Congregation Prayer for the 5th Week of Lent

The Congregation at Prayer

Never worry about anything. But in every situation let God know what you need in prayers and requests while giving thanks. Then God’s peace, which goes beyond anything we can imagine, will guard your thoughts and emotions through Christ Jesus. (Phil 4:6-7, God’s Word)

Congregation Prayer Topics

Pray for the ministry of Peace Lutheran Church:

Ê      That the LORD would help each disciple to be a faithful steward of the gift of life and faith.

Ê      That the Holy Spirit would give faith to our catechumens.

Ê      That each of us would tell a friend about the Lord Jesus.

Ê      That the outreach to people with disabilities would succeed.

Ê      That many people would come to faith in Jesus Christ.

Ê      That the grant requests would be successful.

Ê      That the South Wisconsin District support would continue.

Pray for people according to their needs:

Ê      For peace in the nations of the world

Ê      For people persecuted because of faith in Jesus Christ

Ê      For protection of the men and women in the military:

Ê      For those who mourn loved ones

Ê      For those who need the LORD’s healing or consolation:

Verse of the Week

Mark 10:45 (ESV)
⁴⁵ For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

Psalm of the Week:             Psalm 119:9–16

From the Apology to the Augsburg Confession

The services of the Mass and the rest of the papal order are nothing else than false zeal arising from a misinterpretation of the Levitical order. Although our position finds its primary support in the Epistle to the Hebrews, our opponents twist and use against us mutilated passages from this very epistle, as in this passage, where it is said that every high priest is appointed to offer sacrifices for sins. Scripture itself immediately adds that Christ is the high priest [Heb. 5:5, 6, 10]. The preceding words talk about the Levitical priesthood and indicate that it was an image of Christ’s priesthood. Levitical sacrifices for sin did not merit the forgiveness of sins before God; as we have already said, they were only an image of the sacrifice of Christ, which was to be the one atoning sacrifice. Thus, the epistle is devoted to a large extent to the theme that the ancient priesthood and the ancient sacrifices were instituted not for the purpose of meriting forgiveness of sins before God or for reconciliation, but only to point to the future sacrifice of the one Christ. For in the Old Testament as in the New, saints had to be justified by faith on the basis of the promise of the forgiveness of sins given on account of Christ. Since the beginning of the world, all the saints have had to believe that Christ would be the promised offering and satisfaction for sins, just as Isaiah teaches [53:10], “When you make his life an offering for sin . . .” Therefore, the Old Testament sacrifices did not merit reconciliation—unless by a certain analogy (for they did merit civil reconciliation)—but only pointed to the coming sacrifice. It follows that only the sacrifice of Christ can be applied to the sins of others. No other such sacrifice applicable to the sins of others remains in the New Testament outside the one sacrifice of Christ on the cross.

Readings for the 5^th Week of Lent

Looking Forward to Next Week:  Palm Sunday