before reading:
Lord Jesus Christ,
You come to us.
Help me to see as you see,
To recognize your presence
In the desert,
And to learn God’s way.
Amen
Season of Lent: Week One
» 3/8 Monday: Matthew 6:1-6
Editor's Picks
The Incarnation in the Gospels Reformed Expository Commentary
$22.99$17.99
You Save $5 (22%)
New Testament Exegesis: A Handbook for Students and Pastors, Third Edition
$25.00$15.64
You Save $9.36 (37%)
NIV/KJV Parallel Bible, Hardcover
$36.99$28.99
You Save $8 (22%)
See more books at the Bible Gateway storeMatthew 6:1-6 (King James Version)
Matthew 6
1Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven.
2Therefore when thou doest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.
3But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth:
4That thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly.
5And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.
6But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.
Responding
The third movement within Soul Space is Responding. Here we shift our focus towards outward engagement.
Monday
Pray for the coming day, and for God’s servants who are bringing good news, healing and hope in the world, especially for ___________________________ (persons you desire to pray for).
Loving God,
You are Lord of the harvest, and Owner of the farm.
Thank you for calling _____________________ to co-labor with You in the field of this world.
Help ___________________ this day to know your voice and guidance, to be led and empowered by your Spirit, and protected from all that is against you and your work in the world. May your kingdom come, and your will be done in their life and in the lives of those they companion into your gracious love and salvation.
In the name of Jesus, Savior, Emmanuel.
Amen.
INTERCESSION
Pray for the coming day, and for the alienated world in which we live.
Lord Jesus,
You who came among us,
moving into the painful fractures of our cultures
offering the healing invitation of the Kingdom,
walk into the lonely chasms in our world,
our nation, our cities, our households.
Lord,
help me feel the sadness and pain of persons
who are suffering because of terrorism, hate crimes, war, prejudice.
Soften my heart with your sorrow and compassion.
Lord Jesus,
walk among us by your Spirit. I bring to
you this day, for your care, release, and healing:
persons who are victims of violence, of greed, of addictions; ___________________________
prisoners of war, of illness, old age, famine and hunger; _______________________
people who are homeless and suffering, who have lost family, friends, neighbors,
because of storms, earthquakes, floods. ____________________________
People who grieve, Whose hearts weep, Whose bodies suffer. ________________________
Comfort and heal through your goodness and provision, healing and hope, as I pray and wait in Jesus’ name. Amen.
CLOSING PRAYER
Loving God,
Help me to hear your call
To be with you –
In the solitude of the desert.
Awaken my mind and soul to your work
And your guidance;
help me not to run into busy avoidance,
Open my eyes to see Jesus.
Amen
Evening- Week Four
Closing the day with gratefulness.
It is a good thing to give thanks to the LORD,
And to sing praises to your Name, O Most High;
To tell of your loving-kindness early in the morning
And of your faithfulness in the night season.
Psalm 92:1,2
As I come to the end of this day,
For what am I thankful?
How have I known God’s faithfulness this day?
What do bring to God . . .?
For confession . . .
For forgiveness . . .
For help . . .
For God’s holding.
Reading
The psalm for this week’s lectionary readings.
Silence
Closing Prayer
Living God,
In you there is no darkness;
Shed upon us through this night the light of your forgiveness,
Your healing and your peace.
Cover us with the blanket of your protection.
When we wake from sleep
May we know once more the light of your presence,
Through Jesus Christ our Lord,
Amen.
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