Daily Prayer for the 5th week after Pentecost

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 gently tell about our hope in Jesus.

Ê      That the outreach to people with disabilities would succeed.

Ê      That the grant requests would be successful.

Ê      That the new officers of the District would be blessed with wisdom and skill to perform their duties.

Pray for the members and friends of Peace.

Pray for people according to their needs:

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

2 Corinthians 5:14-15 (ESV)
¹⁴ For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died; ¹⁵ and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised.

Psalm of the Week:             Psalm 124

From the Augsburg Confession

[XX.] Concerning Faith and Good Works

In the first place, our works cannot reconcile us with God or obtain grace. Instead, this happens through faith alone when a person believes that our sins are forgiven for Christ’s sake, who alone is the mediator to reconcile the Father. Now all who imagine that they can accomplish this by works and can merit grace despise Christ and seek their own way to God contrary to the gospel.

This teaching about faith is publicly and clearly treated in Paul at many places, especially in Ephesians 2[:8–9]: “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God—not the result of works, so that no one may boast. . . .”

Further, it is taught that good works should and must be done, not that a person relies on them to earn grace, but for God’s sake and to God’s praise. Faith alone always takes hold of grace and forgiveness of sin. Because the Holy Spirit is given through faith, the heart is also moved to do good works. For before, because it lacks the Holy Spirit, the heart is too weak. Moreover, it is in the power of the devil who drives our poor human nature to many sins, as we observe in the philosophers who tried to live honestly and blamelessly, but then failed to do so and fell into many great, public sins. That is what happens to human beings when they are separated from true faith, are without the Holy Spirit, and govern themselves through their own human strength alone. 

That is why this teaching concerning faith is not to be censured for prohibiting good works. On the contrary, it should be praised for teaching the performance of good works and for offering help as to how they may be done. For without faith and without Christ human nature and human power are much too weak to do good works: such as to call on God, to have patience in suffering, to love the neighbor, to engage diligently in legitimate callings, to be obedient, to avoid evil lust, etc. Such lofty and genuine works cannot be done without the help of Christ, as he himself says in John 15[:5]: “Apart from me you can do nothing.”

Readings for the Week

Looking Forward to Next Week:  6^th Sunday after Pentecost