You, my child, hear and be wise, and direct your heart on the road. 20 Do not be among drinkers of wine, among gluttonous eaters of ?their meat?. 21 For the drunkard and gluttonous, they will become poor, and with rags, drowsiness will clothe them. 22 Listen to your father—he who ?gave you life?, and do not despise your mother when she is old. 23 Buy truth and do not sell it, wisdom and instruction and understanding. 24 The father of the righteous will surely rejoice;…
+ DAILY PRAYER +
In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Hear my prayer, O Lord; give ear to my pleas for mercy!
In your faithfulness answer me, in your righteousness!
Evening and morning and at noon I utter my complaint and moan,
and he hears my voice.
Cast your burden on the Lord, and he will sustain you;
He will never permit the righteous to be moved.
Psalm 63:1-8
Psa 63:1 O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you;
my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you,
as in a dry and weary land where there is no water.
Psa 63:2 So I have looked upon you in the sanctuary,
beholding your power and glory.
Psa 63:3 Because your steadfast love is better than life,
my lips will praise you.
Psa 63:4 So I will bless you as long as I live;
in your name I will lift up my hands.
Psa 63:5 My soul will be satisfied as with fat and rich food,
and my mouth will praise you with joyful lips,
Psa 63:6 when I remember you upon my bed,
and meditate on you in the watches of the night;
Psa 63:7 for you have been my help,
and in the shadow of your wings I will sing for joy.
Psa 63:8 My soul clings to you;
your right hand upholds me.
Reading for Friday July 25th Prov 23:19-35
19 You, my child, hear and be wise,
and direct your heart on the road.
20 Do not be among drinkers of wine,
among gluttonous eaters of ?their meat?.
21 For the drunkard and gluttonous, they will become poor,
and with rags, drowsiness will clothe them.
22 Listen to your father—he who ?gave you life?,
and do not despise your mother when she is old.
23 Buy truth and do not sell it,
wisdom and instruction and understanding.
24 The father of the righteous will surely rejoice;
he who bears a wise person will be happy with him.
25 May your father and your mother be glad,
and may she who bore you rejoice.
26 My child, may you give your heart to me,
and may your eyes delight in my ways.
27 For a deep pit is a prostitute,
and a narrow well is ?an adulteress?.
28 She is also like a robber lying in wait,
and the faithless among mankind she increases.
29 To whom is woe? To whom is sorrow? To whom are quarrels? To whom is complaint?
To whom are wounds without cause? To whom is redness of the eyes?
30 To those who linger over wine,
to those who come to try mixed wine.
31 Do not look at wine when it is red,
when it ?sparkles? on the cup,
going down smoothly.
32 ?In the end?, it will bite like a serpent,
and it will sting like an adder.
33 Your eyes will see strange things,
and your heart will speak perverse things.
34 And you will be like him who lies down in the heart of the sea,
and like him who lies down on top of a mast.
35 “They struck me; I was not hurt. They beat me; I did not know it.
When I will awake, I will continue; I will seek it again.”
Lord’s Prayer
Daily Prayer
O gracious God, Your servant and apostle James was the first among the Twelve to suffer martyrdom for the name of Jesus Christ. Pour out upon the leaders of Your Church that spirit of self-denying service that they may forsake all false and passing allurements and follow Christ alone, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Concluding Prayer
Heavenly Father, send Your Holy Spirit into our hearts to direct and rule us to do Your will, to comfort us in all our afflictions, to defend us from all error, and to lead us into all truth; through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.
