“There is no king saved by the multitude of an host: a mighty man is not delivered by much strength. An horse is a vain thing for safety: neither shall he deliver any by his great strength. Behold, the eye of the LORD is upon them that fear him, upon them that hope in his mercy; to deliver their soul from death, and to keep them alive in famine.” Psalm 33:16-19
It is a vain thing to place one’s trust in earthly weapons and might because it is the LORD God who protects and delivers those who honor Him and place their trust in His mercy. The LORD is the one who delivers those who trust in Him. He keeps them alive in times of trouble and famine.
O gracious and merciful God, have mercy upon me and forgive my sins for the sake of the shed blood of Thy dear Son. Be Thou my protector and defender in times of trouble. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.
[Scripture is quoted from the King James Version of the Bible.]
“What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid. Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?” Romans 6:15-16
Are we free to sin because we are saved by grace? The answer of God’s Word is an emphatic “No!” If we yield ourselves to sin, we become enslaved in sin, leading to eternal death. If we continue in true repentance and faith, we are counted righteous in Christ Jesus and will seek to turn away from sin and live for Him.
Dear Father in heaven, forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen.
[Scripture is quoted from the King James Version of the Bible.]
“Yea, for thy sake are we killed all the day long; we are counted as sheep for the slaughter.” Psalm 44:22
Christians sometimes suffer for their own sins to move them back to repentance and faith. But even when they are faithful to Christ and His Word, they are opposed and persecuted in this world. They suffer, they are killed, and they “are counted as sheep for the slaughter.” Why? Because the people of this world hate them for their witness to the teaching of the Bible — for their warnings of God’s judgment and their calling upon all to repent of their evil ways and look to Christ Jesus and His cross for mercy and forgiveness.
O God, grant that I do not suffer because of my own sinfulness but that I faithfully follow You and Your Word and endure the persecution of this world in the hope of the everlasting joys of heaven which were purchased for me with Christ’s blood, shed on the cross for the sins of the world. Amen.
[Scripture is quoted from the King James Version of the Bible.]
“All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.” Isaiah 53:6
This ancient prophecy, given through the prophet Isaiah, teaches that every one of us, like a wayward sheep, has turned aside from the way of the LORD and gone his own way. We have all sinned against our Creator and are guilty before God. But the LORD has laid the guilt and punishment for the sins of all upon Jesus Christ, God’s own dear Son. Jesus atoned for the sins of all when He suffered and died on the cross so that we might look to Him in faith, be forgiven, and have life everlasting!
I have sinned, O LORD. I have turned aside from Your holy commandments and walked in my own sinful ways. Pardon my sin and forgive my iniquity for the sake of the holy and precious blood of the Son, Christ Jesus, and His atoning sacrifice on the cross in my stead. Amen.
[Scripture is quoted from the King James Version of the Bible.]
“Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof. Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.” Romans 6:12-13
Since we who believe and have been baptized are joined to Christ in His death — in full payment for our sins — and in His resurrection — that we might be alive to God — we are urged to present our bodies to God as being alive from the dead rather than to our old sinful passions which lead back into death.
Grant that I live for You, O God, as one joined to Christ in baptism, dead to sin but alive to You through faith in Christ Jesus. Amen.
[Scripture is quoted from the King James Version of the Bible.]
