“My little children, these things I write to you so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world.” 1 John 2:1-2
How can a holy God forgive us when we repent and confess our sins? It is because of Jesus Christ, who lived a righteous and holy life in our stead and then suffered and died on the cross to atone for our sins and the sins of the whole world. The risen and ascended Lord Jesus is our Advocate with the Father. He pleads for us with His precious blood.
Forgive my sins, O Lord, and cleanse my heart for the sake of Jesus Christ and His atoning sacrifice for the sins of all. Amen.
“You alone are the LORD; You have made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their host, the earth and everything on it, the seas and all that is in them, and You preserve them all. The host of heaven worships You.” Nehemiah 9:6
This prayer of the Levites, recorded by Nehemiah, confesses the truth that the LORD, the one true God – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit – created the heavens, the earth, the seas, and all that is in them, and He still preserves them all. The stars and the universe glorify His holy name, showing His infinite wisdom and power in creating and preserving all things by the power of His word.
I, too, worship You, O LORD, and glorify Your name for creating this vast universe and yet loving me enough to send Your Son to suffer my punishment, die in my stead, and redeem me that I might look to You in faith, receive Your mercy, and glorify You. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.
“If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.” 1 John 1:6-7
To walk in the light is to walk in the truth and allow the light of God’s Word to shine into our hearts and upon our lives, revealing our sins and failures under God’s law but also revealing to us the redemption God provided for us through the blood of His Son which was shed upon the cross for our sins and the sins of the world.
O God, grant that I not hide from the light but allow the light to expose my sin and point me to Christ Jesus, who shed His blood on the cross to atone for my sins and restore me to fellowship with You. Amen.
[Scripture is quoted from King James Version of the Bible.]
“By faith we understand that the ages were set by the word of God, so that things that are seen were not made out of things which are visible.” Hebrews 11:3
The ages, which include the universe and the world in which we live, were created and established by the Word of God at God’s command. He said, “Let there be …” and “there was” (Gen. 1). What we see and know today in this world and the universe was created from nothing and exists solely by God’s command and decree.
O Creator of all, grant us faith to believe Your Word and to trust in Your wisdom and power to create and preserve all things by Your command. In the name of Christ Jesus, the eternal Word made flesh to redeem us, we pray. Amen.
“But as for me, I will come into Your house in the multitude of Your mercy; in fear of You, I will worship toward Your holy temple.” Psalm 5:7
Nothing we can do will make us or our worship acceptable to the LORD God. It is only because of God’s abundant mercy in Jesus Christ — for the sake of Christ’s atoning sacrifice on the cross for our sins — that we can, by faith, enter into His presence and honor Him with our worship and praise.
Have mercy upon me, O God, for the sake of Jesus Christ and His innocent sufferings and death in my stead, and receive my worship and praise. Amen.
