Meditation for the Lord's Day: God's Disciplined Army

Being a Christian is hard, but not complicated. It can be very difficult to maintain focus and exercise the disciplines of self-denial, self-control, a God-toward focus, a life of prayer, and the pursuit of holiness. Our flesh struggles against it. We are lazy, selfish, proud, and fearful, and our inner corruption fights against the work the Spirit is both empowering and calling us to do each day. We also face opposition from foes all around us. The world is constantly seeking to distract and waylay us. The sirens call us to turn our ship and land on strange shores. It is hard to be holy in a world that is so unholy.

But being a faithful Christian is not complicated. You do not need a degree in theology. In fact, sometimes a degree in theology seems to complicate and corrupt what is simple and straightforward. Love God and your neighbor. Trust Christ, and obey him. Resist the Devil. Do your duty each day with reverence, gratitude, and joy. Say your prayers each day, and gather with the Church to worship on the Lord’s Day. It is not complicated. It’s just hard to do.

Part of the secret to doing hard things is to make discipline a habit. An elite soldier does not get up in the morning and decide whether he will work out his body and train his skillset. He just does it. Most days he is tired and a little banged up. A normal person would tell him to take it easy, take a rest day, you don’t want to overdo it and burn out. If he takes the time to decide whether he will go to work, he may not. Work is not a choice; it is a lifestyle.

We have been enlisted and ordained for spiritual war. Our weapons are prayer, Scripture, personal holiness, and worship. We must train our bodies and minds for conflict and combat. If you faint in the day of adversity, your strength is small (Prov. 24:10). The Devil and our own weak flesh will offer endless excuses for why we can safely neglect these disciplines. All of those excuses sound reasonable, but they are lies. The Christian must cultivate the mindset of a warrior, because that is what he is, engaged in holy combat with the Devil, the world, and our own flesh.

God is summoning his people to Mt. Zion. He is gathering his army, both in heaven and on earth, and the saints assemble to sing praises to and receive blessing from their King. The Lord of hosts is a mighty warrior, and we are mighty because we are united to him. Sin no longer has dominion over us. Laziness and worldliness and lust have no power to control us, except insofar as we surrender it to them. The Church gathers on the Lord’s Day to sing the praise and prayers that shake and collapse the strongholds of the City of Man. Gather your gear, gird up your loins, and prepare your hearts and minds to do battle with joy. --JME

Calvin's Geneva Catechism: On Baptism

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John Calvin, the great Reformer of Geneva and Strasbourg, developed an extensive catechism in the mid-16th century for use in training the children and untaught citizens of Geneva in the Christian faith. This Genevan Catechism was written a century before the Westminster Confession and Catechisms and roughly two decades before the Belgic Confession and Heidelberg Catechism. Calvin expounds Faith, the Law, Prayer, and the Sacraments in four main sections and 373 questions and answers. You can read a brief introduction to the Genevan Catechism here (or download it as an ebook or read it online).

The following is an excerpt of the Genevan Catechism’s questions on baptism that may be of help and interest in thinking through a Reformed understanding of the significance and efficacy of the sacrament of initiation. --JME

310. What is a Sacrament?

An outward attestation of the grace of God which, by a visible sign, represents spiritual things to imprint the promises of God more firmly in our hearts, and to make us more sure of them.

311. What? Does a visible and natural sign have this power to assure the conscience?

No, not of itself, but in so far as it is ordained of God for this end.

312. Seeing it is the proper office of the Holy Spirit to seal the promises of God in our hearts, how do you attribute this to the Sacraments?

There is a great difference between the one and the other. The Spirit of God in very truth is the only One who can touch and move our hearts, enlighten our minds, and assure our consciences; so that all this ought to be judged as His own work, that praise may be ascribed to Him alone. Nevertheless, the Lord Himself makes use of the Sacraments as inferior instruments according as it seems good to Him, without in any way detracting from the power of the Holy Spirit.

313. You think, then, that the efficacy of the Sacraments does not consist in the outward element, but proceeds entirely from the Spirit of God?

Yes; for the Lord is pleased to work by these instruments which He has instituted: without detracting from His own power.

314. And what moves God to do that?

For the alleviation of our weaknesses. If we were spiritual by nature, like the angels, we could behold God and His graces. But as we are bound up with our bodies, it is needful for us that God should make use of figures to represent to us spiritual and heavenly things, for otherwise we could not comprehend them. At the same time, it is expedient for us to have all our senses exercised in His Holy promises, in order to confirm us in them.

315. Since God has introduced the Sacraments to meet our need, it would be arrogance and presumption to think that we could dispense with them.

Certainly: hence he who voluntarily abstains from using them thinks that he has no need of them, condemns Jesus Christ, rejects His grace, and quenches His Holy Spirit.

316. But what assurance of grace can the Sacraments give, seeing that good and bad both receive them?

Although the unbelievers and the wicked make of none effect the grace offered them through the Sacraments, yet it does not follow that the proper nature of the Sacraments is also made of non effect.

317. How, then, and when do the Sacraments produce this effect?

When we receive them in faith, seeking Jesus Christ alone and His grace in them.

318. Why do you say that we must seek Jesus Christ in them?

I mean that we are not to be taken up with the earthly sign so as to seek our salvation in it, nor are we to imagine that it has a peculiar power enclosed within it. On the contrary, we are to employ the sign as a help, to lead us directly to the Lord Jesus, that we may find in Him our salvation and all our well-being.

319. Seeing that faith is required, why do you say that they are given to confirm us in faith, to assure us of the promises of God?

It is not sufficient for faith once to be generated in us. It must be nourished and sustained, that it may grow day by day and be increased within us. To nourish, strengthen, and increase it, God gives us the Sacraments. This is what Paul indicates when he says that they are used to seal the promises of God in our hearts (Rom. 4:11).

320. But is it not a sign of unbelief when the promises of God are not firm enough for us, without support?

It is a sign of the smallness and weakness of faith, and such is indeed the faith of the children of God, who do not, however, cease to be faithful, although their faith is still imperfect. As long as we live in this world some elements of unfaithfulness remain in our flesh, and therefore we must always advance and grow in faith.

…

324. That the meaning may be more clear to us, let us treat of them separately. First, what is the meaning of Baptism?

It consists of two parts. The Lord represents to us in it, first, the forgiveness of our sins (Eph. 5:26, 27) and, secondly, our regeneration or spiritual renewal (Rom. 6:4).

325. What resemblance has water with these things in order to represent them?

The forgiveness of sins is a kind of washing, by which our souls are cleansed from their defilements, just as the stains of the body are washed away by water.

326. What about the other part?

The beginning of our regeneration and its end is our becoming new creatures, through the Spirit of God. Therefore the water is poured on the head as a sign of death, but in such a way that our resurrection is also represented, for instead of being drowned in water, what happens to us is only for a moment.

327. You do not mean that the water is a washing of the soul.

By no means, for that pertains to the blood of Christ alone, which was shed in order to wipe away all our stains and render us pure and unpolluted before God (I John 1:7; I Peter 1:19). This is fulfilled in us when our consciences are sprinkled by the Holy Spirit. But by the Sacrament that is sealed to us.

328. Do you think that the water is only a figure to us?

It is such a figure that the reality is conjoined with it, for God does not promise us anything in vain. Accordingly it is certain that in Baptism the forgiveness of sins is offered to us and we receive it.

329. Is this grace fulfilled indiscriminately in all?

No, for some make it of no effect by their perversity. Nevertheless, the Sacrament loses nothing of its nature, although none but believers feel its efficacy.

330. From what does regeneration get its power?

From the death and resurrection of Christ. His death has had this effect, that through it our old Adam is crucified, and our evil nature is, as it were, buried, so that it no longer has the strength to rule over us. And the renewal of our life, in obedience to the righteousness of God, derives from the resurrection of Christ.

331. How is this grace applied to us in Baptism?

In it we are clothed with Jesus Christ, and receive His Spirit, provided that we do not make ourselves unworthy of the promises given to us in it.

332. What is the proper use of Baptism on our part?

It consists in faith and in repentance. That is, assurance that we have our spiritual purity in Christ, and in feeling within us, and declaring to our neighbours by our works, that His Spirit dwells in us to mortify our natural desires and bring us to follow the Will of God.

333. If this is required, how is it that we baptize infants?

It is not said that faith and repentance should always precede the reception of the Sacrament, but they are only required from those who are capable of them. It is sufficient, then, if infants produce and manifest the fruit of their Baptism after they come to the age of discretion.

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Related Links -- Calvin's Institutes: On Baptism (Feb. 2021)

Righteous Reinvention

If we are to think biblically about sin, then we must recognize that sin is not only discrete acts of disobedience but also the pollution of our (fallen) human nature and how that pollution affects our lives. Sin is not only what I do that I should not have done or what I have not done that I ought to do, it is also failing to desire, think, and be what I ought as an image-bearer of God, son of the Father, servant of Christ, and temple of the Holy Spirit. I have sinned and do sin, in many ways, but even when I am not conscious of specific acts of sin, I am still falling short of the glory of God (Rom. 3:23). I am not what I ought to be, even if I am forgiven by grace and accounted righteous through the work of Christ. Insofar as my heart, mind, and life fail to be fully conformed to the truth, beauty, and goodness of the Lord Jesus, I am still a sinner.

One mark of spiritual maturity is a heartfelt longing to be delivered from our lingering corruption. A new believer may wish to go to heaven rather than hell, their primary comfort to be delivered from wrath, but as he grows in grace, he will more and more long to be delivered from the wretchedness of his sinful flesh (Rom. 7:24). Sanctification, though continuous in this life, inevitably must remain incomplete until we enter glory. Only then will we finally see and be all that we ought. In this life we are called to die more and more unto sin and live more and more unto righteousness, but there will continue to be a lot of dying and living that remains to be done until we finally take our last breath in this mortal body.

Believers are, at the same time, righteous in Christ and sinners in the flesh. The apostle Paul did not confess that he was or used to be the foremost sinner of all (1Tim. 1:15). While fully forgiven and confident of God’s grace, the apostle identified himself as the first and worst sinner he knew, and so must we. Simul iustus et peccator. By grace we are forgiven sinners, but while in this life, we are sinners still.

Praise God that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners. But saving grace does more than just pardoning us so that we will never enter hell. The work of Christ not only delivers believers from the guilt and punishment of sin but also from its tyrannical control over our lives. We confess that we are still sinners, but we are no longer defined by our sin. Our true identity is in Christ. Human nature has been renewed, even if not yet entirely restored. We partake of Christ’s life and righteousness (Rom. 5:12-21). Christians are the firstfruits of the new creation, the new human race, the sons and daughters of God.

Sanctification can be summarized as knowing who you are in Christ and acting like it. You are still a sinner, yes, but that is no longer your true identity. Your heart and mind are still polluted in many ways, to be sure, but that pollution no longer has power over you. You and I will still yield to our weaknesses, but we no longer have any necessity which compels us to do so. In the state of grace, believers are posse non peccare, able not to sin. You are a son of God, heir of Christ, vessel of the Holy Spirit, citizen of Zion, destined for glory. Sin has no power over you which you do not concede to it. The Devil cannot make you do anything. You may yield to your flesh, but there is no external or internal compulsion to do so. Thus the preacher to the Hebrews can exhort the congregation: “Let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith” (Heb. 12:1-2). Fix your eyes on Jesus. Having been born again, you are dead to sin. Live as one who is alive in Christ.

It used to be that a man worked in the same industry and for the same company for thirty or forty years, but those days are long gone. The vast majority of workers will change employers multiple times in their career, and many of them will change industries and career fields. People talk about reinventing themselves, taking on a new adventure or making dramatic changes to improve their lives rather than being content with the status quo. Some of this talk may be worldly and selfish, but there is a legitimate way to appropriate, baptize, and apply this concept in relation to Christian sanctification.

You do not have to be what you always have been. Maybe you have always been an angry person or discontent and complaining or depressed and easily discouraged or full of lust and in bondage to pornography. You remain under the power of sin, not because you have not been set free, but because you do not realize you have been. Slaves who think of themselves as slaves will continue to live as such even after their emancipation. You may not have experienced the power of Christ’s resurrection life in relation to your besetting sins, but you can and should. You think these things cannot change. This is simply who you are, how you are, and what you always will be. But you died with Christ and rose to a new life. Repent, cry out to God, fix your eyes on Jesus, and start living according to what is true and not according to what always has been. Stop thinking and acting like a slave of sin. You’re not. Stop negotiating with weakness. Stop being lazy in the battle against your flesh. Stop making excuses for your disobedience. Christ did not die to leave you in bondage. He died to deliver you, and he did. Reimagine who you are and what your life can be, and pursue it. --JME

One More Year

It’s not uncommon to hear people suggest that one ought to live each day as if it were his last. Poppycock. It’s not possible, and even if it were, it would be immoral. If I knew this was my last day on earth, I would not be sitting here writing a blog post for the handful of people who may peruse it. Would I spend my day teaching Bible classes, visiting church members, counseling junkies, or meeting with persons needing a pal rather than a pastor? I have already done that countless times, almost every day for the last 23 years. No, if I knew this was my last day on this earth, I would spend it with my family. I would want to read with my children, hold hands with my wife, and spend some time singing and praying the psalms.

You cannot live as if every day is your last day, nor should you try. Jonathan Edwards framed much better resolutions when he was a young man:

5. Resolved, never to lose one moment of time; but improve it the most profitable way I possibly can.

6. Resolved, to live with all my might, while I do live.

7. Resolved, never to do anything, which I should be afraid to do, if it were the last hour of my life.

9. Resolved, to think much on all occasions of my own dying, and of the common circumstances which attend death.

17. Resolved, that I will live so as I shall wish I had done when I come to die.

18. Resolved, to live so at all times, as I think is best in my devout frames, and when I have clearest notions of things of the gospel, and another world.

19. Resolved, never to do anything, which I should be afraid to do, if I expected it would not be above an hour, before I should hear the last trump.

50. Resolved, I will act so as I think I shall judge would have been best, and most prudent, when I come into the future world.

51. Resolved, that I will act so, in every respect, as I think I shall wish I had done, if I should at last be damned.

52. I frequently hear persons in old age say how they would live, if they were to live their lives over again: resolved, that I will live just so as I can think I shall wish I had done, supposing I live to old age.

It is possible, and entirely proper, to live each day in such a manner as you would not be afraid to live if it were your last day. I do not worry about standing before the Lord when I have spent the day preaching, teaching, counseling, visiting, and being spent on behalf of the brethren. We ought to aspire to live in a state of readiness for our death and judgment, but we cannot and should not make the same decisions each day we would make if we knew for certain that hour had arrived.

I have written before about The 100 Year Plan that I believe ought to guide covenantally minded Christians in thinking about life, family, ministry, and nations. But what if you knew you had only one year left to invest in that one hundred year plan? What if 2021 is the last year I have in this present world? How might I plan, pray, preach, and prepare those I love?

The one year template cannot be the only scale we use for thinking about life and labor. After all, if I knew I would die by the end of the calendar year, I would not enroll in further academic studies. But some people should, and it would be foolish not to do so based on the possibility that one might not live to complete the training. The one year scale must be balanced by the one hundred year perspective. We are always playing the long game. How I love my wife, pray for my kids, preach to my Church, and build in my community should be guided by what I hope my children’s children’s children will see, believe, and do.

What would I do if I knew 2021 would be it for me, and then I would depart to be with Christ? I would not waste so much of my time on so much of the foolishness that too frequently occupies me. There are certain books I would definitely read, and there are many others I plan to read that I would not bother cracking open. I would be more diligent about family worship. I would spend a lot more time with my wife. I would pray more earnestly about everything I pray about, and I would not bother praying about some of the things people think I should.

One more year would be clarifying in many helpful ways. The scale is long enough that you would still live your life. I would still be leading Bible studies, visiting the sick and elderly, and preparing to preach every Lord’s Day. But there would be no throw away efforts, no casual interactions, no projects intended only to pass the time. Preachers ought to preach in the knowledge that any sermon might well be their last sermon. They will preach better for it.

God is working on a one thousand generation project. None of us should plan for anything less than one hundred years. But what if you had just one year left to contribute to it? How much more earnest, intentional, and productive might you be in your prayers and labor? --JME

The Practice of Daily Prayer

You woke up early, you have your Bible and a cup of coffee, and you are ready and willing to spend time with the Lord. Now what? Your prayer list is full, but your mind is scattered. Maybe you do not know where to begin or how to proceed. Perhaps you start to pray but quickly run out of words to say. It may be that you finish your time of prayer discouraged and dry rather than with the joy and peace you hoped to find. Not everyone will have this experience, but it is not uncommon. One way to avoid this problem is to use a more structured, historic, and biblical discipline of daily prayer.

In some ways it is unfortunate that many evangelical Christians think of daily prayer as “devotion” or “quiet time.” Neither of these names are inappropriate, but they can create confusion about the real work of such exercises, their focus, and the best way for structuring such periods each day. Much of evangelical Christianity overemphasizes individuality, whereas daily prayer, even in the privacy of one’s prayer closet, ought to be approached as a common, corporate exercise. The Lord enjoins his disciples to pray in secret in the language of common prayer: Our Father… (Matt. 6:6, 9). Even when we are praying alone, we are praying with the catholic Church, both in heaven and on earth. We are not praying to the saints, but we are praying with them (cf. Rev. 5:8). As the martyrs pray for justice, the Church militant prays for it also (Rev. 6:10). As the Church in heaven sings “Holy, Holy Holy,” the Church on earth sings the same (Rev. 4:8). Every creature, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, gives thanks and praise to the Lamb (Rev. 5:13). Therefore, rather than thinking of daily devotions as something we do alone, we need to see this time as private worship which we exercise in common with our brothers and sisters throughout the world and in glory. The focus of this worship is the Triune God, not our personal edification, and the period should be structured liturgically. After all, this is worship, not an intellectual practice of Bible study or reciting the names of sick people about whom the Lord already knows.

Historically the Church’s daily worship has been largely structured by the Psalms. You can see this in ancient forms of prayer and liturgies from the early Church, the Eastern Orthodox and Roman Catholic traditions, the Anglican Book of Common Prayer, Lutheran services, and the Reformed commitment to psalm-singing. The Psalter is the prayer and hymnbook of God’s people. Beyond the prominent place of the Psalms, daily prayer has typically included preparation for entering God’s presence, self-examination and repentance, songs of praise, and prayers of petition, intercession, and thanksgiving. Older editions of the Book of Common Prayer are an excellent resource for learning these patterns of daily prayer. My own prayer life has been structured and greatly blessed by the 1662 and 1928 editions for many years. But anyone can adopt the same patterns of historic, biblical, common prayer by following a simple, sevenfold structure.

 

Preparation

At the beginning of your prayer time, read or recite a simple sentence of Scripture. This may be a text that calls God’s people to worship or one that helps to prepare our hearts.

Penitence

Begin by examining your heart and life, becoming aware of your sinful desires, thoughts, words, and deeds. You may find it helpful to read or recite prayerfully the Ten Commandments or another portion of God’s Law. Then confess your sins to God. You may need to confess particular sins particularly, or a general prayer of confession may suffice. You might use one of the penitential psalms (6, 32, 38, 51, 102, 130, 143) or a historical form for confession.

Promise

Having confessed your sins to God, read or recite a short summary of the Gospel. Rejoice that this promise of pardon and reconciliation is yours by God’s grace through faith in Jesus Christ. This is a good time to recite the Apostles’ or Nicene Creeds if you wish to include it in your time of worship.

Praise

Having heard God’s assurance of pardon, you are now ready to praise your Redeemer and Savior. Choose one of the biblical canticles or a favorite hymn of the Church. This is a good time to learn new hymns by singing the same one every day for a week. You might sing just one short verse or a longer song depending on your available time.

Precepts

Having worshipped in penitence and praise, you are now able to hear God’s Word. Consider reading at least one portion of the Old Testament and one portion of the New Testament in your daily reading, or follow a structured plan so that you will cover the entire Bible on a systematic and regular basis.

Psalms

Having heard God’s Word, you are now prepared to sing it back to him in prayer. Plan to sing, pray, chant, or recite at least one of the psalms during this time. The Book of Common Prayer has a schedule of morning and evening psalms that covers the entire Psalter every thirty days.

Prayers

Finally it is time to offer petitions and intercessions for yourself and others. Many Christians spend their daily prayer time almost entirely on these requests, but consider how much richer and more appropriate it is to subordinate these concerns to the more important work of repentance, rejoicing, and responding to God’s Word. These prayers and intercessions do not have to be lengthy, eloquent, or anguished, though they will sometimes be depending on the circumstances. You may find specific forms of prayer or passages of Scripture helpful in praying for yourself, the needs of your loved one, and the world.

You might also pray the collect for the week knowing it is being prayed by many Christians throughout the week in many places. The time of intercession and supplication can be opened or concluded by praying the Lord’s Prayer.

How long does this sevenfold pattern for daily prayer take? You can complete all seven steps in as little as 5-10 minutes, or you could easily fill an entire hour, or more. It is not important how long or eloquent our prayers may be. What is important is that we pray, that we pray biblically, that we pray consistently, and that we pray sincerely.

I pray these ideas will be a blessing and help to you in drawing near to God in prayer.

--JME

A Pattern for Daily Prayer based upon the Church’s historic practice of prayer

1. Preparation: A sentence or short text of Scripture preparing our hearts to come before God

2. Penitence: A prayer of confession using an established form and/or penitential psalm followed by personal confession

3. Promise: A short text of Scripture or gospel summary assuring believers of God’s grace and pardon

4. Praise: A hymn of praise and thanksgiving or canticle may be used in responding to God’s grace

5. Precepts: A regular and systematic plan of Scripture reading should be followed

6. Psalms: A psalm or psalms may be read, prayed, chanted, or sung, ideally following a regular pattern

7. Prayers: Prayers of thanksgiving, intercession, and supplication may be offered including a weekly collect and beginning or ending with the Lord’s Prayer

Resources for Daily Prayer

PREPARATION

A sentence or short text of Scripture preparing our hearts to come before God

The LORD is in His holy temple. Let all the earth keep silence before Him. (Hab. 2:20)

Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart

Be acceptable in Your sight,

O LORD, my strength and my Redeemer.

(Psalm 19:14)

Oh, send out Your light and Your truth!

Let them lead me;

Let them bring me to Your holy hill

And to Your tabernacle.

(Psalm 43:3)

For thus says the High and Lofty One

Who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy:

“I dwell in the high and holy place,

With him who has a contrite and humble spirit,

To revive the spirit of the humble,

And to revive the heart of the contrite ones.

(Isa. 57:15)

The hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. (John 4:23)

PENITENCE

A prayer of confession using an established form and/or penitential psalm followed by personal confession

ALMIGHTY and most merciful Father; We have erred, and strayed from thy ways like lost sheep. We have followed too much the devices and desires of our own hearts. We have offended against thy holy laws. We have left undone those things which we ought to have done; And we have done those things which we ought not to have done; And there is no health in us. But thou, O Lord, have mercy upon us, miserable offenders. Spare thou those, O God, who confess their faults. Restore thou those who are penitent; According to thy promises declared unto mankind In Christ Jesus our Lord. And grant, O most merciful Father, for his sake; That we may hereafter live a godly, righteous, and sober life, To the glory of thy holy Name. Amen.

PROMISE

A short text of Scripture or gospel summary assuring believers of God’s grace and pardon

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. (John 3:16)

Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life. (John 5:24)

Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also. (John 14:1-3)

For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures (1Cor. 15:3-4)

For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. (Eph. 2:8-9)

Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith apart from the deeds of the law. (Rom. 3:28)

If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (1Jn. 1:9)

PRAISE

A hymn of praise and thanksgiving or canticle may be used in responding to God’s grace

“Holy, holy, holy,

Lord God Almighty,

Who was and is and is to come!

“You are worthy, O Lord,

To receive glory and honor and power;

For You created all things,

And by Your will they exist and were created.”

(Rev. 4:8, 11)

“You are worthy to take the scroll, And to open its seals;

For You were slain,

And have redeemed us to God by Your blood

Out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation,

And have made us kings and priests to our God;

And we shall reign on the earth.”

“Worthy is the Lamb who was slain

To receive power and riches and wisdom,

And strength and honor and glory and blessing!”

“Blessing and honor and glory and power

Be to Him who sits on the throne,

And to the Lamb, forever and ever!”

(Rev. 5:9-10, 12, 13)

“My soul magnifies the Lord,

And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior.

For He has regarded the lowly state of His maidservant;

For behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed.

For He who is mighty has done great things for me,

And holy is His name.

And His mercy is on those who fear Him

From generation to generation.

He has shown strength with His arm;

He has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.

He has put down the mighty from their thrones,

And exalted the lowly.

He has filled the hungry with good things,

And the rich He has sent away empty.

He has helped His servant Israel,

In remembrance of His mercy,

As He spoke to our fathers,

To Abraham and to his seed forever.”

(Luke 1:46-55 - The Magnificat)

“Blessed is the Lord God of Israel,

For He has visited and redeemed His people,

And has raised up a horn of salvation for us

In the house of His servant David,

As He spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets,

Who have been since the world began,

That we should be saved from our enemies

And from the hand of all who hate us,

To perform the mercy promised to our fathers

And to remember His holy covenant,

The oath which He swore to our father Abraham:

To grant us that we,

Being delivered from the hand of our enemies,

Might serve Him without fear,

In holiness and righteousness before Him all the days of our life.

“And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Highest;

For you will go before the face of the Lord to prepare His ways,

To give knowledge of salvation to His people

By the remission of their sins,

Through the tender mercy of our God,

With which the Dayspring from on high has visited us;

To give light to those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death,

To guide our feet into the way of peace.”

(Luke 1:68-79 - The Song of Zechariah)

Praise God, from whom all blessings flow;

Praise Him, all creatures here below;

Praise Him above, ye heavenly host;

Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Amen.

(The Common/Lesser Doxology)

PRECEPTS

A regular and systematic plan of Scripture reading should be followed

PSALMS

A psalm or psalms may be read, prayed, chanted, or sung, ideally following a regular pattern

PRAYERS

Prayers of thanksgiving, intercession, and supplication may be offered including a weekly collect and beginning or ending with the Lord’s Prayer

Forms for Family Prayer from the 1928 BCP

MORNING PRAYER

Acknowledgment of God's Mercy and Preservation, especially through the Night past.

ALMIGHTY and everlasting God, in whom we live and move and have our being; We, thy needy creatures, render thee our humble praises, for thy preservation of us from the beginning of our lives to this day, and especially for having delivered us from the dangers of the past night. For these thy mercies, we bless and magnify thy glorious Name; humbly beseeching thee to accept this our morning sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving; for his sake who lay down in the grave, and rose again for us, thy Son our Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.

Dedication of Soul and Body to God's Service, with a Resolution to be growing daily in Goodness.

AND since it is of thy mercy, O gracious Father, that another day is added to our lives; We here dedicate both our souls and our bodies to thee and thy service, in a sober, righteous, and godly life: in which resolution, do thou, O merciful God, confirm and strengthen us; that, as we grow in age, we may grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.

Prayer for Grace to enable us to perform that Resolution.

BUT, O God, who knowest the weakness and corruption of our nature, and the manifold temptations which we daily meet with; We humbly beseech thee to have compassion on our infirmities, and to give us the constant assistance of thy Holy Spirit; that we may be effectually restrained from sin, and incited to our duty. Imprint upon our hearts such a dread of thy judgments, and such a grateful sense of thy goodness to us, as may make us both afraid and ashamed to offend thee. And, above all, keep in our minds a lively remembrance of that great day, in which we must give a strict account of our thoughts, words, and actions to him whom thou hast appointed the Judge of quick and dead, thy Son Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

For Grace to guide and keep us the following Day, and for God's Blessing on the business of the Same.

IN particular, we implore thy grace and protection for the ensuing day. Keep us temperate in all things, and diligent in our several callings. Grant us patience under our afflictions. Give us grace to be just and upright in all our dealings; quiet and peaceable; full of compassion; and ready to do good to all men, according to our abilities and opportunities. Direct us in all our ways. Defend us from all dangers and adversities; and be graciously pleased to take us, and all who are dear to us, under thy fatherly care and protection. These things, and whatever else thou shalt see to be necessary and convenient to us, we humbly beg, through the merits and mediation of thy Son Jesus Christ, our Lord and Saviour. Amen.

 

EVENING PRAYER.

Prayer for Grace to reform and grow Better.

Lest, through our own frailty, or the temptations which encompass us, we be drawn again into sin, vouchsafe us, we beseech thee, the direction and assistance of thy Holy Spirit. Reform whatever is amiss in the temper and disposition of our souls; that no unclean thoughts, unlawful designs, or inordinate desires, may rest there. Purge our hearts from envy, hatred, and malice; that we may never suffer the sun to go down upon our wrath; but may always go to our rest in peace, charity, and good-will, with a conscience void of offence towards thee, and towards men; that so we may be preserved pure and blameless, unto the coming of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.

The Intercession.

AND accept, O Lord, our intercessions for all mankind. Let the light of thy Gospel shine upon all nations; and may as many as have received it, live as becomes it. Be gracious unto thy Church; and grant that every member of the same, in his vocation and ministry, may serve thee faithfully. Bless all in authority over us; and so rule their hearts and strengthen their hands, that they may punish wickedness and vice, and maintain thy true religion and virtue. Send down thy blessings, temporal and spiritual, upon all our relations, friends, and neighbours. Reward all who have done us good, and pardon all those who have done or wish us evil, and give them repentance and better minds. Be merciful to all who are in any trouble; and do thou, the God of pity, administer to them according to their several necessities; for his sake who went about doing good, thy Son our Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.

The Thanksgiving.

TO our prayers, O Lord, we join our unfeigned thanks for all thy mercies; for our being, our reason, and all other endowments and faculties of soul and body; for our health, friends, food, and raiment, and all the other comforts and conveniences of life. Above all, we adore thy mercy in sending thy only Son into the world, to redeem us from sin and eternal death, and in giving us the knowledge and sense of our duty towards thee. We bless thee for thy patience with us, notwithstanding our many and great provocations; for all the directions, assistances, and comforts of thy Holy Spirit; for thy continual care and watchful providence over us through the whole course of our lives; and particularly for the mercies and benefits of the past day; beseeching thee to continue these thy blessings to us, and to give us grace to show our thankfulness in a sincere obedience to his laws, through whose merits and intercession we received them all, thy Son our Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.

Prayer for God's Protection through the Night following.

IN particular, we beseech thee to continue thy gracious protection to us this night. Defend us from all dangers and mischiefs, and from the fear of them; that we may enjoy such refreshing sleep as may fit us for the duties of the coming day. And grant us grace always to live in such a state that we may never be afraid to die; so that, living and dying, we may be thine, through the merits and satisfaction of thy Son Christ Jesus, in whose Name we offer up these our imperfect prayers. Amen.

Prayer for Civil Magistrates from the 1928 BCP

O LORD our Governor, whose glory is in all the world; We commend this nation to thy merciful care, that being guided by thy Providence, we may dwell secure in thy peace. Grant to THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, and to all in authority, wisdom and strength to know and to do thy will. Fill them with the love of truth and righteousness; and make them ever mindful of their calling to serve this people in thy fear; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghost, one God, world without end. Amen.

Prayer for a Sick Person from the 1928 BCP

O FATHER of mercies and God of all comfort, our only help in time of need; We humbly beseech thee to behold, visit, and relieve thy sick servant [N.] for whom our prayers are desired. Look upon him with the eyes of thy mercy; comfort him with a sense of thy goodness; preserve him from the temptations of the enemy; and give him patience under his affliction. In thy good time, restore him to health, and enable him to lead the residue of his life in thy fear, and to thy glory; and grant that finally he may dwell with thee in life everlasting; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.