Zion Lutheran Church (LCMS)

A Guide for Daily Prayer and Meditation: Sept 8-15, 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)

+++

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 for September LSB Children of the Heavenly Father

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

Verse of the Week: Psalm 147:2-3

The Lord builds up Jerusalem; he gathers the outcasts of Israel. He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.

Daily Lectionary

The Sacrament of Holy Baptism

What is Baptism?

Baptism is not just plain water, but it is the water included in God’s command and combined with God’s word.

Which word is that?

      Christ our Lord says in the last chapter of Matthew: Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.

What benefits does Baptism give?

 It works forgiveness of sins, rescues from death and the devil, and gives eternal salvation to all who believe this, as the words and promises declare.

Which words are these?

 Christ our Lord says in the last chapter of Mark: Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.  For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever.  Amen

What does this mean?

      This means that I should be certain that these petitions are pleasing to our Father in heaven, and are heard by Him; for He Himself has commanded us to pray in this way and has promised to hear us. Amen, amen means “yes, yes, it shall be so.”

(Go to bottom of next page for related Bible verses and/or excerpts from Large Catechism.)

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:  Pastor Carlson, Dan Drinkman, Ben, Louis Gettler, Arlene Hakes, Marlys Jones, Pastor Jones, Greg Leland, Missy Lien (Thomas family friend), Lacie Miles (Chrystal’s sister-in-law), Marlene Paulson (Dianne Schroeder’s sister), Arlene Potts, Michael Potts, Mark Radl, Jesse Schweisthal, Sarah Schweisthal, Kara Simmons (Pastor & Susan Thomas’ goddaughter) Dan & Leah Sparks (Marty Swearingen’s brother-in-law and sister), Marlys St. George (Pastor Jones’ great aunt), Pastor Szedlak, Ben Thomas, Jeff Thomas

Prayer based on The Sacrament of Holy Baptism[1]

Gracious Father, thank you for the gift of Baptism, which Your Son has established by His Word and promise. Teach us to treasure all that Jesus has done for us in His cross and resurrection. Give us confidence that through our Baptism we bear Your holy name and so are Your children for time and eternity; through the same Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

Let us bless the Lord.

Thanks be to God.

Bible Verses for Meditation on the Sacrament of Holy Baptism

- And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself.” Acts 2:38-39

- For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit, in which[c] he went and proclaimed to the spirits in prison, because they formerly did not obey, when God's patience waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were brought safely through water. Baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you, not as a removal of dirt from the body but as an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, with angels, authorities, and powers having been subjected to him. 1 Peter 3:18-22

- Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. For one who has died has been set free from sin. Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. For the death he died he died to sin, once for all, but the life he lives he lives to God. So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus. Romans 6:3-11 

- 1 Corinthians 6:9-11; Galatians 3:26-29; Acts 22:16

[1] Luther’s Small Catechism with Explanation. St. Louis: Concordia, 2017.