Good morning:
What was your first prayer this morning? Did you use Luther’s morning prayer to thank God for His protection overnight and ask Him to keep you “from sin and every evil” in the day ahead? Or maybe you offered a unique prayer from your own heart praising the Lord for His many blessings for body and soul. The believer’s life is to be one of continual prayer. “Pray without ceasing,” Paul wrote (1 Thess. 5:16).
But do you ever wonder what to pray or question whether you might be missing something important in your prayer life? It’s helpful to note the many examples of prayer in the lives of believers mentioned in Scripture. For example, the prophet Habakkuk offered a short, beautiful prayer which is fitting for any of us to offer anytime: “LORD, I have heard of your fame; I stand in awe of your deeds, LORD. Repeat them in our day, in our time make them known; in wrath remember mercy” (Hab. 3:2). The prophet put his trust in the LORD, the God of faithful love and promise who delivered His people from Egypt and brought them into the promised land. Threatened by enemy forces, Habakkuk asked for God to again reach out and rescue His people. “In wrath remember mercy.” The people deserved God’s just anger and punishment for their sin, but Habakkuk pleaded that God’s mercy would be greater than His wrath.
“In wrath remember mercy, Lord” is a fitting prayer for anytime of the day on any day of the week. We continually sin and don’t deserve to have God hear our prayers. Yet He promises that whoever comes to Him, He will never turn away. He always remembers His mercy which He has shown to us in Jesus. Since Jesus has suffered the death we deserve, we are now righteous and pleasing before God. He calls us His children and has made us heirs of eternal life.
That truth filled Martin Luther with such joy, faith, and courage, that he couldn’t help but proclaim the gospel in spite of all the enemies lined up against him. Tomorrow on Reformation Sunday we will praise God for His overwhelming mercy by which we have forgiveness and peace. There is no better way to prepare than by humbly coming to the Lord today and praying, “Lord, in wrath remember mercy!”
Yours in Christ,
Pastor
Services tomorrow are at 8:00 and 10:30 a.m. The choir is singing in first service and also at the beginning of second service. Sunday school is at 9:15 a.m. and adult Bible class at 9:30 a.m. Keep in mind the area Reformation service which will be held at Luther Memorial, Fond du Lac, at 4:00 p.m. Everyone is welcome.
NOTE: A car key was found on the church property a couple of days ago. Let me know if it might be yours.
