Morning Prayer & Daily Devotion September 21

The earthquake at the prison

+ DAILY PRAYER +

+ MORNING +

This Daily Devotion covers the entire New Testament in a period of two years in a Monday through Friday format, the Psalms and order of devotion follow those presented in The Treasury of Daily Prayer from Concordia Publishing House.

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.

Amen.

In the morning, O Lord, You hear my voice;

in the morning I prepare a sacrifice for You and watch.

My mouth is filled with Your praise,

and with Your glory all the day.

O Lord, open my lips,

and my mouth will declare Your praise.

Psalm 55:12-19

12  For it is not an enemy who taunts me—

then I could bear it;

             it is not an adversary who deals insolently with me—

then I could hide from him.

    13      But it is you, a man, my equal,

my companion, my familiar friend.

    14      We used to take sweet counsel together;

within God’s house we walked in the throng.

    15      Let death steal over them;

let them go down to Sheol alive;

for evil is in their dwelling place and in their heart.

    16      But I call to God,

and the Lord will save me.

    17      Evening and morning and at noon

I utter my complaint and moan,

and he hears my voice.

    18      He redeems my soul in safety

from the battle that I wage,

for many are arrayed against me.

    19      God will give ear and humble them,

he who is enthroned from of old, Selah

             because they do not change

and do not fear God.

Acts 16:25-40

The Philippian Jailer Converted

25 About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them, 26 and suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken. And immediately all the doors were opened, and everyone’s bonds were unfastened. 27 When the jailer woke and saw that the prison doors were open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, supposing that the prisoners had escaped. 28 But Paul cried with a loud voice, “Do not harm yourself, for we are all here.” 29 And the jailer called for lights and rushed in, and trembling with fear he fell down before Paul and Silas. 30 Then he brought them out and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” 31 And they said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.” 32 And they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house. 33 And he took them the same hour of the night and washed their wounds; and he was baptized at once, he and all his family. 34 Then he brought them up into his house and set food before them. And he rejoiced along with his entire household that he had believed in God.

35 But when it was day, the magistrates sent the police, saying, “Let those men go.” 36 And the jailer reported these words to Paul, saying, “The magistrates have sent to let you go. Therefore come out now and go in peace.” 37 But Paul said to them, “They have beaten us publicly, uncondemned, men who are Roman citizens, and have thrown us into prison; and do they now throw us out secretly? No! Let them come themselves and take us out.” 38 The police reported these words to the magistrates, and they were afraid when they heard that they were Roman citizens. 39 So they came and apologized to them. And they took them out and asked them to leave the city. 40 So they went out of the prison and visited Lydia. And when they had seen the brothers, they encouraged them and departed.

Lord’s Prayer

Daily Prayer

Almighty God, our heavenly Father, whose nature it is always to have mercy, visit with Your fatherly correction all who have erred and gone astray from the truth of Your holy Word, and bring them to a true sense of their error that they may again receive and hold fast Your unchangeable truth; through Jesus Christ, our Lord, amen.

Luther’s Morning prayer

I thank You, my heavenly Father, through Jesus Christ, Your dear Son, that You have kept me this night from all harm and danger; and I pray that You would keep me this day also from sin and every evil, that all my doings and life may please You. For into Your hands I commend myself, my body and soul, and all things. Let Your holy angel be with me, that the evil foe may have no power over me. Amen.