SHEPHERD OF THE VALLEY LUTHERAN CHURCH
READINGS, PRAYERS and DEVOTION
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMVER 23, 2022
NEWS: No news to share on this Thanksgiving eve.
PRAYERS: Today we especially pray for Kathy Andrews. Kathy requests prayers for her, Ian and Stuart with his family, that they have a happy Thanksgiving and holiday weekend.
READINGS: Psalm 39:4-12; Psalm 38:12-22; Daniel 3:1-30; Revelation 20:1-15
DEVOTION:
Daily Devotions from Lutheran Hour Ministries
“Getting Ready”
Romans 13:11-14 – Besides this you know the time, that the hour has come for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed. The night is far gone; the day is at hand. So then let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light. Let us walk properly as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and sensuality, not in quarreling and jealousy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.
Thirty years ago when I was planning my wedding, I drove my family crazy. My mother and sister kept wanting to talk about colors and wedding favors—what ideas did I have? None, really, besides a mild preference for peach. I didn’t care much about what we ate, or what the cake looked like. My sister had that look on her face—”She’s mooning about her fiancé again!”
But there were some preparations I took extremely seriously. Getting the marriage license—oh, yes. I wasn’t going to have that go wrong. Making sure our honeymoon reservations were lined up. Asking our professor to do the wedding, since our home pastor had taken a call. Making sure we had an apartment to live in as newlyweds.
In today’s passage, Paul is encouraging us to get ready for the day of salvation—the day when Jesus returns and all evil is gone. That will be a celebration better than any wedding—the day we see our Savior face to face. It will be a day of absolute happiness and joy for us. And so we want to be ready! How dreadful it would be to get there and not be ready—to be still living like people who never knew Jesus, to face the embarrassment of being caught in our old dirty clothes instead of wedding clothes. Nobody wants that.
So Paul urges us to look to the future—the date is coming; it is almost here! What a joy to get ready for the One who loves us so much He suffered and died to make us His own—yes, and rose from the dead so that we could be with Him forever. For a God like that, I am wearing the best clothes. I am tidying up and getting ready. And if I dream about anything, it will be about Him, and not the old works of darkness. Preparing for His coming is part of the joy—a foretaste of the celebration.
WE PRAY: Dear Lord, help me to see how I can get ready for You. Amen.
This Daily Devotion was written by Dr. Kari Vo.
Reflection Questions:
1. Think of a joyful occasion or situation you had to prepare for. Was the preparation a pleasure or a pain—or both?
2. What went wrong? What went surprisingly right? If you have a funny story, tell it.
3. How do you prepare for Jesus’ coming?
Today’s Bible Readings: Ezekiel 20-21 2 Timothy 4
Luther’s Morning Prayer
In the morning, as soon as you get out of bed, you are to make the Sign of the Cross and say:
“God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit watch over me. Amen.”
Then, kneeling or standing, say the Apostles’ Creed and the Lord’s Prayer. In addition recite this prayer as well:
“I give thanks to you, my heavenly Father through Jesus Christ your dear son, that you have protected me this night from all harm and danger, and I ask you that you would also protect me today from sin and all evil, so that my life and actions may please you completely. For into your hands I commend myself: my body, my soul, and all that is mine. Let your holy angel be with me, so that the wicked foe may have no power over me. Amen.”
After singing a hymn or whatever else may serve your devotion, you can go about your day joyfully!
Luther’s Evening Prayer
In the evening, when you go to bed, you are to make the Sign of the Cross and say:
“God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit watch over me. Amen.”
Then, kneeling or standing, say the Apostles’ Creed and the Lord’s Prayer. In addition recite this prayer as well:
“I give thanks to you, my heavenly Father, through Jesus Christ your dear Son, that you have graciously protected me today, and I ask you to forgive me all my sins, where I have done wrong, and graciously to protect me tonight. For into your hands I commend myself: my body, my soul, and all that is mine. Let your holy angel be with me, so that the wicked foe may have no power over me. Amen.”
You can now go to bed quickly and cheerfully.
OTHER RESOURCES:
Our church website is: https://www.svlchurch.org/
Below is our Facebook page:
www.facebook.com/shepherdofthevalleyoceanside
Here is the website for Lutherans for Life: https://lutheransforlife.org/
Here is the website for Lutheran Hour Ministries: https://www.lhm.org/
Lutheran Public Radio is listener supported and has two channels, one for sacred music and the other for talk, including news, current issues, politics and spiritual matters from a Lutheran perspective. Hosted by Pastor Todd Wilken, Issues, Etc. airs live Monday thru Friday from 1 to 3 pm Pacific, with the “Best Of” running at other hours: https://lutheranpublicradio.org/
KFUO is the listener supported radio station owned and operated by the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod. Based in St. Louis, their format consists of teaching, preaching, ministry and sacred music: https://www.kfuo.org/
A very blessed Wednesday to everyone! For any needs or prayer requests, please contact us
Pastor Joel at pastor@svlchurch.org
