Daily Prayer, 3rd Thursday in Eastertide
OPENING SENTENCES
Our help is in the name of the Lord,
Who made heaven and earth. (Psalm 124:8)
For God so loved the world,
that he gave his only Son,
that whoever believes in him should not perish
but have eternal life.
For God did not send his Son into the world
to condemn the world,
but in order that the world
might be saved through him.” (John 3:16-17)
O God, whose love has no end, and who through your Word by your Spirit made all things seen and unseen: In Christ you have opened the way from death to live for all who believe. Hear our prayers this day and give us your blessing. For Jesus’ sake, we pray. AMEN.
Praise the Lord.
The name of the Lord be praised.
THE GLORIA PATRI
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. AMEN.
THE PSALMS
Psalm 147:12-20
Praise the Lord, O Jerusalem!
Praise your God, O Zion!
For he strengthens the bars of your gates;
he blesses your children within you.
He makes peace in your borders;
he fills you with the finest of the wheat.
He sends out his command to the earth;
his word runs swiftly.
He gives snow like wool;
he scatters frost like ashes.
He hurls down his crystals of ice like crumbs;
who can stand before his cold?
He sends out his word, and melts them;
he makes his wind blow and the waters flow.
He declares his word to Jacob,
his statutes and rules to Israel.
He has not dealt thus with any other nation;
they do not know his rules.
Praise the Lord!
Psalm 113
Praise the Lord!
Praise, O servants of the Lord,
praise the name of the Lord!
Blessed be the name of the Lord
from this time forth and forevermore!
From the rising of the sun to its setting,
the name of the Lord is to be praised!
The Lord is high above all nations,
and his glory above the heavens!
Who is like the Lord our God,
who is seated on high,
who looks far down
on the heavens and the earth?
He raises the poor from the dust
and lifts the needy from the ash heap,
to make them sit with princes,
with the princes of his people.
He gives the barren woman a home,
making her the joyous mother of children.
Praise the Lord!
THE PSALM PRAYER
O Good and Merciful Lord, who alone is worthy of all glory and majesty, and who takes pleasure in things that the world considers low and contemptable: We beseech you both to mortify and illumine our hearts and wills, so that all stubbornness and pride being put to death, we may humbly submit ourselves to you in obedience to your holy Word. Grant that we may bring forth the fruits of all sorts of good works and sing praises to you continually with heart and soul and voice. Through Jesus Christ our only Savior. AMEN.
THE OLD TESTAMENT LESSON
A reading from Daniel 5:13-31
Then Daniel was brought in before the king. The king answered and said to Daniel, “You are that Daniel, one of the exiles of Judah, whom the king my father brought from Judah. I have heard of you that the spirit of the gods is in you, and that light and understanding and excellent wisdom are found in you. Now the wise men, the enchanters, have been brought in before me to read this writing and make known to me its interpretation, but they could not show the interpretation of the matter. But I have heard that you can give interpretations and solve problems. Now if you can read the writing and make known to me its interpretation, you shall be clothed with purple and have a chain of gold around your neck and shall be the third ruler in the kingdom.”
Then Daniel answered and said before the king, “Let your gifts be for yourself, and give your rewards to another. Nevertheless, I will read the writing to the king and make known to him the interpretation. O king, the Most High God gave Nebuchadnezzar your father kingship and greatness and glory and majesty. And because of the greatness that he gave him, all peoples, nations, and languages trembled and feared before him. Whom he would, he killed, and whom he would, he kept alive; whom he would, he raised up, and whom he would, he humbled. But when his heart was lifted up and his spirit was hardened so that he dealt proudly, he was brought down from his kingly throne, and his glory was taken from him. He was driven from among the children of mankind, and his mind was made like that of a beast, and his dwelling was with the wild donkeys. He was fed grass like an ox, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven, until he knew that the Most High God rules the kingdom of mankind and sets over it whom he will. And you his son, Belshazzar, have not humbled your heart, though you knew all this, but you have lifted up yourself against the Lord of heaven. And the vessels of his house have been brought in before you, and you and your lords, your wives, and your concubines have drunk wine from them. And you have praised the gods of silver and gold, of bronze, iron, wood, and stone, which do not see or hear or know, but the God in whose hand is your breath, and whose are all your ways, you have not honored.
“Then from his presence the hand was sent, and this writing was inscribed. And this is the writing that was inscribed: Mene, Mene, Tekel, and Parsin. This is the interpretation of the matter: Mene, God has numbered the days of your kingdom and brought it to an end; Tekel, you have been weighed in the balances and found wanting; Peres, your kingdom is divided and given to the Medes and Persians.”
Then Belshazzar gave the command, and Daniel was clothed with purple, a chain of gold was put around his neck, and a proclamation was made about him, that he should be the third ruler in the kingdom.
That very night Belshazzar the Chaldean king was killed. And Darius the Mede received the kingdom, being about sixty-two years old.
THE EPISTLE LESSON
A reading from 1 John 5:13-21
I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life. And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him. If anyone sees his brother committing a sin not leading to death, he shall ask, and God will give him life—to those who commit sins that do not lead to death. There is sin that leads to death; I do not say that one should pray for that. All wrongdoing is sin, but there is sin that does not lead to death.
We know that everyone who has been born of God does not keep on sinning, but he who was born of God protects him, and the evil one does not touch him.
We know that we are from God, and the whole world lies in the power of the evil one.
And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know him who is true; and we are in him who is true, in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life. Little children, keep yourselves from idols.
THE GOSPEL LESSON
A reading from Luke 5:1-11
On one occasion, while the crowd was pressing in on him to hear the word of God, he was standing by the lake of Gennesaret, and he saw two boats by the lake, but the fishermen had gone out of them and were washing their nets. Getting into one of the boats, which was Simon’s, he asked him to put out a little from the land. And he sat down and taught the people from the boat. And when he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.” And Simon answered, “Master, we toiled all night and took nothing! But at your word I will let down the nets.” And when they had done this, they enclosed a large number of fish, and their nets were breaking. They signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink. But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord.” For he and all who were with him were astonished at the catch of fish that they had taken, and so also were James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men.” And when they had brought their boats to land, they left everything and followed him.
THE MIDDAY PRAYERS
I will bless the Lord at all times.
His praise shall continually be in my mouth.
Holy God,
holy and mighty,
holy and immortal,
have mercy on us.
The Lord’s Prayer
Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy Name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: for Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. AMEN.
O Lord, hear our prayer;
And let our cry come to you.
Let us pray:
Thursday Prayers
Lord, lift up the light of your countenance upon us; let your peace rule in our hearts, and may it be our strength and our song. We commit ourselves to your care and keeping this day; let your grace be mighty in us and sufficient for us. Defend us, O Lord Jesus, this day, from all motions of sin in our own hearts, and from all hurtful influences from the world and evil spirits. In our greatest temptations be nearest to us by your sustaining and conquering power; and as you, O blessed Savior, did overcome the tempter in the wilderness, so do overcome his deceits in us by your victorious grace. Keep us from sin; give us the rule over our own spirits; and prevent us from speaking unwisely with our lips. May we live together in peace and holy love, and be pleased to commend your blessing upon us, even life for evermore. Prepare us for all the events of the day; for its joys as well as for its trials, and grant that we may be seeking first your Kingdom, even as we trust in you for all other needful things.
With these prayers in our own behalf, accept, O Lord, our sincere intercessions for others. Let the light of your Gospel shine on all nations. Especially we pray for our own country: be gracious to us, Father. Bless all who are in authority over us. So rule their hearts, and strengthen their hands, that they may lack neither the will nor the power to punish wickedness, and to encourage and support true goodness.
Mighty God, with the dawn of your love you reveal your victory over all that would destroy or harm; you brighten the life of all who need and seek you. Especially we pray for:
- families suffering separation…
- people different from ourselves…
- those isolated by sickness or sorrow…
- the victims of violence or warfare…
- the Church in the Pacific region…
Holy and mighty Lord, who turned back the angel of the plague from the dwellings of your people: We beseech you to hear our cry for those who are suffering and dying under this presence pestilence. In your mercy give understanding and sound judgment to those called to make decisions of public policy; bless the means which are used to stay the spread of sickness; strengthen those who labor to heal and comfort the afflicted; support those who are in pain and distress; speedily restore those who have been brought low; and unto all who are beyond healing in this life, grant your heavenly consolation and your saving grace. Through Jesus Christ our Lord. AMEN.
THE DISMISSAL
O give thanks to the Lord, for he is good.
For his steadfast love endures forever!
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God,
and the fellowship of the Holy Ghost, be with us all evermore. AMEN.