Invitation — Psalm 84:10
"Better is one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere; I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of the wicked."
Quiet
Bible Song — Psalm 117
Praise the Lord, all you nations;
extol him, all you peoples.
For great is his love toward us,
and the faithfulness of the Lord endures forever.
Praise the Lord.
Bible Reading — Proverbs 19:17-23
Whoever is kind to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will reward them for what they have done.
Discipline your children, for in that there is hope; do not be a willing party to their death.
A hot-tempered person must pay the penalty; rescue them, and you will have to do it again.
Listen to advice and accept discipline, and at the end you will be counted among the wise.
Many are the plans in a person's heart, but it is the Lord's purpose that prevails.
What a person desires is unfailing love; better to be poor than a liar.
The fear of the Lord leads to life; then one rests content, untouched by trouble.
Quiet
Dwelling
Become aware of God's loving presence and read again ... what in God's Word has caught your heart's attention? Is there a command to be obeyed, a comfort to be savored? Talk to God about the Scripture you've just read ... yield yourself to God and enjoy his presence.
Free Prayer
- for growth in holiness
- for God to uncover the idols of our hearts
- for God's forgiveness, and for the readiness to extend it to others
Prayer — HC 93
Self-giving God, in the interconnected economy of grace you graciously pay off my debt of sin, so now I owe my neighbor a debt of love. Yet in making payments of kindness to my neighbor I'm lending to you, loans that you pay back, with interest. It's a generous cycle of grace that I never want to step out of. In Jesus' name, amen.
Blessing — Matthew 5:9
"Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God."