Nurturing our spiritual life
We can all benefit from reading or hearing some encouraging words and experiencing a sense of God’s closeness during the week, as well as at Sunday worship. Therefore, we include these devotional pages for every reader – not just for those who are unable to attend church services regularly. Nurturing our faith at home through regular devotions strengthens our relationship with God. We pray that you will be blessed by these reflections. You will find further prayer, devotional and Bible study resources through the Worship Planning Page from the LCANZ’s Commission on Worship at www.lca.org.au/worship/wpp/prayers-devotions/ and online worship links at www.lca.org.au/worship/wpp/churchhome/
Lisa
ISAIAH 9:6
For to us a child is born, to us a son is given … And he will be called Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
DEVOTIONS FOR HOME WORSHIP
These reflections are from a collection of devotions written for our LCANZ family and friends to help us to keep our eyes fixed on Jesus no matter what we face. You can find these and many others on the LCA website at www.lca.org.au/daily-devotion and you can subscribe to receive them daily via email by clicking on the link on that same page.
Our lament and God’s help by Pastor Fraser Pearce
Let us test and examine our ways, and return to the Lord. Let us lift up our hearts as well as our hands to God in heaven (Lamentations 3:40,41).
Read Lamentations 3:34–60.
God’s people know that all things are under God’s rule, and whatever happens in our world (and our lives) happens because God permits it.
This does not mean it is easy to bear suffering, or we should simply keep our mouths shut and take whatever hardship we face without any words of lament. In fact, God gives us his word so that we may take our cares to him, knowing that when we do so, we speak with the voice of his faithful people, and he will hear us in his grace and mercy.
In the Book of Lamentations, the prophet pours out his lament over the destruction of Jerusalem and his intense suffering at the hands of his enemies. More than this, the prophet also acknowledges that his own sin and the sins of the people have led to punishment from God.
But this does not lead to despair, but hope. God allows his people to suffer in this world, including the suffering that comes from our own foolish and sinful thoughts, words and actions. But God gives us his name so that we may call on him in our need and receive the forgiveness and healing only he can provide.
The name ‘Jesus’ means ‘the Lord saves’. Our Lord Jesus bore the punishment for our sins, taking on himself the suffering and abandonment we could not stand. Jesus’ love for us is stronger than death, and his life gives us hope so that we may take our lament to God, knowing he will save us as we call on him.
Have the courage to pour out your lament to God and confess when you have sinned. Put your trust in the Lord Jesus, who saves you from sin, death and hell.
Lord Jesus, you took on the burden of my sin and suffering and pray to the Father for me. Take my words of lament, and give me the joy of your Spirit so I may live life to the fullest. Amen.
A living, growing faith by Pastor Mark Lieschke
The apostles said to the Lord, ‘Increase our faith!’ (Luke 17:5).
Read Luke 17:5–10.
‘If only I had a stronger faith, then I could serve God better. Then I’d be able to give a better witness to Jesus Christ in my life!’
When we speak like that, we can think that before we can do anything worthwhile for God, our faith in him has to reach a certain level.
We may also think that only a person with a strong faith can ever be really used powerfully by God. We may even go as far as to say that only a person with a strong faith in God can really be sure of eternal life.
But none of those things is true. While we might think that measuring the strength of our faith is important, what is essential is that it is faith in Jesus Christ.
We’re saved by God’s grace through Jesus Christ. So even what we might consider a weak or faltering faith, when it’s focused on Jesus Christ, is a saving faith and a potential power for good. That’s because Jesus Christ connects us to the almighty transforming power of God himself.
God invites us to have a living, growing faith so we can be confident and cheerful about who we are. So, he invites us to look to him for strength so that we can give a good witness to others about our relationship with him.
So, we pray, ‘Lord, increase our faith’ so that we are not misled by doubts, fears, selfishness and lovelessness. And we also pray that God would move us now, as weak as our faith may be, to place ourselves at his disposal and let his power work in our lives for the sake of others.
Because of God’s work in our lives, we can say right now: ‘Lord, fill me with your power, and use me as I am and where I am to bring glory to you always’.
Lord God, thank you for the faith you have enabled us to have in your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. Increase our faith in him so that we can reflect his love and grace in our lives. Transform and renew us daily into the people you still want us to become. Amen.
PRAYERS – Sourced from justprayer.org
CHRISTMAS PRAYER – ST AUGUSTINE
Let the just rejoice,
for their Justifier is born.
Let the sick and infirm rejoice,
For their Saviour is born.
Let the captives rejoice,
For their Redeemer is born.
Let slaves rejoice,
for their Master is born.
Let free men rejoice,
For their Liberator is born.
Let All Christians rejoice,
For Jesus Christ is born.
JESU JOY
Well for me that I have Jesus,
O how strong I hold to him
That he might refresh my heart
when so sick and sad am I.
Jesus have I, he who loves me,
he who takes me as his own!
Ah, therefore I don’t leave Jesus,
Lest I should break my heart.
– A Celtic translation of ‘Jesu, Joy of
Man’s Desiring’ by J S Bach
LUKE 1:46–49
My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour … for the Mighty One has done great things for me – holy is his name.
Hypocrisy! by Sal Huckel
What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? (James 2:14).
Read James 2:1–17.
In some circles, we are so sensitive as Christians to the idea of ‘works-based faith’, aren’t we? There has got to be a point, though, where our belief, faith and salvation move us to ‘put legs’ on our faith and love others practically.
Perhaps some criticism of Christianity – the calling out of hypocrisy – is grounded in some truth. Yes, the whole of Christianity can be judged by the attributes of Christ’s people. We still battle the selfish desires of our earthly nature.
Jesus’ words here warn against showing favouritism to those with the money, smart clothes, good car … whatever our modern-day equivalent might be. Bought the pew, made a generous donation and worked the hardest at …
Let’s remember that Jesus has no favourites. Let’s also remember that faith without action (and without love) is dead. The workers in the vineyard in Matthew 20 also remind us that the longest and most hardworking workers are not favoured over those who came late to the party (or the field).
While we know that Christians are not perfect, just saved, let us also remember that hypocrisy has no place in our faith walk, and we need to back ourselves and our claim to Jesus’ promises with a little bit of action and a whole lot of love for others.
Lord, thank you for the promise of eternal life for those who believe in you. Help me to continue to live out my faith with actions that honour you and bring glory to your name and others to you. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Repentance releases new vision by Kathy Matuschka
Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time (1 Peter 5:6).
Read 1 Peter 5:5–11.
At times in my life, I have hoped for something special from God. I have had a bit of a vision of what God might do and have charged after it as if I could grasp it if I just tried a bit harder. But it has only been when I got to the point of saying, ‘I give up. Just do whatever you want, God’ that I have seen a breakthrough according to God’s ways and terms.
Do you think that repentance releases new vision and hope? It’s not that God requires that we repent before blessing us, but more that we seem to keep ourselves as individuals and communities bound by our limited imagination for the new things God will do.
So, when the writer of 1 Peter encourages us to humble ourselves so God may lift us up, it’s not about manipulating God but rather about learning to face the limitations of our humanity and turning to God for our vision and hope.
The National Church Life Survey, in which many Lutheran churches from Australia take part, tells us that there are three core qualities most indicative of the health of a congregation: faith sharing, empowering leadership and vision.
Through my work, I see many congregations realising the sense of vision they had in the past is no longer bearing the fruit it once was. Might growing in a culture of repentance help these three qualities to become stronger?
Are you waiting for a new vision in your circles? Do you think that repentance might help? It doesn’t matter whether we think of repentance as naming specific sins or admitting our preference for self-reliance – repentance is all about our orientation.
Dear Holy Spirit, keep reorienting me toward the love and hope you have planted within me, and expand my vision of what you will make of this hope. For Jesus’ sake, Amen.
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