The full text of this evening prayer post, with original photos, can be found at crumbsfromhistable.substack.com.

Call to Worship:

“Blessed is the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavens in Christ. For he chose us in him, before the foundation of the world, to be holy and blameless in love before him. He predestined us to be adopted as sons through Jesus Christ for himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace that he lavished on us in the Beloved One. ”

Ephesians 1:3-6 CSB

Let us confess our sins to Almighty God:

“Most merciful God, we confess that we have sinned against You this day, in thought, word, and deed; by what we have done, and by what we have left undone. We have not loved You with our whole hearts; we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. We are truly sorry and we humbly repent. For the sake of Your Son Jesus Christ, have mercy on us and forgive us, that we may delight in Your will, and walk in Your ways, to the glory of Your Name. Grant to Your people pardon and peace, that in Your great mercy, we may be forgiven all our sins, and serve You with a quiet and contrite heart. In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, amen.”

(Book of Common Prayer)

This is what the Word of God says:

“If we say we do not bear the guilt of sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us. But if we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous, forgiving us our sins and cleansing us from all unrighteousness.”

1 John 1:8-9 NET

Now let us ask the Lord to help us in the reading of a chapter His Word:

“Almighty God, I earnestly ask you for such deeper fellowship of the Holy Spirit, who speaks in the blessed Scriptures, that when I open them, I may perceive his mind in what I read, and immediately hear in them his voice to myself. I ask you for a quicker understanding in spiritual things, for more desire to understand, a fuller perception of your promise in the church, that I may become teachable, and may love that by which you will teach me. Amen.” 

Henry Wotherspoon

Let us listen together to this portion from God’s Word:

Psalm 46

To the choirmaster. Of the Sons of Korah. According to Alamoth. A Song.

[1] God is our refuge and strength,

a very present help in trouble.

[2] Therefore we will not fear though the earth give way,

though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea,

[3] though its waters roar and foam,

though the mountains tremble at its swelling. Selah

[4] There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,

the holy habitation of the Most High.

[5] God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved;

God will help her when morning dawns.

[6] The nations rage, the kingdoms totter;

he utters his voice, the earth melts.

[7] The LORD of hosts is with us;

the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah

[8] Come, behold the works of the LORD,

how he has brought desolations on the earth.

[9] He makes wars cease to the end of the earth;

he breaks the bow and shatters the spear;

he burns the chariots with fire.

[10] “Be still, and know that I am God.

I will be exalted among the nations,

I will be exalted in the earth!”

[11] The LORD of hosts is with us;

the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah

This is the Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.

Continuing in our prayers for the day:

“O Lord,

who is as the shadow of a great rock in a weary land,

who beholds your weak creatures,

weary of labor,

weary of pleasure,

weary of hope deferred,

weary of self,

in your abundant compassion and unutterable tenderness,

bring us, we ask you, unto your rest.”

Christina Rossetti

Intercession

“Watch thou, dear Lord,

with those who wake and watch or weep tonight,

and give thine angels charge over those who sleep.

Tend thy sick ones, O Lord Christ;

rest thy weary ones;

bless thy dying ones;

soothe thy suffering ones;

shield thy joyous ones;

and all for thy Love’s sake.”

ST. AUGUSTINE

Examen:

Here, as we nestle into the presence of the Lord, let us reflect on our day. When were we most aware of the blessing and love of God? When were we least aware of the blessing, love, and presence of God?

Lord, we offer the times of consolation and desolation alike to You. Thank You that you are with us, actively blessing, loving, and watching over us, when we feel it most and when we feel farthest away. Help us to abide in awareness and trust in Your love. Amen.

Let us also pray specifically for government leaders:

O Most High God,

King of kings and Lord of lords,

Who rules the kingdom of humanity and gives it to whom You will:

All Your works are right and Your ways just;

The hearts of the greatest in power and wealth are like streams of water You turn where You wish;

In Your great mercy and steadfast love,

Guide and direct our governing authorities

So that we may lead peaceful and quiet lives,

Godly and dignified in every way;

Draw our leaders always nearer to Yourself,

That they might do justly, love mercy, and walk humbly before You,

Until Your kingdom comes in fullness, on earth as it is in heaven,

In the mighty name of Jesus.

Amen.

Please join me in praying after the pattern the Lord Jesus taught His disciples, saying:

“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 debts,

As we also have forgiven our debtors;

And lead us not into temptation,

But deliver us from evil.”

Matthew 6:9-13 RSV

For Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever.

Amen.

(Final phrase present in some manuscripts but not all; in the marginal note for RSV.)

In conclusion:

“Lighten our darkness, we beseech Thee, O Lord, and by Thy great mercy, defend us from all perils and dangers of this night, for the love of Thine only Son our Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.”

“Collect for Aid Against Perils,” Book of Common Prayer

“And, after you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace who called you to his eternal glory in Christ will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.”

1 Peter 5:10 NET

For Those Who Wish to Go Deeper in Today’s Passage:

The next step is to read or listen to the passage prayerfully, with an attentive, listening heart, at least 3 times. Reading from multiple translations may be helpful. Do read at least once in your heart language, if that is not English. Let it steep in your soul like tea leaves or ground coffee, until it begins to flavor your heart and mind.

Next, still in an attitude of prayer, bring the 5 W’s and H into your observation. Ask and answer who, what, when, where, why, and how questions from the text. If the answer isn’t in the text, you might make a note of the question for later in the process. Read it like a note from your first childhood crush. Slow down and really notice as many details as you can. See if you can record 25 observations. If that seems easy, try 25 more. Keep going until you get stuck. Then try again tomorrow. I still notice new details after 38+ years of daily Bible reading.

Here are a few specific suggested questions to help you begin:

Who wrote this Psalm?

Is it an “I” or a “we” praying?

What names of God are used in this Psalm?

What promises are given?

What commands are stated?

Under what conditions (when) does the Psalm say, “We do not fear”?

Hint: When you see “therefore,” look at what came before to see what it’s there fore.

Where does this Psalm say God dwells?

How does the Psalm complete this sentence: “God is ____________”?

List all references to water.

Do you see any other repeated words or phrases? If so, write them down.

God is our refuge and strength,

a very present help in trouble.

The LORD of hosts is with us;

the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah

(Psalm 46:1, 11, ESV)

Thanks for reading crumbs from His table fellowship! If you know someone who needs this post, please share.

Courage, dear hearts.

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