Invitation — 2 Samuel 22:29-30
"You, Lord, are my lamp; the Lord turns my darkness into light. With your help I can advance against a troop; with my God I can scale a wall."
Quiet
Bible Song — Psalm 147:1-7
Praise the Lord.
How good it is to sing praises to our God,
how pleasant and fitting to praise him!
The Lord builds up Jerusalem;
he gathers the exiles of Israel.
He heals the brokenhearted
and binds up their wounds.
He determines the number of the stars
and calls them each by name.
Great is our Lord and mighty in power;
his understanding has no limit.
The Lord sustains the humble
but casts the wicked to the ground.
Sing to the Lord with grateful praise;
make music to our God on the harp.
Bible Reading — Ephesians 6:10-18
Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord's people.
Quiet
Dwelling
Read again, perhaps out loud ... how has God's Word moved you? Ponder and meditate what has connected with your heart or mind ... pray to God what it is that has moved you today ... turn your thoughts to God and quietly enjoy being with him.
Free Prayer
- for the flourishing of Christ's church everywhere
- for worship that glorifies God and gathers, unites, and blesses his people
- for those who celebrate a renewed faith commitment or profession of faith
Prayer — HC 127
Captain of my life, help me grasp the cosmic battle that rages in my heart and throughout the world. I'm in a fight far beyond my strength and understanding, so I pray that you make me wise and strong. Outfit me with all your spiritual armor, so that I can stand and not go down to defeat in this spiritual struggle. In the name of Jesus, amen.
Blessing — see 2 Thessalonians 1:11
May God make you worthy of his calling, and by his power may he bring to fruition your every desire for goodness and your every deed prompted by faith.