Help Is On the Way
Friday’s Verse:
From Exodus 15:2 ESV
“The Lord is my strength and my song,
and he has become my salvation;
this is my God, and I will praise him,
my father's God, and I will exalt him.”
Singing has always been at the heart of the Church. Long before King David strummed his harp, the first pilgrims gathered on the shores of the Red Sea and raised their voices in song. The children of Israel were a singing people.We are too. When we come to church and sing the psalms and hymns of Zion, we are part of a great tradition that stretches all the way back to Moses.
Just after God saved Israel from the might of Pharaoh’s army, Moses and the people did not hold a press conference or issue a formal statement. Instead, they sang. Overflowing with gratitude and awe, they proclaimed their joy in song. In the words of their ancient song, Moses and the people of God confessed their faith and bore witness to God’s saving power: “The Lord is my strength and my song, and He has become my salvation.” (Exodus 15:2)
When we gather in church and sing our hearts are lifted to the Lord in that same great tradition. Our hymns are not just songs. They are an act of worship. They remind us of all God has done. We sing because God has rescued us — not from Pharaoh and his chariots, but from sin and death, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Our hymns declare in notes and words that our God still “triumphs gloriously.”
In a world that too often bombards us with noise and distraction, the hymns of the Church bring us back to center. They focus us again on God’s mercy, on His promises, and on His unfailing faithfulness. Whether we sing in joy or sorrow, in a packed sanctuary or around a kitchen table, the hymns of the Church become a true offering of praise, a way of saying “The Lord has done great things for us.” Prayer: Gracious Lord, You have given us a new song to sing — the song of salvation through Your Son, Jesus Christ. Fill our hearts with joy and our mouths with praise. May our hymns proclaim Your goodness and strengthen the faith of all who hear. Through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.
Prayers
A Prayer for Today:
Gracious Lord, You have given us a new song to sing — the song of salvation through Your Son, Jesus Christ. Fill our hearts with joy and our mouths with praise. May our hymns proclaim Your goodness and strengthen the faith of all who hear. Through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.
Apostles’ Creed:
I believe in God, the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth.
And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried. He descended into hell. The third day He rose again from the dead. He ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty. From thence He will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Christian Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.
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 trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever. 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.
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