Month of Prayer - Week 6

Feast

Receiving the Resurrection

Opening Meditation

Romans 6:1-14

What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it? 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.

Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, to make you obey its passions. Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness. For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace.

Morning Prayer

Good morning heavenly Father,
good morning Lord Jesus,
good morning Holy Spirit.
Heavenly Father, I worship you as the creator and sustainer of the universe.
Lord Jesus, I worship you, Savior and Lord of the world.
Holy Spirit, I worship you, sanctifier of the people of God.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit!
Heavenly Father, I pray that I may live this day in your presence
and please you more and more.
Lord Jesus, I pray that this day I may take up my cross and follow you.
Holy Spirit, I pray that this day you will fill me with yourself
and cause your fruit to ripen in my life:
love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.
Holy, blessed and glorious Trinity, three persons in one God,
have mercy upon me. Amen. (John Stott)

Evening Prayer

O Lord God, now grant me the grace not only to rest my body this night,
but to have my spiritual repose in your grace and love,
that I may let go of all earthly cares so I might be comforted and eased in all ways.
And because no day passes that I don’t sin in so many ways,
please bury all my offenses in your mercy, that I might not lose your presence.
Forgive me, merciful Father, for Christ’s sake.
And as I lay down to sleep to safely awake again only by your grace,
keep me in a joyful, lively remembrance that whatever happens,
I will someday know my final rising — the resurrection —
because Jesus Christ lay down in death for me,
and rose for my justification. In His name I pray, Amen. (John Calvin)

Assurance Reading

Colossians 3:1-3

Receive these words of comfort from God:

If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.

Response

Sing or Pray these words

Catechism

Confess what you believe while receiving instruction from the New City Catechism

Q49: Where is Christ now?
Answer:  Christ rose bodily from the grave on the third day after his death and is seated at the right hand of the Father, ruling his kingdom and interceding for us, until he returns to judge and renew the whole world.

Q50: What does Christ’s resurrection
mean for us?
Answer: Christ triumphed over sin and death by being physically resurrected, so that all who trust in him are raised to new life in this world and to everlasting life in the world to come. Just as we will one day be resurrected, so this world will one day be restored. But those who do not trust in Christ will be raised to everlasting death.

Q51: Of what advantage to us is
Christ’s ascension?
Answer: Christ physically ascended on our behalf, just as he came down to earth physically on our account, and he is now advocating for us in the presence of his Father, preparing a place for us, and also sends us his Spirit.

BIBLE READING

Lord, to whom shall we go?
You have the words of eternal life!
Help us now to hear and obey what you say to us today.
Through Christ, our Lord. Amen. (based on John 6:68)

• Read along in your Bible Reading Plan
• Or read the sermon text for this upcoming Sunday
• Or meditate on and memorize this week’s readings

PRAYERs OF INTERCESSION

Almighty God, through your only begotten Son Jesus Christ you have overcome death and opened to us the gate of everlasting life - we humbly ask you, that as by your special grace going before us, you put in our minds good desires, so that by your continual help, we may bring the same to good effect; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, world without end. Amen. (Book of Common Prayer)

FAMILY

Pray that your household and church family would live more deeply in the hope of eternal life and the everyday power of Christ’s resurrection to walk in newness of life.

WHO’S YOUR ONE?

Pray that your unbelieving family members, neighbors, and coworkers would be confronted with the changed lives of Christians and so be prepared to hear and receive the good news of Jesus Christ.

WORLD

Pray that missionaries would be called, raised up, and sent to the nations, and that a renewed sense of reverence, repentance, and rejoicing in Christ would fill the earth in our lifetime.

THE LORD’S PRAYER

Conclude with the prayer our Lord Jesus taught us to pray (Matthew 6:9-13)

‹— Last Week - Fellowship