Greetings in the name of Jesus, our Savior. I encourage you to be in worship Sunday to receive the gifts of forgiveness and salvation Jesus distributes through His Word and His holy Supper.
On July 27 we will be following the liturgy of Divine Service Setting Three beginning on page 184 of the Lutheran Service Book hymnal. Hymns chosen for the day are #779 Come My Soul, with Every Care; #771 Be Still, My Soul, Before the Lord; #575 My Hope is Built on Nothing Less; and #770 What a Friend We Have in Jesus.
Scripture texts assigned to the day are Psalm 138:1-8; Genesis 18:17-33; Colossians 2:6-19; and Luke 11:1-13. One theme that connects these readings is prayer. Prayer is conversation with God. God commands and invites His people to pray to Him. Prayer is evidence that one believes that exists, that He lives, and that He is able and willing to help His people. Prayer is an acknowledgement that God is in charge of the matters of the earth. He is a gracious and almighty Father who wants the best for us.
In the reading from Genesis, God is threatening the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah for the homosexual activity going on there. The citizens will not repent but become even more belligerent. The family of Abraham’s nephew Lot also lived in Sodom, so Abraham was persistent in praying a series of pleas to God that He would spare the city to preserve the righteous people who might also live there. God heard Abraham’s prayer and agreed to preserve the city if ten righteous people could be found. Sadly, the city was so wicked there could not be found ten righteous people. Only Lot and his two daughters escaped. Certainly, at the end of the day God’s will is done. But God is gracious to those who repent and call upon Him.
In the epistle lesson from Colossians 2, St. Paul reminds the Church of the change Jesus brought to our lives. Once we were spiritually dead in sin. But Jesu shas canceled the charges against us by giving His life as a sacrifice fully paying the penalty of death each of us owed for our sin. Paul describes being baptized into Jesus as a circumcision of the heart. He has made us eternally and spiritually alive, and has forgiven all your sin. So, we should trust Jesus and avoid trying to justify ourselves by performing any works or relying on human traditions. When we pray in Jesus’ name we hold on to Him, rooted and built up in Him that we may grow in faith.
In the gospel lesson Jesus’ disciples ask Him to teach how to pray. So, He gives them an outline of prayer that we call the Lord’s Prayer, a prayer we still pray today. We are commanded and invited to pray. Prayer is an opportunity to talk to God. In prayer we can ask for things for ourselves and for others, express our hurts and desires, and give thanks to God for His generosity and kindness. Lord teach each of us how to pray.
Collect:
O Lord, let Your merciful ears be attentive to the prayers of Your servants, and by Your Word and Spirit teach us how to pray that our petitions may be pleasing before You; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
Let me know if you have any prayer requests or questions about the Scripture lessons for Sunday. God bless you. Pastor Boster
