Eighth Sunday after Trinity

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EIGHTH SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY
Sunday, August 11, 2019

Readings:
Lesson: 1 Chronicles 17:1-15
Psalm: 48
Epistle: Romans 8:12-17
Gospel: Matthew 7:15-29

ADORATION
Almighty God and Lord, You are great and highly to be praised in Mount Zion—my heart center, which is the holy hill You choose to dwell in. You are the joy of the whole earth of my body. You are well known in the recesses of my heart as a sure refuge. When evil thoughts gather together against me, they are astonished at Your Presence within me. You suddenly cast them down by turning their own weapons of fear, sorrow and doubt against them, and so You uphold me forever. I wait for Your loving-kindness, O God, in the midst of the temple of my mind. You protect my heart with the towers of Your virtues, and with them You guide me away from falsehood, that You may be my true God forever.

CONFESSION
Father, You told King David that he would not be the one to build You a house, but rather You declared that You would build his house. I confess that I want to give structure to Your ways in order better to understand You, when in reality I need to let You build my own house, to set my own life in order, and help me to dwell in that peace which passes all understanding. I try to house You with rocks of my choosing, when You build Your temple with the stone which is rejected. My house for You would be built on the sands of my ignorance and imperfection, to fall under the floods of doubt and winds of fear. Only You can found my house upon the firm and sturdy Rock of Your Son.

THANKSGIVING
Holy Spirit, I thank You for Your Presence in my life. You give me the spirit, not of slavery to fall back into fear, but of adoption to rise again as a beloved, reconciled and healed child of God. My spirit, the very core of my being, cries in gratitude “Abba! Father!”, rejoices in God my Savior, and so You bear witness that I really do belong to Someone else. You cancel my debt to the flesh—that is, You release me from living a life based solely on whim, sense and instinct. You show me that, in You, I can lead a deeper life of love, truth and knowledge. Whatever I may suffer in pursuit of these, You assure me that I have the riches of Your grace, and Your glorification of my being, for my inheritance.

SUPPLICATION
Lord Jesus Christ, You taught that Your true followers would be recognized by their fruits. I pray that I can discern more truly who follows Your way and who does not. I ask You to protect me from those who come to me in Your Name like humble sheep, but inside are ravening wolves bent on destruction. I pray that my own labors and way of life may produce good fruit, and that I may not be a stumbling block or source of hypocrisy to others. Any fruit in me that is evil and corrupt, I call on You to cut it down with the double-edged sword of Your Word and cast it into the healing fire of the Holy Spirit, so that I may always do Your Father’s will, and enter into heaven’s kingdom of peace.

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