A.C.T.S. of Prayer

FOURTH SUNDAY OF ADVENT Sunday, December 22, 2019 Readings: Lesson: Isaiah 32:1-8 Psalm: 145 Epistle: 1 Thessalonians 5:12-28 Gospel: John 3:25-36 ADORATION Everlasting God, I exalt You, and bless and praise Your Name forever. O Wisdom from the mouth of the Most High, You are great and greatly to be praised, and there is no end to Your greatness. O Adonai, Lord who gave the Law, You are gracious and full of compassion, slow to anger, of great kindness, and loving to everyone. O Dayspring, I will ponder the glorious splendor of Your majesty, for You come to enlighten all who sit in darkness. O King of the nations, Your Kingdom is everlasting, and You come to unite all peoples, that they may know of Your power. O Emmanuel, God with us, You are near to those who call upon You in faith, and the eyes of all wait upon Your coming.   CONFESSION Almighty Father, You sent Your Son, the King who reigns with righteousness and rules with justice. I confess t...

THIRD SUNDAY OF ADVENT Sunday, December 15, 2019 Readings: Lesson: Isaiah 26:2-13 Psalm: 33 Epistle: Colossians 4:2-6 Gospel: Matthew 3:1-12 ADORATION Almighty God, I rejoice in You. I sing a new song of praises to You. Your Word is right and all Your works are sure. You love righteousness and justice, and Your loving-kindness fills the whole earth. Father, You made the heavens through Your Son, the Word. You made all the heavenly hosts through the Holy Spirit, the breath of Your mouth. What You speak come to pass; what You command is firmly established. You look down on me from Your realm. You fashion my heart and understand all my actions. My soul waits upon You because You are my help and my shield. My heart rejoices in You because I trust in Your Name. Your loving-kindness is upon me because I have faith in You. CONFESSION Righteous Father, You open the gates of heaven so that the righteous who keep faith may enter in. I confess that I do not liv...

SECOND SUNDAY OF ADVENT Sunday, December 8, 2019 Readings: Lesson: Isaiah 12:1-6 Psalm: 50 Epistle: 1 Thessalonians 3:7-13 Gospel: Luke 21:5-19 ADORATION Almighty God, I give You praise because You are my salvation. When I put my trust in You, I am no longer afraid. When I return to You, Your anger quickly turns into my comfort, and Your strength becomes my healing. With joy, I draw water from the infinite wells of Your knowledge and compassion. I sing praises to You, I proclaim that Your Name is exalted, and that You work gloriously in me, and in all Your creatures who call on Your Name for guidance and direction. You amend my life, thereby making known Your power to others. You are the Holy One who is in my midst, humbling my heart and clearing my mind, and so I shout aloud and sing for Your joy in Your Presence. CONFESSION Loving Father, within my heart You reveal Yourself perfect in beauty and glory. Every day, You call me to judgment, testing my hea...

FIRST SUNDAY OF ADVENT Sunday, December 1, 2019 Readings: Lesson: Isaiah 4:2-6 Psalm: 24 Epistle: 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11 Gospel: Matthew 25:1-13 ADORATION Almighty God, the earth is Yours, and all creatures that dwell therein. Your entire creation is founded upon the calm seas of Your eternal will, and is made firm in the flowing rivers of Your knowledge. Only those who act with clean hands and love with pure hearts can ascend into the fullness of Your salvation. And yet You choose to descend to all of us equally, showing no impartiality, in order to cleanse our hands and purify our hearts, that we may all receive Your blessing. You are the King of glory to whom the everlasting doors open up, so that heaven and earth may be joined forever. You lift up my head and open the doors of my heart, that You may come in and dwell with me. CONFESSION Heavenly Father, You promise that the coming of Your beautiful and glorious Branch brings holiness and life to Your p...

LAST SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY: Reign of Christ Sunday, November 24, 2019 Readings: Lesson: Malachi 3:1–4:5 Psalm: 145 Epistle: Colossians 1:11-23 Gospel: Matthew 25:31-46 ADORATION I exalt You, O God my King, and bless Your Name forever and ever. You are greatly to be praised, for You perform wondrous acts of goodness for all Your people. I ponder Your works and am filled with joy. You are gracious and full of compassion, loving to everyone. Your Kingdom is an everlasting Kingdom in which You open Your hand and satisfy the needs of every living creature. You lift me up whenever I fall, and You hold me by Your right hand. You are always near when I call upon You, even if I do not see or feel it. You fulfill my every desire by teaching me to ask only for those things which accord with Your will. My mouth shall speak Your praise, and my flesh will bless Your holy Name. CONFESSION God the Holy Spirit, You send messengers to prepare the way before the One who...

TWENTY-SECOND SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY Sunday, November 17, 2019 Readings: Lesson: Hosea 11:1-11 Psalm: 128 Epistle: Philippians 1:2-11 Gospel: Matthew 18:21-35 ADORATION Almighty God, blessed are all those who fear You, for respecting You is the beginning of all wisdom and instruction. Happy are all those who walk in Your ways, for You are a faithful guide and ever-present companion. When I aim for Your goodness, I eat the fruit of my own labor, the happiness and prosperity You prepare for me in Your grace. My devotion to You becomes evident in how I care for myself. My good deeds bring others to Your table of love. You bless me, Lord, from within my heart, and You cause my mind to perceive Your prosperity and goodness all the days of my life. You show me the fruits of my good deeds being passed forward by others, and so You bring peace to my soul. CONFESSION Loving Father, when Israel was a child, You loved him, and out of Egypt You called Your son. I ...

TWENTY-FIRST SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY Sunday, November 10, 2019 Readings: Lesson: Daniel 4:19-37 Psalm: 115 Epistle: Ephesians 6:10-20 Gospel: John 4:46-54 ADORATION Almighty God, I give glory to Your Name because of Your love and faithfulness. You are unlike the false idols which I am guilty of making. You alone are enduring truth—not silver or gold, not what I build with my hands, not even what I experience with my own five senses. None of that can help and defend me in the end if I do not have Your blessing, if You are not mindful of me. Therefore I put my trust in You, I worship You as the Maker of heaven and earth, and I bless Your holy Name. You increase me more and more in Your knowledge, You cultivate the virtues I try to produce from within, and You entrust me with a heart that must never be dead to Your praise nor silent with Your blessings. CONFESSION Father, through Your prophet Daniel, You humbled King Nebuchadnezzar so that he would recognize Y...