Pr. DFD : 2019 Lenten Devotions

Showing posts with label 2019 Lenten Devotions. Show all posts

Tuesday, April 23, 2019

Easter Tuesday

Tuesday of Easter – April 23, 2019 – Psalm 100:5

For the Lord is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations

Psalm 100– The key verses is verse 3c “We are His people, and the sheep of His pasture.” In light of our lessons we rejoice that we have this new found association with the Savior, a connection caused by the Savior’s amazing grace and favor.

Psalms 93; 95-99 proclaim, “the Lord reigns.” Psalm 100 is the thankful doxology named Jubilate, which is Latin for “O be joyful.” The phrase “his steadfast love endures forever” epitomizes the Lord’s cared for His people.

Praise God. His mercy endures forever, and His faithfulness to all generations. “The Lord is God” and “The Lord is Good.” Let the whole earth sing and be glad.

Break in sunder, O Lord, we beseech Thee, the chains of our sins; that, taking upon us Thy light yoke and easy burden, we may serve Thee, with fear and reverence, all the days of our life; through Jesus Christ our Lord,[1]

Almighty God, through Your only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ, You overcame death and opened to us the grate of everlasting life. We humbly pray that we may live before You in righteousness and purity forever; [2]

Monday, April 22, 2019

Easter Monday

Monday of Easter – April 22, 2019 – Psalm 23:6

Surely goodness and mercyshall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

God does not give His blessings once. His goodness and mercy continue. These blessings we experience in this life but also in the life that is to come.

Remember, the Lord is the source of every good thing. But don’t think that this means God’s children are going to have it easy. He will provide what we need for our faith to live and grow, in spite of our straying, sinning, and doubting. Consider Joseph whose brother’s beat him, heaved him into a pit and sold him into slavery. When he was being mistreated he went through intolerable suffering. But the Lord kept him alive. The Lord saw him make it to Egypt. If those things had not happened, Joseph would not have been in a position to help his brothers later and it would have in all likelihood been the end of the Children of Israel. But God had promised that would not be. We might experience terrible situations that we feel we just can’t endure. Through all our earthly trials and affliction, our trust must remain in the Lord.

Just as the Lord directed the path of Joseph and David so He continues to order and direct your steps. In this Easter season we rejoice and affirm forgiveness life and salvation. Treasure these gifts despite any hardship you might currently have to endure.

We rejoice in Thee, O Lord everlasting, with gladness and exultation, beseeching Thee, that while the gates of our hearts are thrown open in Thy praise, they may also be flung wide to receive Thy mercy and truth; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with Thee and the Holy Ghost, One God, world without end. Amen.[1]

Lord Jesus, by Your Spirit, You give us faith to cast out all fear of confessing the true faith; for we are helpless to save ourselves, and we must trust in You and You along for our salvation. Keep us faithful to the end, that You will not be ashamed of us when You come in Your glory with Your Father and the holy angels; for You live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.[2]

Sunday, April 21, 2019

Easter Sunday

Easter Sunday – April 21, 2019 – Psalm 118:1

Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever!

Luther would comment that this particular Psalm was his favorite. “I will call it my own!” (AE 14:45) It was sung at the triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem v.26; John 12:13 and when He referred it to his death and resurrection see vv.22-23 Matthew 21:42-44)

From the Catechism we are reminded:

What does God require of us?

We should call upon His name in every trouble, pray, praise, and give thanks.

Who is God?

He is good, kind, desiring our welfare.

What do we owe our heavenly Father for all His goodness?

It is our duty to “thank and praise, serve and obey Him.

There is now new life in Christ. Today we celebrate life. Today we celebrate victory. Today we celebrate forgiveness and freedom. Today is the day we remember all of God’s promises. They are “yes” and “amen” in Jesus. Because He lives we shall live also!

Almighty God the Father, through Your only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ, You have overcome death and opened the gate of everlasting life to us. Grant that we, who celebrate with joy the day of our Lord’s resurrection, may be raised from the death of sin by Your life-giving Spirit; through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.[1]

Saturday, April 20, 2019

Holy Saturday

Holy Saturday – April 20,2019 – Psalm 16:10

For you will not abandon my soul to Sheol, or let your holy one see corruption.

Because of his enduring relationship- with the giver and sustainer of life, David is confident that the righteous will endure despite physical death. This psalm prophesies Jesus’ resurrection. (See Acts 2:25-26)

David takes delight in an unwavering commitment to the Lord in both life and death. This ought also to be our attitude and joy, for He has made known to us the path of life. We have a beautiful inheritance: life with God forever in the kingdom of heaven.

Tomorrow we celebrate Easter. Little did Jesus’ disciples know how their lives would change within just a few hours. We might not know what the future holds for us. Yet your Savior, who holds the keys to life and eternity; whose body slept in the tomb but a few hours, lives and reigns eternally. The Father did not abandon His Son. Neither will He give up on you.

O God, Creator of heaven and earth: Grant that, as the crucified body of Your dear Son was laid in the tomb and rested on this holy Sabbath, so we may await with Him the coming of the third day, and rise with Him to newness of life; who now lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen[1]

[1]Collect for Holy Saturday, http://www.liturgies.net/Lent/LentenCollects.htm

Friday, April 19, 2019

Good Friday

G Friday – April 19, 2019 – Psalm 22:1

My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, from the words of my groaning?

These words were spoken by Jesus from the cross… The psalm expressed profound loneliness. God seems completely absent. Jesus quotes from this verse on the cross (See Matthew 27:46; Mark 15:34) as He paid the penalty of human sin. It has been said this psalm is the whole passion of Christ.

These words are words that capture what is perhaps the greatest fear of people who love God – the thought that the God they love and in whom they trust would one day forget them, abandon them, turn His back to them in their time of greatest need. And that is precisely the experience of Jesus on the cross. “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” The cup which the night before Jesus had asked to be taken from him – Jesus was on the cross drinking fully. God withdrew from Jesus so that he wouldn’t have to withdraw from us. It is God’s separation from Jesus that draws us near to him. “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” The Father made Him who had no sin to be sin for us…

Almighty God, Graciously behold this Your family for whom our Lord Jesus was willing to be betrayed and delivered into the hands of sinful men to suffer death upon the cross; through the same Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.[1]

Thursday, April 18, 2019

M Thursday

M Thursday – April 18, 2019 – Psalm 116:17

I will offer to you the sacrifice of thanksgiving and call on the name of the Lord.

This psalm is linked to the Passover meal. Thus, the Church reads this psalm on Maundy Thursday, the day during Holy Week when we recall Jesus' last meal with his disciples in the context of Passover.

For Christians who read Psalm 116 on Maundy Thursday the psalm's celebration of deliverance from death takes on a unique character. It is not read as testimony to what God has done in the past so much as it gives hope for deliverance in the future. The psalm's images of death now apply to the coming suffering of Jesus. The celebration after deliverance draws us into the suffering of Jesus as his offering to God and to us. Jesus himself has become a sacrifice and we now benefit from his faithfulness to God.

The Psalmist calls upon us to trust His word, that the sacrifice of Christ on the cross it truly genuine and right.

O Lord, I am in need of a Shepherd to seek and save me, for I am a straying sheep. You are the Good Shepherd who seeks and saves the lost. Save me, O Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.

O Lord God, who hast left unto us in a wonderful Sacrament a memorial of Thy Passion, grant, we beseech Thee, that we may so use this Sacrament of Thy body and blood that the fruits of Thy redemption may continually be manifest in us.

Almighty Father, whose dear Son, on the night before He suffered, instituted the Sacrament of His Body and Blood: Mercifully grant that we may receive it thankfully in remembrance of Jesus Christ our Lord, who in these holy mysteries gives us a pledge of eternal life; and who now lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen[1]

[1]Collect for Maundy Thursday, http://www.liturgies.net/Lent/LentenCollects.htm

Wednesday, April 17, 2019

Wednesday of Holy Week

Wednesday of Holy Week – April 17, 2019 – Psalm 70:5

But I am poor and needy; hasten to me, O God! You are my help and my deliverer; O Lord, do not delay!

These words are the humble and repentant attitude of God’s people. See Matthew 5:3; Luke 6:20. The term “help” describes Eve in Genesis 2: 18, 20

The Lord has promised continually throughout the Psalms to assist sustain and direct His people. “Our soul waits for the LORD; he is our help and our shield.” Psalm 33:20; My help comes from the LORD, who made heaven and earth. Psalm 121:2

Especially during difficult and troubled times will we certainly need to rely upon God. The offering of an honest prayer especially in times of great need is indeed a powerful thing. The psalm reminds the reader that the living God who hear prayers for help still listens today. He reminds us, “I am the Lord, I do not change.” – Malachi 3:6 The changeless Christ who entered an ever changing world remains present to hear the cries of His people.

Be constant in prayer. Your Father hears you. Come to Him often. He will listen. Speak to Him and then listen, as you hear His voice in Scripture guiding and leading you in the way which you should go.

Show the light of Thy Countenance upon us, O Lord, and pour Thy blessing abundantly into our breasts; that our hearts, with the gladness of Thy light, may know Thy way upon earth, and be glad in the full knowledge of the holy faith among all nations; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with Thee and the Holy Ghost, One God, world without end. Amen.[1]

Lord God, whose blessed Son our Savior gave His body to be whipped and His face to be spit upon: Give us grace to accept joyfully the sufferings of the present time, confident of the glory that shall be revealed; through Jesus Christ Your Son our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen[2]

Merciful and everlasting God, You did not spare Your only Son but delivered Him up for us all to bear our sins on the cross. Grant that our hearts may be so fixed with steadfast faith in Him that we fear not the power of sin, death, and the devil; through the same Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.[3]

[2]Collect for Wednesday of Holy Week, http://www.liturgies.net/Lent/LentenCollects.htm

Tuesday, April 16, 2019

Tuesday of Holy Week

Tuesday of Holy Week – April 16, 2019 – Psalm 71:12

O God, be not far from me; O my God, make haste to help me!

The circumstances of the Psalmist’s life seem to indicate that God is far away.

This is a psalm for an older believer struggling with assaults on his faith, including temptations to think that his faith was all in vain. By proclaiming the saving deeds of the Lord, he meets the challenge of old age with faith, hope, faithfulness, witness, and praise. The psalmist’s difficult circumstances seem to prove that God is far away. Therefore, he prays for the Lord to help him, and to vindicate his faith.

The Psalms are a school of prayer that teaches us to gather our troubles and take them to God who loves us and is always there for us. With assurance, we can cry with the psalmist — “O LORD, make haste to help me!”

Almighty and everlasting God, grant us grace so to pass through this holy time of our Lord’s Passion that we may receive the pardon of our sins; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, One God, now and forever.

O God, by the passion of Your blessed Son You made an instrument of shameful death to be for us the means of life: Grant us so to glory in the cross of Christ, that we may gladly suffer shame and loss for the sake of Your Son our Savior Jesus Christ; who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen[1]

Almighty and everlasting God, grant us by Your grace so to pass through this holy time of our Lord’s passion that we may obtain the forgiveness of our sins; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.[2]

[1]Collect for Tuesday of Holy Week, http://www.liturgies.net/Lent/LentenCollects.htm

Monday, April 15, 2019

Monday of Holy Week

Monday of Holy Week – April 15, 2019 – Psalm 36:9

For with you is the fountain of life; in your light do we see light.

God provides life in this life and in the world to come. Ultimately He provides life for sinners through His Son Jesus Christ.

God and His Word are compared to as refreshing waters. (See Proverbs 18:4; Isaiah 55:1) God give life in both the temporal and eternal realms. Ultimately, for sinners, God provides the water of life through Jesus Christ. Apart from Him, we are in darkness. Knowing Him brings enlightenment and joy.

Christ gives us the eyes of faith. So we can see God. Because of our fallen nature, because we live in a broken world, we cannot always see clearly. St. Paul reminds us, “For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror;” - 1 Corinthians 13:12 During this Lenten season, ask the Father to give you the eyes of faith to see not only the beauty in this world but the heart to make your community better.

Grant, we beseech Thee, Almighty God, that we, who amid so many adversities do fail through our own infirmities, may be restored through the Passion and intercession of Your only-begotten Son.

Almighty God, whose dear Son went not up to joy but first He suffered pain, and entered not into glory before He was crucified: Mercifully grant that we, walking in the way of the cross, may find it none other than the way of life and peace; through Jesus Christ Your Son our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen[1]

Almighty God, grant that in the midst of our failures and weaknesses we may be restored through the passion and intercession of Your only-begotten Son, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.[2]

[1]Collect for Monday of Holy Week, http://www.liturgies.net/Lent/LentenCollects.htm

Sunday, April 14, 2019

Palm Sunday

Palm Sunday – April 14, 2019 – Psalm 3:5

I lay down and slept; I woke again, for the Lord sustained me.

God has placed a circle of protection around you for your comfort and your care. Here is the real heart of the psalm. Watch as David moves his eyes from the enemy to God how the tone of the psalm changes. "If one gazes too long upon the enemy and his might, the enemy grows in the mind's eye to gigantic proportions . . . the hypnotic power of the enemy is broken when one turns one's gaze toward God."

David is able to sleep, able to awake and able to have courage and confidence in God.

Do those statements mark out how you deal with times of trouble?

Name times and circumstances in which the Lord has intervened in your life. In what ways did you know or come to realize the Lord’s intervention in your life’s circumstances?

God will continue to sustain and protect His own.

It is the Lord who sustains us through life. The hymn verse reinforces this with the words, “Through many dangers, toils, and snares I have already come; His grace has brought me safe thus far, His grace will lead me home.”

Almighty God, You have given us this good land as our heritage. Grant that we remember Your generosity and constantly do Your will. Bless our land with honest industry, truthful education, and an honorable way of life. Save us from violence, discord, and confusion, from pride and arrogance, and from every evil course of action. Make us who come from many nations with many different languages a united people. Defend our liberties, and give those whom we have entrusted with the authority of government the spirit of wisdom that there may be justice and peace in our land. When times are prosperous, let our hearts be thankful; in troubled times do not let our trust in You fail; through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen[1]

Saturday, April 13, 2019

Saturday of Lent 5

Saturday of Lent 5 – April 13, 2019 –Psalm 3:8

Salvation belongs to the Lord; your blessing be on your people!

Says Luther in his great Reformation hymn, “But for us fights the valiant one whom God Himself elected.” David’s direction throughout this psalm is the fact that God delivers me.

The psalm ends on a note of supreme confidence, and ends by including all people, not just David. Remember, victory could only come if God fought, because human strength was never enough. David is calling upon God to win this battle for him.

The Lord continues to fight for and win battles on behalf of His own.

Is there any hope? When we begin the day so many troubles and problems rush to greet us. You might ask yourself, “How will I make it?” David asks us to pause for a moment to be aware of God's attention to our troubles, that He protects us and answers our prayers. He gave us rest and He will give you life. You can count on the Lord!

"All the water in the world, however hard it tried, could never, never sink a ship, unless it got inside. All the hardships of this world, might wear you thin, but they won't hurt you one least bit, unless you let them in." May this psalm help you keep the world and its concerns out by filling your heart with God's love.

Almighty God, You alone speak the words of eternal life. Save us, Lord, for we cannot save ourselves.

O Lord, in Your goodness You bestow abundant graces on Your elect: Look with favor, we entreat You, upon those who in these Lenten days are being prepared for You Holy Baptism, and grant them the help of Your protection; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen[1]

[1]Collect for Saturday of Lent 5, http://www.liturgies.net/Lent/LentenCollects.htm

Friday, April 12, 2019

Friday of Lent 5

Friday of Lent 5 – April 12, 2019 – Psalm 43:1

Vindicate me, O God, and defend my cause against an ungodly people, from the deceitful and unjust man deliver me!

This is a pray for vindication, for exoneration, for justice. It is an appeal to God. For absolution. And for an act of acquittal.

In spite of present weakness and struggles, you can trust that the day of the Lord is coming. And that Jesus will act decisively for you on that day. He will wipe every tear from your eye and He will comfort you. "Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.”- Matthew 5: 4 For those who find themselves to be spiritually helpless. Without status. Without any excuse before God. Jesus proclaims this good news. That He has come to be a gracious king. Precisely for such helpless, empty-handed sinners. He does this for you. So that you may enter this world as His witness. To declare to others the Lord’s abundant mercy and grace.

How can God use present sufferings for your good?

As you endure suffering what is the direction of your gaze? Is it upward, downward or internal? Why is the direction of your gaze significant?

O Lord, you relieve our necessity out of the abundance of your great riches: Grant that we may accept with joy the salvation you bestow, and manifest it to all the world by the quality of our lives; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives, and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen[1]

[1]Collect for Friday of Lent 5, http://www.liturgies.net/Lent/LentenCollects.htm

Thursday, April 11, 2019

Thursday of Lent 5

Thursday of Lent 5 – April 11, 2019 – Psalm 116:15

Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints.

All who are washed in the blood of Christ are declared holy and are understood to be “saints.” A saint is one made holy by God’s grace. All that happened to such a person is very important especially suffering and death. This thought suggests the singing of this verse at funerals.[1]

Death is the last enemy. There is no glamour in any part of its process. It is a thief coming to take away all we have known. Yet, precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints. For the believer death is only a transition. It is a gate, which leads to eternal life. Because of Jesus, we pass from death to life. Thus, we can say boldly, Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints.

As Christians, our confident expectation is that God will save us all from death. Because of the atoning blood of Jesus, we are God’s saints and all of his saints will once again “walk before the Lord in the land of the living.” Our hope is in the Resurrection. Like Lazarus, Jesus may not save us from dying. We are still living in a broken world outside of Eden. But He will most certainly save us from staying dead. We will be raised -never to die again.

Lord God, bless Your Word wherever it is proclaimed. Make it a word of power and peace to convert those not yet Your own and to confirm those who have come to saving faith. May Your Word pass from the ear to the heart, from the heart to the lip, and from the lip to the life that, as You have promised, Your Word may achieve the purpose for which You send it; through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.[2]

O God, You have called us to be Your children, and have promised that those who suffer with Christ will be heirs with him of Your glory: Arm us with such trust in him that we may ask no rest from his demands and have no fear in his service; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen[3]

[3]Collect for Thursday of Lent 5, http://www.liturgies.net/Lent/LentenCollects.htm

Wednesday, April 10, 2019

Wednesday of Lent 5

Wednesday of Lent 5 – April 10, 2019 – Psalm 43:5

Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God.

The Psalmist is experiencing significant grief similar to that of Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane - See Matthew 26:38

Remember Calvary -There Jesus went up alone. He was a man familiar and acquainted with grief. Despised and rejected by all sorts of the people. Even His disciples could not see that Jesus was this chosen Son of the Father. His critics could not accept His message and so He was rejected and forsaken by men.

We live in a world in which many folk fail to understand what the cross of Christ really means. The cross of Christ is more than just simple jewelry. The cross is more than a good luck charm. It is the place where the Son of Man was suspended between earth and heaven. St. Paul tells us "I determine to know nothing among you except for Jesus Christ and Him crucified." As we review what the Lord has done in our midst, may Jesus Christ be praised; may we lift up the cross of Christ as a banner for all to see.

Keep us, O Lord, from one generation to another, and let not us, who have clung to Thy foundation, be carried away with this present world, but arise to be our Comforter in trouble, and by the bestowal of joy wipe away our sorrows;[1]

Almighty God, our heavenly Father, renew in us the gifts of Your mercy; increase our faith, strengthen our hope, enlighten our understanding, widen our charity, and make us ready to serve You; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen[2]

Lord Jesus Christ, You released many from their bondage to sin, death, and the devil as healer of the nations. But when it came time to release You, the crowd chose a murderer instead. Through our co-crucifixion with You in the waters of our Baptism, may be continually be released from our sins as we confess You to be our everlasting King; for You live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. [3]

[2]Collect for Wednesday of Lent 5, http://www.liturgies.net/Lent/LentenCollects.htm

Tuesday, April 9, 2019

Tuesday of Lent 5

Tuesday of Lent 5 – April 9, 2019 – Psalm 119:10

With my whole heart I seek you; let me not wander from your commandments!

The Lord is sought in two ways; through calling on His name in prayer and through the study of His Word. Unbelievers do not seek after God. Believers however seek Him in an attitude of repentance and faith not in selfishness looking after their self-interests.

During these weeks of Lent as we focus on the Lord’s promises and reflect upon them we are encouraged to seek after Him where He can be found. The prophet Amos encourages us with these words; “Seek the Lord and live,” therefore, by hating what is evil, loving what is good and doing what is just and right, according to His Word. “And so the Lord, the God of hosts, will be with you” (Amos 5:6, 14–15).

Understand that “no one is good except God alone” (Mark 10:18). The life that you are called to live is found neither in your “great possessions,” nor in your good works, but only in Christ Jesus. Rather, hear and heed His call, cling to His Word and “exhort one another every day,” that you may remain steadfast in Christ and “firm to the end” (Hebrews 3:12–15).

Gracious Lord, send Your Holy Spirit to deepen our faith in Christ; that we live by daily repentance and faith in Your Son.

Almighty God, through the incarnate Word You have caused us to be born anew of an imperishable and eternal seed: Look with compassion upon those who are being prepared for Holy Baptism, and grant that they may be built as living stones into a spiritual temple acceptable to You; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen [1]

Lord Jesus Christ, the temple of Your body was destroyed on the cross and three days later raised from the dead and exalted to the right hand of the Father. Visit us now with this same body, that we may not deny that we know You, but in faith hear in our ears Your life-giving voice and receive on our lips Your very body and blood to strengthen us in times of temptation; for You live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.[2]

[1]Collect for Tuesday of Lent 5, http://www.liturgies.net/Lent/LentenCollects.htm

Monday, April 8, 2019

Monday of Lent 5

Monday of Lent 5 – April 8, 2019 – Psalm 130:7

O Israel, hope in the Lord! For with the Lord there is steadfast love, and with him is plentiful redemption.

Psalm 130 is a testimony of trust in the Lord by one who knows that even though he is a sinner the Lord hears his cry out of the depths.

Let Israel hope in the Lord - that is, to hope for salvation. This is their duty and their interest. But what reason is there for this hope? A twofold reason: - First, with the Lord there is mercy -

Second, And with him is plenteous redemption - That abundant redemption; which there is none like it, comes from Jesus the Lamb of God which takes away the sin of the world.

In your reflection today ponder these few thoughts:

Do you agree that knowing sorrow is necessary for a full, mature relationship with God? If so, how? If not, why?

In what ways has sorrow deepened your connection with the Lord?

Hear me, O Lord, when I cry to You. Answer me according to Your mercy. Amen

Be gracious to Your people, we entreat you, O Lord, that they, repenting day by day of the things that displease you, may be more and more filled with love of You and of Your commandments; and, being supported by your grace in this life, may come to the full enjoyment of eternal life in Your everlasting kingdom; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen[1]

Lord Jesus Christ, in the Garden of Gethsemane You suffered the agony of drinking from the cup of Your Father's wrath against our sin, being betrayed by a kiss from one of Your own. Give us strength to remain awake as we now wait and watch for Your coming again, knowing that the Father's wrath against us has been satisfied by Your bloody death and vindicating resurrection; for You live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.[2]

[1]Collect for Monday of Lent 5, http://www.liturgies.net/Lent/LentenCollects.htm