Mid-Week Devotion

Make the sign of the cross and say:

In the Name of the Father and of the † Son and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.

O God, make speed to save me.
O Lord, make haste to help me.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.

Psalm 84

To the choirmaster: according to The Gittith. A Psalm of the Sons of Korah.
¹ How lovely is your dwelling place, O LORD of hosts!
² My soul longs, yes, faints for the courts of the LORD; my heart and flesh sing for joy to the living God.
³ Even the sparrow finds a home, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may lay her young, at your altars, O LORD of hosts, my King and my God.
⁴ Blessed are those who dwell in your house, ever singing your praise! Selah
⁵ Blessed are those whose strength is in you, in whose heart are the highways to Zion.
⁶ As they go through the Valley of Baca they make it a place of springs; the early rain also covers it with pools.
⁷ They go from strength to strength; each one appears before God in Zion.
⁸ O LORD God of hosts, hear my prayer; give ear, O God of Jacob! Selah
⁹ Behold our shield, O God; look on the face of your anointed!
¹⁰ For a day in your courts is better than a thousand elsewhere. I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of wickedness.
¹¹ For the LORD God is a sun and shield; the LORD bestows favor and honor. No good thing does he withhold from those who walk uprightly.
¹² O LORD of hosts, blessed is the one who trusts in you! (ESV)

Old Testament: Isaiah 55:10-13

¹⁰ “For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return there but water the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater,
¹¹ so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.
¹² “For you shall go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and the hills before you shall break forth into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.
¹³ Instead of the thorn shall come up the cypress; instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle; and it shall make a name for the LORD, an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off.” (ESV)

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Epistle: 2 Corinthians 11:19-12:9

¹⁹ For you gladly bear with fools, being wise yourselves!
²⁰ For you bear it if someone makes slaves of you, or devours you, or takes advantage of you, or puts on airs, or strikes you in the face.
²¹ To my shame, I must say, we were too weak for that! But whatever anyone else dares to boast of—I am speaking as a fool—I also dare to boast of that.
²² Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they offspring of Abraham? So am I.
²³ Are they servants of Christ? I am a better one—I am talking like a madman—with far greater labors, far more imprisonments, with countless beatings, and often near death.
²⁴ Five times I received at the hands of the Jews the forty lashes less one.
²⁵ Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I was adrift at sea;
²⁶ on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, danger from robbers, danger from my own people, danger from Gentiles, danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, danger from false brothers;
²⁷ in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure.
²⁸ And, apart from other things, there is the daily pressure on me of my anxiety for all the churches.
²⁹ Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is made to fall, and I am not indignant?
³⁰ If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness.
³¹ The God and Father of the Lord Jesus, he who is blessed forever, knows that I am not lying.
³² At Damascus, the governor under King Aretas was guarding the city of Damascus in order to seize me,
³³ but I was let down in a basket through a window in the wall and escaped his hands.
¹ I must go on boasting. Though there is nothing to be gained by it, I will go on to visions and revelations of the Lord.
² I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven—whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows.
³ And I know that this man was caught up into paradise—whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows—
⁴ and he heard things that cannot be told, which man may not utter.
⁵ On behalf of this man I will boast, but on my own behalf I will not boast, except of my weaknesses—
⁶ though if I should wish to boast, I would not be a fool, for I would be speaking the truth; but I refrain from it, so that no one may think more of me than he sees in me or hears from me.
⁷ So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited.
⁸ Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me.
⁹ But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. (ESV)

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Gospel: Luke 8:4-15

⁴ And when a great crowd was gathering and people from town after town came to him, he said in a parable,
⁵ “A sower went out to sow his seed. And as he sowed, some fell along the path and was trampled underfoot, and the birds of the air devoured it.
⁶ And some fell on the rock, and as it grew up, it withered away, because it had no moisture.
⁷ And some fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up with it and choked it.
⁸ And some fell into good soil and grew and yielded a hundredfold.” As he said these things, he called out, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”
⁹ And when his disciples asked him what this parable meant,
¹⁰ he said, “To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of God, but for others they are in parables, so that ‘seeing they may not see, and hearing they may not understand.’
¹¹ Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God.
¹² The ones along the path are those who have heard; then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved.
¹³ And the ones on the rock are those who, when they hear the word, receive it with joy. But these have no root; they believe for a while, and in time of testing fall away.
¹⁴ And as for what fell among the thorns, they are those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by the cares and riches and pleasures of life, and their fruit does not mature.
¹⁵ As for that in the good soil, they are those who, hearing the word, hold it fast in an honest and good heart, and bear fruit with patience. (ESV)

Thou shalt not steal.

Prayer: Father of light and Giver of every good gift, keep us from treating our neighbors' money or possessions as things that we are free to take for ourselves. Instead, give us charity of heart that we might help and assist our neighbors to improve and protect their possessions and income so they may live without want or neediness and so enjoy the blessings that You have bestowed on them; through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

Catechism source: bookofconcord.org

For Our Family

Almighty God, merciful Father, You have blessed us with the gift of family. We entrust our loved ones to Your care. Defend them from all evil, enrich them with Your grace, and bring them at last to Your heavenly kingdom; through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

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For Our Friends

Heavenly Father, we thank You for the blessing of our friends. Watch over them in Your loving-kindness, keep them in Your faith and fear, and grant that we may encourage one another in love and good works; through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

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For Others (Outside of Friends/Family)

Lord of all, we pray for those outside our immediate circle: our neighbors, colleagues, and all whom we meet. Grant them Your peace, reveal to them Your salvation, and help us to be a blessing to them; through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

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For Civil Authorities, Peace, and Order

O God, from whom all authority is derived, we pray for the leaders of our nation and community. Grant them wisdom, integrity, and a desire for justice, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness; through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

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For the Spread of the Gospel & Missions

Lord Jesus Christ, You commanded us to make disciples of all nations. Bless all missionaries and evangelists who proclaim Your Word. Open hearts to receive the Gospel, and hasten the coming of Your kingdom; for Your name's sake. Amen.

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For Protection from Evil & Spiritual Growth

Almighty and everlasting God, defend us from the assaults of the devil, the world, and our own sinful flesh. Strengthen us by Your Spirit that we may grow in faith, love, and obedience to Your Word; through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

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The Church and Her Pastors

Gracious Father, we pray for Your holy Church throughout the world. Fill it with Your truth, defend it in times of adversity, and grant it unity and peace. Bless all pastors who preach Your Word and administer Your Sacraments; through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

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The Lord's Prayer

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 trespasses
as we forgive those who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the kingdom
and the power and the glory
forever and ever. Amen. Matthew 6:9-13

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Prayer for the Week

O Lord God, who sees that we put not our trust in anything that we do: Mercifully grant that by Your power we may be defended against all adversity; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord. Amen.

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Dedication

Almighty God, merciful Father, who created and completed all things, on this day when the work of our calling begins anew, we implore You to create its beginning, direct its continuance, and bless its end, that our doings may be preserved from sin, our life sanctified, and our work this day be well pleasing to You; through Jesus Christ, our Lord.
Amen.