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Genesis |
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| Chapter 1 | Prayer | Devotional | Chapter 26 | Prayer | Devotional | |
| Chapter 2 | Prayer | Devotional | Chapter 27 | Prayer | Devotional | |
| Chapter 3 | Prayer | Devotional | Chapter 28 | Prayer | Devotional | |
| Chapter 4 | Prayer | Devotional | Chapter 29 | Prayer | Devotional | |
| Chapter 5 | Prayer | Devotional | Chapter 30 | Prayer | Devotional | |
| Chapter 6 | Prayer | Devotional | Chapter 31 | Prayer | Devotional | |
| Chapter 7 | Prayer | Devotional | Chapter 32 | Prayer | Devotional | |
| Chapter 8 | Prayer | Devotional | Chapter 33 | Prayer | Devotional | |
| Chapter 9 | Prayer | Devotional | Chapter 34 | Prayer | Devotional | |
| Chapter 10 | Prayer | Devotional | Chapter 35 | Prayer | Devotional | |
| Chapter 11 | Prayer | Devotional | Chapter 36 | Prayer | Devotional | |
| Chapter 12 | Prayer | Devotional | Chapter 37 | Prayer | Devotional | |
| Chapter 13 | Prayer | Devotional | Chapter 38 | Prayer | Devotional | |
| Chapter 14 | Prayer | Devotional | Chapter 39 | Prayer | Devotional | |
| Chapter 15 | Prayer | Devotional | Chapter 40 | Prayer | Devotional | |
| Chapter 16 | Prayer | Devotional | Chapter 41 | Prayer | Devotional | |
| Chapter 17 | Prayer | Devotional | Chapter 42 | Prayer | Devotional | |
| Chapter 18 | Prayer | Devotional | Chapter 43 | Prayer | Devotional | |
| Chapter 19 | Prayer | Devotional | Chapter 44 | Prayer | Devotional | |
| Chapter 20 | Prayer | Devotional | Chapter 45 | Prayer | Devotional | |
| Chapter 21 | Prayer | Devotional | Chapter 46 | Prayer | Devotional | |
| Chapter 22 | Prayer | Devotional | Chapter 47 | Prayer | Devotional | |
| Chapter 23 | Prayer | Devotional | Chapter 48 | Prayer | Devotional | |
| Chapter 24 | Prayer | Devotional | Chapter 49 | Prayer | Devotional | |
| Chapter 25 | Prayer | Devotional | Chapter 50 | Prayer | Devotional |
Creator God, You have made all things of nothing. You were in the beginning, and Your Spirit hovered over the face of the deep. In the person of Your Son, You have spoken the world into being. He is the Light of the World, and through Him Light was made. Your Spirit is a fountain of living water for our souls, and by Your Spirit You created the waters and defined their boundaries. You have given us the true Bread from heaven, our great Redeemer, and through Him You made all the vegetation that has covered the dry land. Father, You ordained that the sun, moon, and stars would have dominion over light and darkness. You have filled the waters above with the birds of the air and the waters below with the fish of the sea. You have given us all kinds of creatures, covering the dry land with such a variety of living things. O Marvelous Lord, You then created man, male and female, in Your image. You have granted to us all that we need for life, and have placed us in dominion over all things in the created order. Blessed be Your Name, O God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, for You alone created the heavens and the earth.
O Lord of the Sabbath, You rested on the day of Your choosing. Grant that we might enter into Your holy rest through Jesus Christ. He is the second Adam, through whom we have new life. Our father, the first Adam, was granted life in a beautiful garden. You warned him about the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, that he should not eat of it, lest he die. You granted to him a helpmate from his own rib in the beautiful form of the very good gift of a woman. She was a companion suitable for him, for she was like him but not like him; opposite him but not opposite him. This great gift of women you have given us even now, together with all family blessings, for You know our every need and give wonderful gifts to Your children.
Father of All Mercies, we mourn the beginning of sin through the action of one man. A deceitful enemy lied to the woman with half-truths and seduction. The woman ate and gave to her husband. Then the man ate, and sin entered the world. With sin came shame, guilt, fear, and misery. Yet it was Your holy will to bring not only curse, but also great blessing to Your children. On that day You announced Your plan of grace. The woman would have children, and One of her descendants would come to save us from the vile enemy who stands against us and our children even to this day. You have given us food and work, though we mourn the thorns and the sweat of our brow. You have clothed us with better clothing than we could make for ourselves in a holiness that is not our own. This best of all garments comes at the cost of one Man’s blood. By Your plan of grace You have made a way for us to enjoy the tree of Life through the promised Seed of the Woman, the righteous Son of Man, our Lord Jesus Christ.
Lord of the Generations, there is a blood that speaks a better Word for us than the blood of Abel. The blood of Abel speaks of murder, even the murder of a brother. We mourn our ugly sin that so destroys the tranquility of family life. O God, forgive us. What have we done? The ground cries out to You, O God! Our sin and punishment are much more than we can bear. Yet even in this despicable state, You have put a mark upon us, that there would be a measure of Your protection, even for evil men, that the generations might yet move forward, and Your holy plan be fulfilled in all of its great detail. Forgive us for the progress of sin, for man has not been satisfied with one woman, or with any reasonable justice among men. We call upon Your Name, O Lord, and we thank You for a new line of spiritual life for us in the coming of Your Son Jesus.
God of Justice and Power, You have created us for long life, but sin has brought death, and death has yielded mourning and despair. This was our own doing, for our father Adam was an accurate representative of us, and we have added sin upon sin. Even to this day, though You provide secret comfort to Your weeping children, we cannot seem to make our peace with death. We cannot agree with the progress of this enemy from generation to generation. We desire to be in the society of holy men of old, like Enoch, who walked with You. The day came when He was not, and those who loved him mourned. We want to walk with Enoch in a better day, for we believe that Enoch yet lives and walks with You. Thank You for those who find grace in Your sight, like holy Noah, who became the beginning of a new world together with his family. We believe that we will be with him one day, and with all who yet live in Christ above.
O Father, the details of our sin are so ugly that we cannot bear to hear of them. There is lust and murderous hatred everywhere, and we have grieved You with our transgressions. The thoughts of the hearts of human beings are only evil continually. Yet You make a way for the flock of Your choosing to walk with You. Like Noah, Your sheep hear Your voice, and they follow Your Word. Though Your instruction seems like folly to the world, You will surely vindicate the truth of Your commandments on the Day when judgment comes.
Lord God, You make an ark of safety for us in Your church, the redeemed body of Your Son. May we enter into that ark today through faith, as those who determine to be in Him, for You have called us effectually by Your powerful Spirit and have spoken to us clearly through Your matchless Word. A Day of Judgment is coming. We cannot stand on that Day without the safety of an ark. Thus we go in. Shut us securely within the church of Your Son. Though life in that place might not always seem desirable during these days of waiting and working, keep us in the place of hope while the storm prevails outside. You will preserve Your new creation in Jesus Christ, Your Son.
God of Our Salvation, You have remembered us over many years. You know our weakness. At just the right time, You bring an end to the flood of trouble. You give us solid land again for our feet upon the Rock of Christ our Redeemer. You grant to Your people a new beginning, as You did in the days of Noah. Together with the whole family of faith, we are made alive in the land of the living by Your sure and powerful promise.
Father of Blessings, we rejoice in the new beginning that You grant to Your children. We have a wonderful provision for life in all that You have created. You give us the gift of justice within human society. You give us a future, for surely we could not live if You determined to bring the floods of Your judgment upon us every day. We thank You for Your covenant promise for all creatures, granting to us a world with a measure of daily safety for fruitful life here below. Despite the great beauty of these gifts, we will not think of this world as our place of greatest hope. Sin comes quickly, and even Noah faced not only sin but death. We have a better and more lasting hope in Immanuel’s land.
Father of the Nations, You have a plan not only for Your covenant people of old. You have a plan for the world. Names of nations long forgotten among men are yet well-known to You. From fathers remembered no more come peoples of ancient centuries and cities that are still among us to this day. All these places, times, and human beings were a part of Your perfect plan that we live in now. Our hope is not in all the variety of people groups on this earth, however numerous or powerful. Our hope is in You, and in the descendant of Shem who has brought us life through His death on the cross.
Sovereign Lord, we have sinned against You. If we were left without Your grace, we would seek only to make a name for ourselves and to resist Your glory. You have granted to us great abilities which could be used to build a city dedicated to our own small desires. Father, we are grateful that Your chief goal in all that You do is the glory of Your own Name. We have been helped by Your Spirit to see this as the most worthy goal. In pursuit of Your good plan, you brought about the generations leading to our father Abraham. You brought him and Sarah out of barrenness and idolatry, and made them to be believers in the promises that we also hold dear; promises which are all Yes and Amen in Jesus Christ our Lord.
Holy Father, speak to us of the future. Speak to us of covenant blessings that are ours in Jesus Christ. Make us to be a blessing to the nations of the world. We count Your Word as precious. When You promise to give something to us and to our offspring, You will surely do what you have said. You watched over the lives of Abraham and Sarah as people of the promise. Through most unusual providences You protected them from great danger, and provided for their every need. You made them prosper in the land of their journeys. Your plan for them was great. Your plan for us is also completely trustworthy, for we are heirs of these same great promises through faith in Jesus Christ.
God and Father of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, we call upon Your name. You hear us through our mediator Jesus Christ. We live in a world of strife, even within our families and in Your holy church. We should be people of peace, but others seem to insist on war. There is so much that is good and beautiful all around us, but we have not been satisfied with Your ample provision for us. What You give to us is Yours to give. We can have no claim against You, as if You owed us anything. You have been so generous in both the gifts of this world, and in the spiritual blessings of Your heavenly Kingdom. We thank You, O Lord.
Father God, there is danger all around us. How will we survive? The kings of the earth with all their power and wrath desire to turn against Your people and Your Law. We are nothing to them except objects of scorn and derision. They would be happy to take what little we have and to bring it home as their own. They would seize the righteous if they could. The day will come when Your children will be separated forever from the wicked. Your enemies will no longer be able to harass the people of Your covenant promise. Lord, send forth Your Deliverer, the Man of Faith, who will rescue us today. Your Son is both King of Peace and King of Righteousness. We give You all praise through Him. Nothing we have comes from the generosity of the world. All that we have is a gift from You, O Lord Most High.
O Author and Finisher of Our Faith, You were true to Abraham so long ago, for He believed You, and it was credited to Him as righteousness. His offspring is beyond our ability to number. You brought Him out of the land of pagan religion, and gave Him a place for His descendants. You have given to him and to us a great covenant sign. You assured us that Your Son would give His life, so that Your covenant with Abraham would be kept. You have promised to give us a great land, far beyond the land of Canaan. We believe You, O Lord, for Your promise is sure.
Merciful Lord, why do we take matters into our own hands, as if Your great promises wait for us to fulfill them? The way of Hagar is not the solution to our barren lives. You must bless, Lord, for our own plans are troublesome. They lead only to death. You are so faithful. You know our weakness. You are aware of our scheming. We have been like wild animals, trying to impress others with a display of dominance. You are so different from us, providing us with the free gift of the water of life, that we might live forever.
Lord of glory, You are God Almighty. We should always walk before You and be blameless. You made Abraham a father of a multitude of nations, You gave Him the covenant of circumcision. One day Your Son would be our circumcision through His death on the cross. He would be cut off from the covenant community for our sake. His obedience was perfect. There was no law by which He could be justly removed from the people of Your choosing. Nonetheless, He was cut off for our sake. Our sin was upon Him, and we have been greatly blessed beyond the expectations of men. When we might seem to have given up on Your Word, You continue to bring about all of Your holy will. You are God. We are the community of the faithful in Jesus Christ our Lord. We will walk before You. We will take upon our hearts and upon the lives of our children the sign of the covenant, for You will accomplish Your every Word.
O Father, there is a day of destruction coming upon the world. We have received a taste of this day in the signs of Your judgment upon Sodom and Gomorrah. How will we stand? We have laughed at Your promises in unbelief, yet You have not abandoned us. You continue to look at us as the faithful. We don’t even tell the truth about our unbelief. In our fear, we insist that we have not laughed at Your promises. Do not hide Your face from us. Show us what we need to know that we might be true to You. We are so weak, O Lord. Give us help from on high. You will not sweep away the righteous with the wicked. You will be just. The Day of Judgment has come upon Christ on the day of His suffering and death. This was done for our sake. You have heard His cries for us, and we have hope. Do not be angry with us O Lord, for Your Son has won for us a great salvation.
Lord God, You know how to rescue the righteous from the hands of the wicked. Righteous Lot was surrounded by a wicked rabble. You sent Your angels to deliver him even though the men of the town had strength and zeal in evil. Such power is nothing for You to overthrow. You have the ministry of powerful heavenly beings, who are servants to the heirs of salvation. So many around us do not see imminent danger. So many look back at the world longingly, as if this current world would be the greatest prize for those who have been given the blessings of heaven. You have given us the hope of eternal life. Yet sin remains a problem within our families. We are impatient and unbelieving, and so we have brought trouble upon ourselves by our own depravity. Restrain our evil and that of our children. We must turn away from all that is wicked and unnatural. We must resist the devil, that He will flee from us. Keep us far from the foolishness that comes from drunkenness. Make us patient for both Your goals and Your ways, and fill us with Your Spirit, that we may be awake and full of life as we serve You.
God of All Our Journeys, watch over us in the day of darkness, for we travel in the land of dead men who do not know you. Make us to be men of integrity. Help us to pray for the peace of those around us with great power and happy results. As we live among those who seem to have no fear of You, preserve our lives and keep us in the faith, lest we become like those who despise You. Your Word is always before us. May we abide in it. Keep us free in Christ through Your kind help day by day.
Father, we believe that You will do what You have promised. Though we wait through many barren years, you will bring forth the day of Isaac. We laugh with joy as we consider the fulfillment of Your beautiful Word. In the day of resurrection, there will be a clear division between the righteous and the wicked. We will see the revealing of the sons of God and will dwell in the land of the living. Until that day, Your care extends to all Your creatures. You have given food and water to the hungry. You have given skills and work to all kinds of people, but You are with Your beloved covenant people for our eternal salvation. There is much strife and deceit all around us. The world would leave us nothing if it were in their power, but You have provided for us a measure of peace and have satisfied our longings, that we might live. You are the everlasting God.
Lord God, You tested Abraham. You gave him a child. That child was Yours, just as Abraham was Yours. You asked Him to sacrifice his only son, this child of the promise, Isaac. He reasoned that You would provide a substitute for his son, and that You could raise the dead. You held him back from slaughtering the boy, yet he proved that he feared You and loved You above all. May we also fear You, and entrust our children to You. For Your Son is the great provision for our salvation. He has taken our place and faced Your wrath, and He has surely risen from the dead. In Him the earth shall be blessed. In Him we have a perfect hope.
Lord God Almighty, we live and die according to Your good plan. Even in the death of our loved ones we have a seed of victory and a proclamation of our faith. As we bury our dead, we believe that a day of resurrection is surely coming. When Abraham bought a burial place in the land of Canaan, he took possession of his first small piece of ground in the land of promise. Lord, we believe in the resurrection, and we proclaim that we are even now citizens of heaven through Jesus Christ our Lord.
God of Hope, You are the giver of every good gift. You gave to Isaac his wife Rebekah. You have given to so many men of faith great women who have loved and served You. This gift of a wife is surely from You. Grant to Your church success today in family relationships. Many are lonely. So many others face challenges in marriages that should be full of love and service. Some are close to divorce. Others are recovering from some loss or disappointment that cannot be remedied by men. God, grant us the water of life in the day of disappointment, and lead us to the fulfillment of all good desires. Raise up a generation that will believe and be faithful. You have not forsaken Your steadfast love to Christ and His church. May we not be easily deceived by those who love the world more than You. Laban is always standing nearby at the door. Make us wise in our words and dealings. Some only long for the possessions of this world. We want You above anything else, O God. Send angels alongside us to prosper our ways, that we might stay in the path of godliness with contentment, which is great gain. If along the way of life You should choose to bless us as the world counts prosperity, help us to thank You, and to share what we have been given with those who are in need. We bless You Lord. Throughout our lives You have led us in a good way. All that we have has come from You. We bow before You. Send us forward on the pathway that leads to our Master, the Lord Jesus Christ. Make our marriages and families fruitful in every way, and may we have appropriate joy in our lives with one another. Through our relationship with Your Son, may Your church know the gift of the best love, and may we be granted comfort in this world of death and trial.
God of Glory, You made a promise to Abraham that he would have many descendants, and You fulfilled this promise in part even before he died. When his time came to be buried, he was placed in the ground in the Land of Promise. Grant that each of Your servants would be buried in faith when the days of our lives are over and we breathe our last. We look for life beyond the grave. Bring Your plans to fulfillment as future generations are born. Distinguish between a Jacob and an Esau according to Your perfect decree. Help us to rightly estimate the great value of our relation to Christ, and the rights that we have as sons of God. May we never be so foolish as to despise this birthright, for we are people of a glorious resurrection.
Lord God, You are our provision in the day of famine. Though we face scarcity, Your promises will never fail. May we keep Your commandments in all times and places. Protect Your people as we travel in this world full of danger and difficulty. Give us what You have planned for us in Your wonderful decree, and protect us from the murderous envy of cruel men. Give us the water of life as we travel through desert lands. Help us to be at peace with others, for You will surely make room for us, and we will be fruitful in the land where we live. Multiply our offspring, granting us children in our homes, and new children for Christ in His holy temple. May we live in peace here below. May many find the water of life and be counted as those who have been born in the house of the Lord.
O Lord, Your servants grow old, and we do not know the day of our death. May we bless Your church before we die. Help us to share our table with the hungry and the lonely. Help us to speak words of hope in a world that is full of lies and deceit. May we believe Your Word, though all men be full of lying words, spoken by lying lips, and springing forth from deceitful hearts. Convince us that we do not inherit Your promises through trickery. Grant to us the courage to speak the message of Christ forthrightly. We are Your children, and You will surely bless us. You will bring glory to Your Name and preserve us, even when we forget Your truth, and walk far below the privileges that we have as members of Your family. May we take hold of Your promises now by faith. A day will come when men will not be able to claim Your covenant blessings, even if they seek them with many tears. The world will rail against You and against Your chosen sons, but You will protect us from the murderous hatred of those who despise You. May we forever enjoy the fullness of blessings that are at Your right hand. Move us through this life. Protect our bodies and souls from the wicked plots of Your adversaries. Thank You for the lives of blessing that You have granted to us now and forever.
O God Who Sanctifies Us, You know the road that we must travel in order for Your holy plans to be fulfilled. We are not sanctified by that pathway so much as we are sanctified by You, as You lead along the way. Throughout our days grant us a true sight of the One who is the sure and only connection between heaven and earth. He is Your Son, and angels ascend and descend upon Him alone. Keep us close to Him, and be with us, providing for us everything that we need to love You. You are God, and where You are, that place is Your house, and we are Your servants.
Father God, be our Shepherd through a world that is most perplexing. You are very capable of bringing us blessing in a place where people would lie and steal continually. Who has been more deceived than our Father Jacob, who served for one woman, and woke up with another? Yet You raised up the tribes of Israel not only from beautiful Rachel, but also from her older sister Leah. Even the servants of these two women were used for the building up of Your people. Grant us perseverance in our callings, trusting that You know how to overrule the oppressive plans of wicked men. You gave wonderful children to a woman through a husband who did not love her. Even Judah, the one from whom came our great Messiah Jesus, was born of Leah. In the day of cruel rejection and in every time of trouble and disappointment, we will yet praise You, O Lord.
Lord of Hope, who can understand the wonder of Your holy providence? Through this one family of Jacob, and through four mothers, have come all the tribes of Israel. Your promises to Abraham and Sarah have found their fulfillment in a household where there was much strife and trouble. We envy others, and we play foolish tricks to get our way, and yet You still fulfill Your amazing promises. Surely all glory belongs to You. We look for the love and approval of men and are so frequently disappointed. The day will come when our Joseph will be born. Even in the day of our greatest celebrations on earth, our troubles will not be over. We still live in a world of deceit and sin. Through trials we are changed. You bless us despite all of our scheming. The gifts that You have given are from Your hands and will fulfill Your holy purposes.
Great Protector of Your Children, You send us home at just the right time. The days of our pilgrimage must come to an end. Eventually, Jacob must be freed from the oppression of Laban. On that day, You will lead us home. We long for Your coming, O Lord. Though our mothers and fathers might sell us for nothing, You will not abandon us. You will move us along through dangerous places, and will overrule all our sin and folly. You can restrain the hand of an enemy. Though there is so much unrighteousness, both inside and outside the household of faith, our perseverance toward the day of our homecoming is sure. Even a Rachel in our midst may be secretly hiding idols as if they were something of value. Despite our deceit, we have been kept from disaster. We see grace everywhere in the stories of our lives. You have looked upon us in our affliction and rebuked our enemies. You carry us forward toward a day of perfect holiness. We will be made perfect by Your grace. By the Sacrifice appointed, You have secured for us a perfect peace.
Lord of Hosts, You meet us along the way of life. You lead us in love. There is much about the future that we do not understand. Is the crowd of men coming toward us fixed upon our destruction? Like Jacob, we see an Esau and his company moving toward us in the distance, and we call upon Your Name. You have provided for us until this day. Please do not abandon us. Give us both faith and wisdom. We are Your servants, O Lord. Use us for Your glory. When evening comes, we wonder what awaits us in the morning, but You know all these things. You will protect us, even wrestling with us until the breaking of day. We now boldly beseech Your blessing in accord with Your greatness and love. Allow us to prevail in prayer. In Christ, we have seen You face to face. Though we wrestle with You in times of fear, we soon find out again that You love us and are working everything for our good.
God of Our Fathers, we receive Your love. We humble ourselves before You and commit ourselves to the service of others for Your sake, for You have graciously given us every good gift. We thank You for Your protection and provision. Our fears melt before us on the day of Your mercy. Years of needless worry can be gone in a single moment of blessing. You have given us a new beginning as we meet with you in worship. We have found favor in Your sight through Christ our Lord. We gladly give our lives to others in need. Nonetheless, on the day of unusual blessing, help us to be grateful and wise, knowing that we yet live in a world of danger and difficulty.
Father God, what can we do when our loved ones face assault and attack? What can we do when our daughters are seduced and enticed into the way of evil? The weight of wickedness all around us and even within us is too much for us to bear. There is great risk that we will lose all restraint in the grief and outrage of the moment. Our hearts quickly turn to war. We seek vengeance, and quickly try to take control in order to destroy our enemies. Your Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, is our righteousness. Will we abuse His Name and Your holy ordinances? Would we use even the great signs and seals of the covenant as part of our own plan for unbridled revenge? Lord, hold us back. Lord, have mercy on us.
Lord God Almighty, You have directed our fathers in the faith, and have called us away from foreign gods. We turn to You, Lord God, for we would give up all our secret idols, that we might have power from on high that could only come from You. You are a God with supreme power over all things. Make us fruitful that we might multiply according to Your commandment. Pour out Your Spirit upon us again, and give us life. Help us in our time of distress, and even death, for we face trouble as we journey toward the place of Your promise. In these few days that You give to us here below, make us faithful to the very end, for You are a God of grace.
God of All the Earth, You know all things. You have the generations of Jacob in Your mind, and are also perfectly aware of the generations of Esau. One is the chosen line, but the others are not forgotten by You. Year after year You granted to them chiefs and kings with authority to lead. You gave them a land in which they settled and prospered. Where are they today, O Lord? People and nations come and go according to Your secret will. We observe what You allow us to see and to know, but there is much that is forgotten among men, and is only known to You. We come and go on this earth, but You are from everlasting to everlasting. You have a plan for leaders and peoples. You know both Jacob and Esau, but Jacob You have loved.
Father God, we so quickly resent Your Word that would place a Joseph above the rest of His brothers. That same Spirit that was in Cain has yet worked envy within our hearts. Our jealousy would lead us to murder. We repent, for we have not been content with Your providence for us. Lead us to see the great superiority of our brother Jesus Christ. Let us hear the Word about His excellence and be quick to worship and adore Him, for He is the superior brother. When Your Son came He faced profound disrespect and the hatred of men. Many would have been glad to sell Him into slavery or even to kill Him. In all this, Your Son willingly faced great humiliation. Yet we have been false before You, as if we were not guilty for the horror of the cross. Forgive us for our sins, since it was on account of these that Your Son shed His blood. As Jacob wept for His Son Joseph, surely You mourned the loss of Your Son Jesus. We mourn our sin, though we celebrate the glory of redemption through this same cross of Christ.
O Holy Father, the twists and turns that we take in our wicked lives! And yet You are accomplishing all Your holy will. Is it through the strange story of Judah and Tamar that David and even Jesus come? You can use the most amazing episodes of unclean behavior as the beginning of some great act of sovereign redemption. Blessed be Your name. Through the hand of wicked Judas, Jesus was betrayed. Yet through the cross that came from that betrayal, now comes the amazing power of redeeming love. So many women and children have been caught in situations of strange immorality and abuse, and yet You have your purpose appointed for every child born, some even for great signs of Your merciful love.
Sovereign Lord, You appoint the details of our lives for Your great purposes. Joseph ends up in Potiphar’s house, since there he will be trapped by the immoral wife of the Egyptian. By her deceit, this son of Jacob will end up in the right prison. If he had not been sent to the right prison, he would have never been able to save his brothers as second-in-command next to Pharaoh. Help us to trust You through all the details of our lives; the anger of men, the lust of women, the despair of prison, and much more. Help us to remember that when we are completely confused, You surely understand all things. Make us faithful wherever we may be, knowing that You reign and rule in every fact that may seem contrary to Your holy purposes.
God of Truth, You know all that is past, and the present and future are also known to You. You know every fact of every life including every dream that you ordain to be in the mind of man. You also grant to Your prophets the right interpretation of the dreams according to Your will. Your Word in the Scriptures is secure and true. It is the judge of every controversy, and the foundation for faith and life. Grant to Your servants a correct understanding of Your Word, and give us boldness to proclaim the truth among men.
Father of Mercy, we are impatient in suffering. Please forgive us. We could so easily believe that You have forgotten us, but this is a lie. You kept Joseph in prison for at least two years after he should have been helped by the cupbearer of Pharaoh. At just the right time, Jacob’s son was brought from that prison-house in order to interpret Pharaoh’s dream. Your ways are right. Your servants know that You give the interpretation of Your Word to Your prophets. All glory to You, O God. Who but You would have the wisdom and power to bring life and health out of the miseries of Joseph? Who could have known that You were working abundant salvation through the death of Your holy Servant Jesus? Bring us through times of famine and testing in the current age, and lead us into the age to come where we will have blessings beyond anything we have ever experienced or known. Fill us now with Your Holy Spirit, that we might rightly serve you in this day when we are strangers in a strange land. Though we may have the respect of men and great wealth and honor, we know that we are not yet home. We long for the resurrection, O Lord. Help us to be competent and useful now until the trumpet blows, and the dead in Christ are raised. Help us in our day of hardship, that we might be fruitful in the land of our affliction. May we have bread to share with the hungry, and storehouses full of grain when the severity of trouble comes upon Your people. In all our service, we will remember You, O Lord, for You give us our daily bread.
God of Comfort, You lead the poor and hungry to the place of Your provision. Your care for the world is extensive. Even the animal crying out for food in the wilderness is heard by Your powerful ear. Yet beyond Your care for all Your creatures, You perform amazing deeds of special providence for Your children. You preserve our lives according to Your plan. You grant us bread for food, and the bread of life for the health of our souls. You bring us to an awareness of our ugly sin. In the day of Your mercy, we are made to remember how we treated some young Joseph, selling the weak into the hands of the treacherous. You are willing to bountifully bless us. When we presume that we would have to pay for Your every provision for our lives, we look in our sacks and find our money returned to us. We have One of our relatives who is now the Lord in the land, for all authority in heaven and earth has been given to our righteous Brother Jesus Christ. There is no payment that we could ever give for our salvation. We surrender to You as dead men who have no rights, but we find ourselves granted an amazing resurrection as the free gift of Your excellent love.
Great God and Provider, we hunger and thirst for You today. Satisfy our eager longings, and grant to us all things necessary for life and godliness. Thank you for our families, for the heritage that we enjoy, and for the future ahead of us. Make us to be gracious and righteous participants in the events of our day. May we live for You above all. You are such a generous Lord. We do not deserve this kindness that You grant to us every day, but we receive it with great thanksgiving. You will restore to us in the resurrection all that may seem lost today. This will be done in accord with Your decree and for the praise of Your glorious grace. How we thank you, even with tears, as we consider the kind love with which you have loved us. Surely we have received a bountiful portion from Your hand, in accord with our unusual and wonderful position as sons of the Most High God.
Lord God, You have charge over Your house. Through Your Son, You reign as the Builder and Maker of the house. You are right to uncover every wickedness, that we might receive Your holy correction. Even the secret things are well-known to You. Your plan of discipline is most wise, though often quite mysterious to us. We are assured that You are with us through all of Your great acts of providence. We are Your servants. Though You have surely found out all our secret sins, we have been declared free through Your justice upon a Substitute, and through Your bountiful mercy. We look forward to the Day when we will see Your face, for everything is “Yes” and “Amen” for us in the face of the Lord Jesus Christ. Thank You for our Redeemer, in whom we place all our hope.
Great Lover of our souls, You have sought us and have redeemed us. Your commitment to us is full and heart-warming. We know that though evil men have plans of wickedness against You and Your church, yet Your plans are above all other plans, and You are for us and not against us. The days ahead of us are difficult for us to know, but our times are in Your hands. You will certainly care for us in the day of trouble. We receive Your embrace today as an expression of Your full commitment toward Your people. Not only are Your intentions marvelous, You have all power and authority in order to work Your holy will. You care for us, both in body and soul. You give us food and clothing for our bodies, and the greatest provision for our spirits, feeding us regularly with Your Word and clothing us with the righteousness of Christ. It is enough for us to know that Your Son is alive and that we will see Him face to face.
Lord God of Israel, Your people went down to Egypt and sojourned there for a time. You went with them, and You brought them back to the Promised Land. We can trust You during our time here on earth, for You will surely take us home to heaven. Your care is not only for us, but also for our families. You know us and our children. Have mercy on us. Please do not cast us away. Our sin seems to be always with us. The story of our rebellion and foolishness is twisted and frightening, but Your grace is greater than all our sin. You know our marriages and our descendants, and You care about those we love. Protect us and provide for our families day by day. Let us see a measure of joy again, even here below, that we might be encouraged throughout the difficulties that we face in this world of sin and death.
O King of kings, protect us from the evil intentions of powerful and wicked men who from time to time have ruling authority upon the earth. Be pleased to put men of wisdom and decency in the seats of power, that the church might flourish in peace without assault from those who should protect the weak. Even in an evil day, help us to trust You. Our hope is not in the weapons of ruling parties or in the methods that men use to exercise their might upon others. We are hungry, needy people who come to You for daily mercy. Nothing that we have is our own. We have been bought with a price. Look upon Your servants with favor, for we are surely yours. Let us be to You a company of dedicated priests, believing in You, blessing Your name, and speaking forth Your blessing upon others. A tithe is not enough to speak of what You are due from us. We give You our lives, and seek the Day of resurrection, that our service of You would continue in a world of delight forever.
Father, we live at Your pleasure, and on the day of Your choosing we die. Day by day we summon our strength, which is nothing more than a gift from You. You give and You take away as You see fit. When we sleep in the grave, the remaining generations live on according to Your plan. Please bless them together with us. You have given us the pleasure of seeing our loved ones face to face for many days. You have blessed us and them in ways that are difficult for us to understand and anticipate. How much more is the greatest blessing reserved for us in the land where Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob live forever. Grant us that sense of Your purposes that is necessary for us today, that we might also bless others as we should. You alone know the beginning from the end. Yet You use us as agents of blessing, though we are very weak. Blessed be Your Name forever.
O God Our Father, we gather at Your holy Word, and hear of what will happen to us in days to come. The Word for us in this life is one of suffering with ample opportunity for faithfulness, but there is a day beyond the challenges of this age. A Great Ruler is coming again, the Lion of the tribe of Judah. Would we dare to challenge this great King, the Lord Jesus Christ? He shed His blood for us, and He is our undisputed Master. In Him now we have the hope of abiding in the most wonderful land. You, O Lord, shall judge the nations. We wait for Your salvation, O Lord. Though some within the church may prove unfaithful, and may be cut off from the people of Your choosing, our hope is in the Great Shepherd who keeps us. Your blessings are beyond our knowledge. Our life is secure in Your holy promises. Though our bodies may rest in the grave, we will live forever, and we will know Your fullest benediction.
Father, our stories on this earth must one day come to an end. Even the longest life here reaches a final hour. Then we shall be mourned by those who remain. We show our respect and try to follow the directives of those we love, now departed. Even when we are able to lament with the greatest love and honor, we can do so very little for the one who has gone. Therefore our hearts are overcome with grief. There must be more for man. Surely Jacob yet lives, for our Father is the God of Jacob. He is not the God of the dead but of the living. Since we have received the incomparable gift of eternal life, we are happy to provide for those within the household of faith, even though they may have harmed us. We will surely forgive the brother who has mistreated us. When the day of our departure comes and our bodies are committed to the grave, our hope cannot be in the most peaceful plot of land in a quiet meadow bought with our own funds. Our hope is in Immanuel’s land, and we expect our bones to live again, and to have the breath of life returned to them as Your eternal children, for we will worship You forever.