A Guide for Daily Prayer and Meditation: Dec 15-22, 2024
Pray and confess out loud as much as you are able or based on your family size and ages. (Alternative orders in LSB pp295-8)
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The sign of the cross + may be made by all in remembrance of their baptism.
In the name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
| Morning | Close of the Day |
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In the morning, O Lord, You hear my voice; In the morning I prepare a sacrifice for You and watch |
The Lord Almighty grant us a quiet night and peace at the last. Amen. |
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My mouth is filled with Your praise, And with Your glory all the day. |
It is good to give thanks to the Lord, To sing praise to Your name, O Most High; |
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O Lord, open my lips, And my mouth will declare Your praise. |
To herald Your love in the morning; Your truth at the close of the day. |
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.
Hymn of the Month for December LSB 357 O Come, O Come, Emmanuel
One or more verses from the hymn of the month are sung, or another hymn may be chosen.
Verse of the Week: Matthew 11:10
Behold, I send my messenger before your face, who will prepare your way before you.
Daily Lectionary
| Sunday | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Saturday | Sunday | |
| Old Testament |
Isaiah 30:27-31:9 |
Isaiah 32:1-20 |
Isaiah 33:1-24 |
Isaiah 34:1-2, 8- 35:10 |
Isaiah 40:1-17 |
Isaiah 40:18-41:10 |
Isaiah 42:1-25 |
Isaiah 43:1-24 |
| Psalms |
146:1-7 80 |
149 61 |
40:1-5, 16-17 20 |
119:81-88 145 |
103:11-18 19 |
119:25-32 141 |
102 |
115:1-8, 11 125 |
| New Testament |
Revelation 3:1-22 |
Revelation 4:1-11 |
Revelation 5:1-14 |
Revelation 6:1-17 |
Revelation 7:1-17 |
Revelation 8:1-13 |
Revelation 9:1-12 |
Revelation 9:13-10:11 |
The Sixth Commandment: You shall not commit adultery.
What does this mean?
We should fear and love God so that we lead a sexually pure and decent life in what we say and do, and husband and wife love and honor each other.
The Apostles’ Creed is confessed † Lord’s Prayer † Prayers for Others and Ourselves (see LSB 305-318 for prayers)
In Our Prayers: Those who are suffering: Shirley Arndt, Dan Drinkman, Lois Eichinger, Pastor David Ficken, Louis and Mary Gettler, Marlys Jones, Pastor Jones, Rick Lahner (Carter’s grandfather), Greg Leland, Missy Lien (Thomas family friend), Lacie Miles (Chrystal’s sister-in-law), Marlene Paulson (Dianne Schroeder’s sister), Kathy Peterson, Arlene Potts, Michael Potts, Mark Radl, Jesse Schweisthal, Sarah Schweisthal, Dianne Schroeder, Kara Simmons (Pastor & Susan Thomas’ goddaughter), Leah Sparks (Marty Swearingen’s sister), Pastor Szedlak, Jeff Thomas, Cookie Ziebarth
Collect for the Third Sunday in Advent
Lord Jesus Christ, we implore You to hear our prayers and to lighten the darkness of our hearts by Your gracious visitation; for You live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Prayer based on the Sixth Commandment[1]
Holy Lord, You instituted marriage in Eden, and by Your Word You uphold and protect this blessed union of man and woman in one flesh. Cause us to honor marriage and put away from us all sinful thoughts, words, and deeds that would dishonor and distort the gift of marriage, Bless all married couples with faithfulness. Hear the prayers of all who seek a godly spouse, and give to us all purity and decency in all things; through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.
| Morning | Close of the Day |
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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 be well pleasing to you; through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen. I thank you my heavenly Father, through Jesus Christ, Your dear Son, that have kept me this night from all harm and danger; and I pray that You would keep me this day also from sin and every evil, that all my doings and life may please You. For into Your hands I commend myself, my body and soul, and all things. Let Your holy angel be with me, that the evil foe may have no power over me. Amen |
Visit our dwellings, O Lord, and in Your great mercy defend us from all perils and dangers of this night; for the love of Your only Son, our Savior Jesus Christ. Amen. I thank You, my heavenly Father, through Jesus Christ, Your dear Son, that You have graciously kept me this day; and I pray that You would forgive me all my sins where I have done wrong, and graciously keep me this night. For into Your hands I commend myself, my body and soul and all things. Let Your holy angel be with me that the evil foe may have no power over me. Amen. |
Let us bless the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
Excerpts from the Large Catechism on the Sixth Commandment
-[The Fifth through the Tenth Commandments] are all to show that we must avoid doing any kind of harm to our neighbor. But they are arranged in fine order. In the first place, they talk about our neighbor personally. Then they proceed to talk about the person nearest him, or the closest possession next after his body, namely, his wife. She is one flesh and blood with him, so that they cannot inflict a higher injury upon him in any good that is his. Therefore, it is clearly forbidden here to bring any disgrace upon our neighbor regarding his wife. (381-382:200)
-But among us there is such a shameful mess and the very dregs of all vice and lewdness. Therefore, this commandment is directed against all kinds of unchastity, whatever it may be called. Not only is the outward act of adultery forbidden, but also every kind of cause, motive, and means of adultery. Then the heart, the lips, and the whole body may be chaste and offer no opportunity, help, or persuasion toward inchastity. (382:202-203)
- [God] gloriously … honors and praises this estate. For by His commandment He both approves and guards it. He has approved it above in the Fourth Commandments, “Honor your father and your mother.” But here He has (as we said) hedged it about and protected it. Therefore, He also wishes us to honor it and maintain and govern it as a divine and blessed estate because, in the first place, He has instituted it before all others. He created man and woman separately, as is clear. This was not for lewdness, but so that they might live together in marriage, be fruitful, bear children, and nourish and train them to honor God. (382:206-207)
-[Marriage] is not only placed on an equality with other estates, but it comes first and surpasses them all. (382:209)
Bible verses for meditation on the Sixth Commandment
-Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.
Genesis 1:26-27
-Genesis 2:22-25, Mark 10:6-9
[1] Luther’s Small Catechism with Explanation. St. Louis: Concordia, 2017.