Focus
Slow your breathing and become aware of the taking in and letting out of your breath. Focus on putting things aside so you will be open to what God is saying to you today.
Read
169 Let my cry come before you, O Lord;
give me understanding according to your word.
170 Let my supplication come before you;
deliver me according to your promise.
171 My lips will pour forth praise,
because you teach me your statutes.
172 My tongue will sing of your promise,
for all your commandments are right.
173 Let your hand be ready to help me,
for I have chosen your precepts.
174 I long for your salvation, O Lord,
and your law is my delight.
175 Let me live that I may praise you,
and let your ordinances help me.
176 I have gone astray like a lost sheep; seek out your servant,
for I do not forget your commandments.
Reflect
One of my favorite parts of the liturgy is the time of confession. At least one time a week I am called to examine myself and silently confess my sins and shortcomings for the week, then the pastor leads in a corporate prayer where the whole congregation finds themselves in the same boat as everyone else. We all fall short of the glory of God. No matter your income, your nationality, your position in life, we confess together we have failed. This is a Prayer of Confession that we often use in our services.
Almighty and merciful God, we have erred and strayed from your ways like lost sheep. We have followed too much the devices and desires of our own hearts. We have offended against your 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. O Lord, have mercy upon us. Spare those who confess their faults. Restore those who are penitent, according to your promises declared to the world in Christ Jesus our Lord. And grant, O merciful God, for his sake, that we may live a holy, just, and humble life for the glory of your holy name. Amen
The best part of the liturgy isn’t the prayer of confession, but the Declaration of Pardon. After we have silently confessed our sin, and corporately prayed our prayer, the minister reminds us of the Gospel in the Declaration of Pardon.
The minister will say, “If you are a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ, I declare to you that your sins are forgiven, for the scripture says,
The LORD is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love. He will not always accuse, nor will he harbor his anger forever; he does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.
There is something about this part of the liturgy that reminds me of my failures, but also of the love of God in Jesus Christ.
When have you felt like you have “gone astray like a lost sheep…”?
Pray
Forgiving God, we come to you with the realization that the longer we have been a Christian, the more often we are likely to have strayed from your teachings. We have forgotten the zeal we felt as a new child of yours and have gotten sloppy with our focus on your path. We have become so familiar with your word that we don’t carefully read the scriptures to seek your truth for our lives. Rather, we assume what we think we know. We pray our prayers by rote rather with a genuine, sincere heart. God, let us come back to you to let you renew our faith. Amen.
Go with God!
