Invitation — Psalm 33:5
"The Lord loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of his unfailing love."
Quiet
Bible Song — Psalm 95:1-7a
Come, let us sing for joy to the Lord;
let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation.
Let us come before him with thanksgiving
and extol him with music and song.
For the Lord is the great God,
the great King above all gods.
In his hand are the depths of the earth,
and the mountain peaks belong to him.
The sea is his, for he made it,
and his hands formed the dry land.
Come, let us bow down in worship,
let us kneel before the Lord our Maker;
for he is our God
and we are the people of his pasture,
the flock under his care.
Bible Reading — 2 Samuel 7:1-5a, 11b-16
After the king was settled in his palace and the Lord had given him rest from all his enemies around him, he said to Nathan the prophet, "Here I am, living in a house of cedar, while the ark of God remains in a tent."
Nathan replied to the king, "Whatever you have in mind, go ahead and do it, for the Lord is with you."
But that night the word of the Lord came to Nathan, saying:
"Go and tell my servant David ... 'I will also give you rest from all your enemies.
"'The Lord declares to you that the Lord himself will establish a house for you: When your days are over and you rest with your ancestors, I will raise up your offspring to succeed you, your own flesh and blood, and I will establish his kingdom. He is the one who will build a house for my Name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. I will be his father, and he will be my son. When he does wrong, I will punish him with a rod wielded by men, with floggings inflicted by human hands. But my love will never be taken away from him, as I took it away from Saul, whom I removed from before you. Your house and your kingdom will endure forever before me; your throne will be established forever.'"
Quiet
Dwelling
Read again slowly ... find a word or phrase that catches your eye or moves your heart ... slowly repeat it ... pray your thoughts, desires, needs, and feelings from your meditation ... enjoy the presence of your Lord and Savior.
Free Prayer
- for our national and local communities
- for the continent of Australia
- for military personnel and peacekeepers
Prayer — HC 35
Faithful God, you made an extravagant promise to David and kept it through generations of rebellion and failure, until you sent your Son as David's true descendant. Keep us from ever thinking that we can build your kingdom by our programs or efforts, but call us to live out of the kingdom you have built in the death and resurrection of the son of David, Jesus Christ, our Lord, amen.
Blessing — Matthew 5:6
"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled."