Rest is good. We’re taking a break from producing content over the summer. Enjoy this previously produced pattern and meditation.
With all the noise in the world, do you hear the voice of God? Your calendar tells you what to do, but do you remember who you are? Being comes before doing. This is a call to put first things first. Return to the Lord with this daily pattern of prayer and devotion. Set aside this time as a sanctuary. Find a space free of distraction and follow this pattern.
Invocation
Make the sign of the cross, and say,
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Invitation Prayer
“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God.” (Matt. 5:9) O Lord, you are the God who makes peace from turmoil. As your child, send me to be a peacemaker. Amen.
Word: Matthew 3:2
“Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”
Meditation
When someone important walks by, you straighten up. If a dignitary, celebrity, or king would come to your door, you’d dress up. Put on your best look. Be on your best behavior.
“The kingdom of heaven is at hand.” The King is at your doorstep. How do we prepare ourselves? John the Baptists uses one word: Repent. Turn. Leave behind the old ways, the sinful habits, the dead-end sins. Face the Lord. Be transparent. The King sees all.
As you prepare for worship this weekend, spend some time confessing your sins. Not flippantly, but seriously and deliberately. What needs to be forgiven? What needs to go and not come back?
Your King welcomes you with outstretched arms. Your sin is great, but your Savior is greater.
Prayer for the Church
· For my local congregation, my brothers and sisters in Christ.
· For Christians across my community and city.
· For my denomination or church body.
· For repentance where God’s people have failed or erred.
· For the mission of God given to his people, that all nations know Him.
· For the church where she is persecuted for Christ’s name.
· For church plants and mission frontiers.
· For workers in the harvest: pastors, teachers, evangelists, servants.
· For the everyday, ordinary Christian to serve and witness as the priesthood of all believers.
· For the small, overlooked, and undervalued parts of the body of Christ.
Closing Prayer
My merciful God, you are holy and righteous. I repent of all my sins. I turn to you. Forgive and heal me. Prepare my heart to enter your courts with thanksgiving and praise. There is no King like you. Praise be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. Amen.