Blessed are you, O Lord; teach me your statutes! I will meditate on your precepts and fix my eyes on your ways. Deal bountifully with your servant, that I may live and keep your word. Open my eyes, that I may behold wondrous things in your law.

Father, I come before you this day with a humble and contrite heart, which you will not despise. Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions. Against you, you only, have I sinned, and done what is evil in your sight. Wash me, that I may be whiter than snow. Create in me a clean heart, and renew in me a right spirit. Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and give me a willing spirit to sustain me. Amen.

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy Name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen.

God, I adore you, for in you I lack no good thing. You meet all of my needs and wholly care for me in body and soul. Thank you that all of my desires find their fulfillment in you.

O God, I confess that I’m more prone to pray “restore me” than “restore US.” I’m prone to a “me and Jesus” sort of faith that neglects the welfare of your people. So thank you for Psalms like this, which remind me of your purposes for your people. I pray today, Father: Restore us again! Let your face shine that we may be saved! Your church throughout the world is plagued by enemies who would threaten her, and by false teaching and sin which would weaken her. So restore us - to a deep understanding of the gospel of grace. Restore us - to a passionate love for God and for neighbor. Restore us - to an earnest dependence on your Spirit. Restore us - to the work of mercy and justice in the world. Give us life, and let your face shine upon us, now and forever.

And now may the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with us now and always, until the day of Christ's return.

O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare your praise. For you will not delight in sacrifice, or I would give it; you will not be pleased with a burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.

Merciful God, I confess that I have sinned against you in thought, word, and deed, by what I have done, and by what I have left undone. I have not loved you with my whole heart; I have not loved my neighbor as myself. In your mercy, forgive what I have been, help me amend what I am, and direct what I shall be, so that I may delight in your will and walk in your ways, for the glory of your holy name. Through Jesus Christ our Lord: Amen.

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy Name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen.

Lord Jesus, like your servant Peter, I am half-hearted, caught between faith and doubt. Yet you are patient and faithful. I adore you for your assuring presence and your patience with me.

O God, there is no one who does good, and this includes me. Left to myself, I am a fool, corrupt of heart and committed to self. But you have sent the Lord Jesus Christ to live for me, to die for me, and to rise for me. You have called me from darkness to light, and given your Holy Spirit to transform me, changing my desires and bringing forth a whole new kind of obedience. I thank you for your grace in my life. And I pray that you would help me believe more deeply in the radical nature of grace. Drive home to me the futility of life without you. Remind me that there is none who seeks you - not even one. No amount of religious striving can change the human heart - we must be born again! And that is what you offer us in Jesus. Today, help me embrace the bad news of total depravity, that I might rejoice more fully in the gospel of grace.

And now may the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with us now and always, until the day of Christ's return.

Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts; and see if there be any hurtful way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.

O Lord, I confess that my heart is restless. I have sought comfort and security in created things rather than in you, the Creator. I have suppressed the truth in unrighteousness and exchanged Your glory for lesser things. Forgive my sin, O God, and subdue my restless heart. By your Spirit, strengthen me today for greater obedience to you, greater delight in your goodness, greater trust in your promises. Help me to rest in my adoption as your child. Amen.

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy Name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen.

O God, I adore you for the great cloud of witnesses that have gone before me. Thank you that I do not walk this path of faith alone, but am surrounded by the communion of saints past and present. I worship you for your faithfulness to your people throughout history, and I eagerly await the enjoyment of all your promises.

O God, as I approach the end of another week, I meditate on the glorious splendor of your kingdom. This week has come and gone; tomorrow marks the beginning of a new week that will have its own responsibilities and challenges. And through it all, in the midst of my everyday joys and trials, you are bringing your kingdom and moving all of history toward its appointed end. One day every knee will bow, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord of all. One day every deed will be brought to judgment, every wrong accounted for, and every injustice rectified. So let me live today as a faithful citizen of your kingdom. Help me speak of your glory and tell of your power. Help me even now to prepare for worship tomorrow, gathering with your people to sing aloud of your righteousness and rejoice in your steadfast love.

And now may the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with us now and always, until the day of Christ's return.

There is none like you among the gods, O Lord, nor are there any works like yours. For you are great and do wondrous things; you alone are God. Teach me your way, O LORD, that I may walk in your truth; unite my heart to fear your name.

O Lord of heaven and earth, remember me, cold of heart and impure, in your Kingdom. Deliver me from every ignorance and heedlessness, from pettiness of the soul and stony hardness of heart. O Lord, save me from temptation; receive me in repentance; grant me pure thoughts; that I may love You with all my heart and soul and that I may obey your will in all things to the glory of your name. Amen.

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy Name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen.

God of mercy, I am awed by the immeasurable riches of your grace and mercy to me in Christ! I who was once dead have been made alive by grace through faith. I, who deserve nothing, have been given everything! How awesome is your amazing grace.

O God: your faithfulness to David is a foretaste of your faithfulness to me and to all who are yours through Christ. This Psalm points forward to the great descendant of David, the Lord Jesus Christ, “the highest of the kings of the earth.” So today, please remind me that I am a subject of King Jesus. I belong to him. I am one of his people. And you have promised that Jesus’ reign will never end; his purposes will never fail; his kingdom will never be thwarted! So let me joyfully give all of myself to Him and to His cause. May I joyfully worship King Jesus, obey him, and live for his glory and fame, that all the ends of the earth may sing his praise.

And now may the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with us now and always, until the day of Christ's return.

O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water. Because your steadfast love is better than life, my lips will praise you. I will bless you as long as I live; in your name I will lift up my hands.

Merciful God, I confess before you that I have sinned. I have sinned in what I have thought and said; in the wrong I have done and in the good I have not done. I have sinned in ignorance; I have sinned in weakness; I have sinned through my own deliberate fault. I repent and turn to you. Forgive me, for the sake of my merciful Savior Jesus. By your Spirit, transform my desires, renew my affections, and strengthen my obedience, for the glory of your name.

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy Name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen.

I adore you, God, for the mystery of your sovereign grace. You have mercy on whom you have mercy, and you harden whomever you will. Because your purposes are beyond my capacity to understand, kindle in me reverence and awe, and grant me wholehearted confidence in you.

O God, there’s nothing I give you that is not already yours. Every beast and bird is yours; the world and all its fullness belong to you. So deliver me from the superstition that my obedience and worship gives you something you need, or fills up some lack in you. Rather, remind me that worship and obedience are my grateful response to your salvation and benevolence. You are fully satisfied in yourself, and you invite me into the joy of your eternal happiness. So help me today be faithful to your covenant. Help me not cast your words behind me. Rather, let me order my way rightly and be faithful to the covenant vows I’ve made to you. May the water of baptism drench my imagination, and may the taste of the bread and wine linger upon my tongue.

And now may the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with us now and always, until the day of Christ's return.

To you, O Lord, I lift up my soul. O my God, in you I trust; let me not be put to shame; let not my enemies exult over me. Make me to know your ways, O Lord; teach me your paths. Lead me in your truth and teach me, for you are the God of my salvation; for you I wait all the day long.

Almighty God: because of Christ’s blood, do not hold against me, poor sinner that I am, any of my sin, or of the evil that constantly clings to me. By myself I am too weak to stand on my own even for a moment. And my sworn enemies - the world, the flesh, and the devil - never stop attacking me. Uphold me and make me strong with the strength of your Holy Spirit, so that I may not go down to defeat in this spiritual struggle, but may firmly resist my enemies until I finally win the complete victory, through Jesus Christ my Lord: Amen.

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy Name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen.

God, I adore you for your righteous anger at hypocrisy and injustice. You will not tolerate religion that is shallow and self-centered. You are loving enough to name it, and merciful enough to heal it.

God, today I remember that you look down from heaven on all the inhabitants of the earth. You see all, you know all, you take notice of everything. Nothing escapes your watchful eye. And this awakens in me two longings. One, I want to turn from sin today. I want to please you and bring glory to you, rather than acting in shameful ways that dishonor your name. Second, I want to experience your closeness today. This Psalm reminds me that you are not a distant observer, but are intimately involved in the lives of your people. So today, let me know and sense your nearness. Make me glad in you. Let your steadfast love be upon me, even as I hope in you.

And now may the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with us now and always, until the day of Christ's return.

Blessed are you, O Lord; teach me your statutes! I will meditate on your precepts and fix my eyes on your ways. Deal bountifully with your servant, that I may live and keep your word. Open my eyes, that I may behold wondrous things in your law.

O God: forgive my doubting, questioning heart. Like those who witnessed Jesus’ miracles of healing yet spurned belief, I too have seen wonders, yet have hardened my heart. I confess the way my pessimism has caused others to doubt themselves and your Spirit; the times my criticism has wounded others; the times my dejection has dampened the enthusiasm of those inspired by your Word and work. O God, forgive me, and in your mercy, renew me, that with an open heart I may believe and never pose an obstacle to the faith of others. Amen.

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy Name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen.

Lord Jesus Christ: I adore you for your redemptive power which fills hunger, heals sickness, and subdues nature. Your miracles are not bare displays of divine power; they are signs which reveal you as the long-awaited Messiah. I bow my knee before you in reverent worship.

O God, what a joy to walk into this day with this beloved Psalm on my lips. You are my shepherd, and I am one of your sheep. I do not know whether this day will be full of green pastures and still waters, or whether I may walk through the valley of the shadow of death. But I DO know that whatever lies before me, you are with me, and you lead me. I can trust in your faithful care. Moreover, I am confident that because of Jesus Christ, goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever. Strengthened by these promises, let me enter this day with unshakable confidence in your goodness and care.

And now may the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with us now and always, until the day of Christ's return.

Scripture: Lamentations 1:1-16, Romans 5:12-19, Psalm 27

Writers: Mike Kresnik, Bob Thune, Darby Whealy, Tyler Anderson

Narrators: Charlotte Bertrand, Gary Nebeker, Bob Thune, Darby Whealy, Kevin Huddleston

Music: Dan Phelps and William Ryan Fitch

Production: Mike Kresnik, Bethany Gilbert

Sources: The Worship Sourcebook; The Valley of Vision; The Book of Common Prayer; + original contributions by the authors.

OPENING PRAYER

Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts; And see if there be any hurtful way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.

CONFESSION OF SIN & PRAYER FOR GRACE

Almighty God: I cannot keep silent about my sin; when I do, my bones waste away and your hand is heavy upon me. So I will acknowledge my sin to you, and I will not cover my iniquity. Today, I acknowledge the sin of ENTITLEMENT. I live with a demanding spirit that grabs, clutches, and expects, rather than with a generous spirit that thanks you and blesses others. Forgive me, O Lord, by the mercy of Jesus, who did not regard equality with you as something to be grasped, but emptied himself that I might be filled. Fill me up today with the freedom and joy of grace, for Your name’s sake: Amen. 

OT READING: Lamentations 1:1-16

THE LORD’S PRAYER

NT READING: Romans 5:12-19

PRAYER OF ADORATION:

Jesus: I praise you for being better than Adam; better than Moses. Where sin brings death, your free gift brings life. Where sin brings condemnation, you bring justification. Thank you for your grace which abounds for many.

PSALM READING:  Psalm 27

PRAYER OF CONSECRATION

O Lord: as David wrote this psalm, he was under military threat, with every reason to fear for his life. Yet he responded by preaching to himself that the Lord was his stronghold. He describes his enemies gathered around him, prepared for war; but instead of fearing, he sets his mind on the temple. He asks to see the face of the Lord. As I read this psalm, I invite this psalm likewise to read me, to act as my teacher and guide. O Lord, give me the grace to seek your face even when my heart is pounding and my thoughts are scattered. When I ground myself in your light and beauty, I find the strength to wait patiently for you. Strengthen my confidence that I’ll see your goodness in the land of the living. Teach me what it means to abide in you, so that union with you becomes my daily habit. Fashion my inner life according to the example of this psalm and help me practice honest, confident prayer when I’m afraid today.   

BENEDICTION

And now may the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with us now and always, until the day of Christ's return.