Day 365 (Through the Bible in a year readings for today: Zech. 13,14; Rev. 21)
NEW’S EVE PRAYER / SEVENTH DAY OF CHRISTMAS
A Prayer for December 31, 2021
1. Across the sky the shades of night
This New Year’s Eve are fleeting,
We deck Your altar, Lord, with light,
In solemn worship meeting;
And as the year’s last hours go by,
We raise to You our earnest cry,
Once more You love entreating.
2. Before the cross subdued we bow,
To You our prayers addressing,
Recounting all Your mercies now,
And all our sins confessing;
Beseeching You this coming year
To keep us in Your faith and fear
And crown us with Your blessing.
3. We gather up in this brief hour
The memory of Your mercies;
Your wondrous goodness, love and power
Our grateful song rehearses;
For You have been our strength and stay
In many a dark and dreary day
Of sorrow and reverses.
5 Then, gracious God, in years to come,
We pray Your hand may guide us,
And, onward through our journey home,
Your mercy walk beside us
Until at last our ransomed life
Is safe from peril, toil, and strife
When heav'n itself shall hide us.
(Across the Sky the Shades of Night, Lutheran Service Book, CPH 2006, #899)
On the seventh day of Christmas
my true love sent to me:
Seven Swans a-Swimming
Six Geese A Laying
Five Golden Rings
Four Calling Birds
Three French Hens
Two Turtle Doves
and a Partridge in a Pear Tree.
Why Seven Swans a-swimming on the 7th Day of Christmas?
Seven Swans a-Swimming represent the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit:
3 For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned. 4 For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, 5 so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. 6 Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; 7 if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching; 8 the one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity; the one who leads, with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness. (Romans 12:3-9 ESV)
As you can see in these verses from Romans, we Christians are called upon to fight the naturally human tendency to think more about ourselves than we should. We all have a role to play in God’s plan, a role for which He has provided you with just the right gift(s). We are all in this together. As we begin our journey through 2022, may we do so with a determination to make better use of our God-given gifts for His glory and in His service.
Heavenly Father, thank You for Your undeserved mercy in this past year. Yes, thank You for forgiving my sins and setting my feet upon Your path. In 2022, please help me to better use my God-given gifts and abilities to Your glory. Amen.
Pastor David Paape
2022 Daily Bible Reading Chart starting on January 1.
Simply click on link, download and print.
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