04 Apr Daily Devotion Saturday 4/4/20

An Authentic Prayer

Scripture of the Day:  Psalm 31:9-16

Daily Reminder:  Be gracious to me, O Lord, for I am in distress. (v. 9)

The psalmist laments in deep sorrow, eyes dried out from crying, body and spirit exhausted.  Neighbors keep their distance, talk ABOUT instead of TO this person.  Avoiding is often easier than engaging with someone in pain.  We have likely been in both positions.

Then the psalm’s tone shifts as the psalmist turns to God:  “But I trust in you, O Lord,” (v. 14).  Weather this sorrowing one does trust God or is naming a deep longing – I want to trust you, because I feel so alone – the prayer is authentic.  Sometimes our brokenness opens us to the God who heard the slaves’ cries in Egypt.  Our pain makes us more aware of the Lord whose ears were turned to Hannah’s despair (1 Samuel 1).  Our struggles draw us to God who, in Jesus, experienced grief, despair, and struggle and took all our sorrows upon himself at the cross.

And as, by God’s grace, we place ourselves, our pain, our wobbly trust into God’s hands, God’s steadfast love saves us.

Let your face shine upon your servant; save me in your steadfast love.  In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Prayer Concern:  People suffering alone

Lamentations 3:55-66; Mark 10:32-34

Daily Prayers

Morning:  Your death and resurrection are my strength and life, O Christ, raising me from fear into the joy of knowing that you are always near. May streams of peace and grace flow through my heart to all I touch this day.  Amen.

Mealtime:  Jesus, you blessed bread and broke it to open the eyes of faith to your loving presence.  Open our eyes to your presence at this table, that we may taste your goodness in the gifts you give and the love we share.  Amen.

Evening:  You, Lord, are my rest.  Only in you do I know the peace I crave.  I release every thought and care into your love.  Grant gentle rest this night, that I may rise to know you in the beauty of a new day.  Amen.

Worship With Us.

This has been a daily devotion from the “Christ in Our Home” devotion book Vol. 67 No. 2.  Credit given to Heidi Hyland Mann, Laurie J. Hanson, and Julie O’Brien (editors) and devotion writers David L. Miller, Jenifer Ohman-Rodrigues, Christine Hallenbeck Ask, Nathan Baker-Trinity, Carla Thompson Powell, David Iversen, and Michael Walker.  Scripture readings are from the Revised Common Lectionary (c) 1992, 2012 Consolation on Common Texts.  Used by permission.  Texts specific to festivals and commemorations are used when appropriate. For more information about these days, see “More Days for Praise:  Festivals and Commemorations in Evangelical Lutheran Worship, available for purchase at www.augsburgfortress.org.  CHRIST IN OUR HOME (ISSN 0412-2968), published by Augsburg Fortress, 510 Marquette Ave., STE 800, Minneaplolis MN 55402.  Copyrighted material (c) 2019 Augsburg Fortress.  All rights reserved.  Printed in the USA.  USPS Publication Agreement Number 1631527.  Canadian Publication Agreement Number 40030418.