SVLC DEVOTION FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 2023

SHEPHERD OF THE VALLEY LUTHERAN CHURCH

DEVOTION, READINGS and PRAYERS

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 2023

 ²² Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly love, love one another earnestly from a pure heart, ²³ since you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God; ²⁴ for

“All flesh is like grass
    and all its glory like the flower of grass.
The grass withers,
    and the flower falls,
²⁵ but the word of the Lord remains forever.”

And this word is the good news that was preached to you. 1 Peter 1:22-25 ESV

 NEWS: Please refer to the Shepherd of The Valley Church Newsletter that Allen Kolkman sent by email yesterday.

 PRAYERS: Today we remember Deanna and Victor Dille in our prayers. Dee requests prayers for safety as she and others work close to a fire area on Camp Pendleton. She also requests prayers for her sons. We also pray for the sister of Margaret Paton, Carmen, who is hospitalized with heart issues. We continue to pray for Linda Johnson and strength for her. She just finished a round of chemo therapy for her cancer.

 READINGS: Ezra 8:24-36; Psalm 115; 1 Peter 1:13-25

 DEVOTION:

Daily Devotions from Lutheran Hour Ministries

“They Will Be Comforted” November 3, 2023

 

Matthew 5:4 – [Jesus said] “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.” Or as the New Testament scholar Jeff Gibbs translates these words of Jesus: “The people who are mourning are blessed because they will be comforted.” The people who are mourning, we know them. We are them because there is no life that has not tasted some bitterness of grief. Hundreds of millions of Christians this week are celebrating the festival called All Saints Day. It’s a day in which we pause and give thanks for those people of faith, both in our lives and in the history of the church who paved a foundation for us to walk the journey of faith with Jesus. All Saints Day, it’s an intergenerational event, but it also opens us up to pathways of pain called grief, acknowledging and remembering the heroes of the faith who went before us, on whose shoulders we stand. And when we stand on their tall shoulders, we ourselves can see further down the road. We can see the blessing of comfort coming to us from the eternal future of God. And there we can also see further backward the history of the saints in the Bible and in the church and how they kept the faith and overcame their tests and trials and were blessed in the stresses of their time. There is healing in remembering. And so, we remember Christ and the cross and standing there with Him before His cross. We are strong against sin that we may not be damned by it. We are strong against death that it may not devour us. We are strong against the devil that he may not keep us captive. If that doesn’t help you, another word is added in 1 Peter, the verb “establish,” which means that God will root us in a state of blessing for our shattered situations, a state of comfort for our complex predicaments, and a state of hope for the hurt that we are in. Yes, it’s undeserved, unmerited, unwarranted, unconditional, and unbreakable. And yes unto us who mourn, but are counted as blessed. WE PRAY: O Divine Life who rides the ancient skies above, whose signature after raging storms is a simple rainbow, who provides ultimate comfort in the sufferings of Jesus our Savior. Breathe Your Spirit of power to deliver captives today, to bless the people who are mourning. Rescue those in bondage to sin. Heal those afflicted with grief, and send Your angels to accompany all who will die today. In Jesus. Amen. This Daily Devotion was written by Rev. Dr. John Nunes. Reflection Questions: 1. Why is honoring the saints who have gone before us an appropriate thing to do? 2. How does God comfort His people when they are mourning? 3. How does the Holy Spirit help establish us in our faith?

 

Today’s Bible in a Year Reading: Jeremiah 33, 21; Hebrews 9

 

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 hour  s: 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 Friday to everyone! For any needs or prayer requests, please contact us

 Pastor Joel, pastor@svlcchurch.org