Zion Lutheran Church (LCMS)

A Guide for Daily Prayer and Meditation

                  For the Week of the Third Sunday in Advent – December 11 through December 18, 2022

Some changes were made this week to help you. Liturgy from the “Morning” and “Close of Day” section of the Lutheran Service Book has been added to give you a fuller service around the daily scripture and prayers (other options from hymnal are “Noon” and “Early Evening” pp296-7). 

The Lord bless you as you pray these out loud with your family. 

As you spend time in these texts, please write down questions and feedback for Pastor Thomas. 

Excerpts from the Large Catechism on the Fourth Commandment

To the position of fatherhood and motherhood God has given special distinction above all positions that are beneath it: He does not simply command us to love our parents, but to honor them. Regarding our brothers, sisters, and neighbors in general, He commands nothing more than that we love them. In this way, He separates and distinguishes father and mother from all other persons upon earth and places them at His side. For it is a far higher thing to honor someone than to love someone, because honor includes not only love, but also modesty, humility, and submission to a majesty hidden in them. Honor requires not only that parents be addressed kindly and with reverence, but also that, both in the heart and with the body, we demonstrate that we value them very highly, and that, next to God, we regard them as the very highest. For someone we honor from the heart we must also truly regard as high and great. (371:105-107)

We must, therefore, impress this truth upon the young that they should think of their parents as standing in God’s place. They should remember that however lowly, poor, frail, and strange their parents may be, nevertheless, they are the father and the mother given to them by God. Parents are not to be deprived of their honor because of their conduct or their failings. Therefore, we are not to consider who they are or how they may be, but the will of God, who has created and ordained parenthood. In other respects people are, indeed, all equal in God’s eyes. But among humans there must necessarily be this inequality and ordered difference. Therefore, God commands this order to be kept, that you obey me as your father, and that I have the supremacy. (371:108)

The Order of Daily Prayer and Meditation

(Alternative short orders for Daily Prayer are on pp. 295-298 in our hymnal, Lutheran Service Book)

Pray and confess out loud as much from the order of meditation and prayer as you are able or based on your family size and ages. 

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.

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: LSB 370 What Child Is This

One or more verses from the hymn of the month are sung, or another hymn may be chosen.

Verse: Matthew 11:10b 

Behold, I send my messenger before your face, who will prepare your way before you.

Daily Lectionary

The Catechism: The Ten Commandments – The Fourth Commandment

What is the Fourth Commandment?

      Honor your father and your mother.

What does this mean?

      We should fear and love God so that we do not despise or anger our parents and other authorities, but honor them, serve and obey them, love and cherish them.

The Apostles’ Creed is confessed

Lord’s Prayer

Prayers for Others and Ourselves

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 Fourth Commandment

I pray to You in behalf of myself and all the world, grant Your grace, and richly pour Your blessing upon the home and the state. Help us from now on to be devout, to honor our parents, obey our rulers, resist the devil, and refuse to follow his temptations to disobey and to fight. Enable us by our deeds to improve our homes and nation and to preserve peace for Your praise and glory, for our own benefit, and for extending everything that is good. Grant that we may acknowledge these gifts and give thanks to You for them. Amen. (Martin Luther)

Let us bless the Lord.

Thanks be to God.