PRAYERS *

* From My Prayer Book [first two prayer], which I received as a gift from my pastor for confirmation, & Lutheran Book of Prayer [last prayer].

"'Thy Word is truth,' gracious Lord & Father, the only truth which makes us wise to salvation through faith in the crucified Savior. I praise You, Lord God, for this revelation of Your love & the saving Gospel of my redemption through Jesus' blood. May nothing be more precious to me than Your Word. May I at all times reach for my Bible when I need guidance & counsel, comfort & strength, healing & forgiveness.Help me to grow in understanding & knowledge of Your revelation & feel at home with Psalms & prophets, Gospels & Epistles.

"Grant that the number of those increases who daily read Your Word & find through Christ of Calvary peace of heart & mind & directives for Christian living. May I at all times speak of this hope which is in my heart & continue to row in knowledge of You & Your will; for Jesus' sake. Amen."

"Gracious Lord, I thank You for Your Word of salvation for it is a 'lamp unto my feet & a light unto my path.' Grant that I may love it, understand it, believe it, & living according to it.

"Make the Bible my comfort & guide. Open my heart & mind when I read Your Word that its sacred message may take root & grow. Help me to regard all faithful pastors & teachers as Your representatives, & strengthen my faith through their preaching & teaching.

"Teach me to regard Sunday not only as a day of rest from my labors, but also as a day on which I may gladly hear & learn Your holy Word. Help me today, & at all times, to seek & find You as You have revealed Yourself in the Scriptures. Grant that I may daily worship & glorify You as my Creator, my Redeemer, & my Comforter; through Jesus Christ. Amen."

"O Lord Jesus Christ, King of glory, King of kings & Lord of lords, the Son of the living God & Son of David, come. Come now to Your Church that You have purchased with Your blood. Come with Your gracious presence, that we may rejoice in You. Come & rule over us, that we may serve You. Come with Your love, humility, & perfect obedience, & let Your lowliness become our glory. Come into the midst of Your people & bless us, for we are Your heritage. Forgive us our sin, & do not angrily cast away Your servants, for You are meek & gracious. Clothe us with the holy righteous one & our Helper. Satisfy us with the abundance of Your mercy, for You did become poor for our sakes, that by Your poverty we might be made rich. Hear us, Lord Jesus, for the sake of Your holy name. Amen.

CHRIST'S AUTHORITY

"Because Jesus is the Christ, He has the authority to demand obedience to His word. Jesus summons men to follow Him, not as a teacher or a pattern of the good life, but as the Christ, the Son of God." Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Men's Devotional Bible

CHRIST'S GLORY

"Christ's glory was hidden, even as He was revealed--from the flight to Egypt to His boyhood in Nazareth; from a humble baptism by John (who was shocked that the Savior of the world would seek Baptism from him) to temptations in the wilderness, to preacher of repentance & the Good News, to the opposition of all the powerful of Israel, to attempts at His life, plots to confound & kill Him, to suffering in the garden, betrayal, capture, trial on false charges, conviction by a mere mortal, crucifixion, ridicule even on the cross, last words & death. The Son of God's divinity flashed forth here & there--at His baptism, transfiguration, in His miracles & miraculous words--but His glory was hidden. God's Word records this state of affairs in an upside-down way. 'The hour has come for the Son of Man to be gloried," said Jesus, speaking of His very crucifixion (John 12:23). "Truly this man was the Son of God," said the Gentile centurion, as he stared at the dead Savior (Mark 15:39)." Rev. Matthew Harrison, The Lutheran Witness, Dec. 2020

HOSANNA NOW THROUGH ADVENT *

* Lutheran Worship #16, St. 1 & 4

"Hosanna now through Advent With loving hearts we sing, For Jesus Christ is coming To be His children's king.

"So when we see You coming With angel in the sky, Hosanna, loud hosanna Shall be Your children's cry."