The Daily Bible Readings for Friday, December 30, 2022

 

The Daily Bible Readings
Friday, December 30, 2022
Psalm 20; Isaiah 26:1-9; 2 Corinthians 4:16-18
(Revised Common Lectionary Year A)

A Psalm and A Prayer
Responsive Readings from the Psalms and Prayers
for Public Worship and Private Devotions

Psalm 20
Exaudiat te Dominus

Leader: May the LORD answer you in the day of trouble,
People: the Name of the God of Jacob defend you;

Leader: Send you help from his holy place
People: and strengthen you out of Zion;

Leader: Remember all your offerings
People: and accept your burnt sacrifice;

Leader: Grant you your heart’s desire
People: and prosper all your plans.

Leader: We will shout for joy at your victory and triumph in the Name of our God;
People: may the LORD grant all your requests.

Leader: Now I know that the LORD gives victory to his anointed;
People: he will answer him out of his holy heaven, with the victorious strength of his right hand.

Leader: Some put their trust in chariots and some in horses,
People: but we will call upon the Name of the LORD our God.

Leader: They collapse and fall down,
People: but we will arise and stand upright.

Leader: O LORD, give victory to the king
People: and answer us when we call.

O Lord Jesus, risen from the dead and reigning from on high, hear our prayers this day. We praise You for Your mighty deeds in our behalf. We humbly thank You for bearing Your cross for us. Empower us to bear our cross in behalf of others, that we might share the gospel message with them. Fill us with Your Spirit, that others might see Your love for them in the way we live each day. As Christians, we feel honored to bear Your holy name. Help us to bring You honor by the way we treat You and others. And now we pray once again the prayer You taught us:

“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.”

Isaiah 26:1-9
(Trust in God forever)

A Song of Praise

1 In that day this song will be sung in the land of Judah:

  We have a strong city;
     God makes salvation
     its walls and ramparts.
2 Open the gates
     that the righteous nation may enter,
     the nation that keeps faith.
3 You will keep in perfect peace
     those whose minds are steadfast,
     because they trust in you.
4 Trust in the Lord forever,
     for the Lord, the Lord himself, is the Rock eternal.
5 He humbles those who dwell on high,
     he lays the lofty city low;
  he levels it to the ground
     and casts it down to the dust.
6 Feet trample it down—
     the feet of the oppressed,
     the footsteps of the poor.

7 The path of the righteous is level;
     you, the Upright One, make the way of the righteous smooth.
8 Yes, Lord, walking in the way of your laws,
     we wait for you;
  your name and renown
     are the desire of our hearts.
9 My soul yearns for you in the night;
     in the morning my spirit longs for you.
  When your judgments come upon the earth,
     the people of the world learn righteousness.

2 Corinthians 4:16-18
(The temporary and the eternal)

4:16 Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. 17 For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. 18 So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

Optional parts of the readings are set off in [square brackets.]

The Bible texts of the Old Testament, Epistle, and Gospel lessons are from The Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

The Daily Lectionary is a three year cyclical lectionary. We are currently in Year A. Beginning with the first Sunday of Advent in 2023, we will be in Year B. The year which ended at Advent 2022 was Year A. These readings complement the Sunday and festival readings: Thursday through Saturday readings help prepare the reader for the Sunday ahead; Monday through Wednesday readings help the reader reflect and digest on what they heard in worship. Revised Common Lectionary Daily Readings, copyright © 2005 Consultation on Common Texts. www.commontexts.org
The Daily Bible Readings for Friday, December 30, 2022
Psalm 20; Isaiah 26:1-9; 2 Corinthians 4:16-18

The Morning Prayer for Friday, December 30, 2022

 

The Morning Prayer
Friday, December 30, 2022

And Mary said: "My soul praises the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant. From now on all generations will call me blessed, for the Mighty One has done great things for me—holy is his name."
Luke 1:46–49, NIV

O Lord God, in exultation our hearts go out to you and your revelation of heaven, your revelation of the Spirit, who can fill our hearts so that we remain steadfast throughout our earthly life. It is still dark on earth. Sin and death hold sway, but we stand unafraid and seek repentance. In spite of all our failures we look to you and know you are our Savior. You send us Jesus Christ in your own glory. The world will be filled with light. Everywhere on earth, even among those who do not know you, the sincere-hearted will come to acknowledge that you, the Father of Jesus Christ and our Father, are God over all the world. You will show your glory to all people so that they may come to you, worship you, and walk in the light, to the everlasting glory of your name. Amen.

Verse of the Day for Friday, December 30, 2022

 

Verse of the Day
Friday, December 30, 2022

John 16:33

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

As Jesus stood ready to face the Cross and defeat the last foe—death (1 Cor. 15:26)—He encouraged the disciples to always have confidence in His ability to lead them to triumph, which was proven at the Resurrection. Although it may feel as if your every desire and security has been destroyed, your true hope—the Lord Jesus—can display His resurrection power in your situation as well. And when He does, you certainly won’t be disappointed.

Read all of John Chapter 16

Listen to John Chapter 16

Scripture from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®.

The Twelve Days of Christmas — The Sixth Day

The Twelve Days of Christmas

The Sixth Day

The 12 days of Christmas are the 12 days that separate Christmas Day on December 25 and ends on January 5, with the next day being Epiphany, which is celebrated January 6. Depending on the church, January 6 may mark Christ’s baptism (in the Catholic tradition), or it may mark the day that the wise men (or the Magi) visited Jesus with their gifts.

The Day of Epiphany is when the church celebrates the revelation of Christ as the light of the world and recalls the journey of the Magi. Magi means wise men.

From 1558 until 1829 Roman Catholics in England were not allowed to practice their faith openly. During that era someone wrote ‘The Twelve Days of Christmas‘ as a kind of secret catechism that could be sung in public without risk of persecution. The song has two levels of interpretation: the surface meaning plus a hidden meaning known only to members of the church. Each element in the carol is a code word for a religious reality.

Some beliefs believe that the day after Christmas started the 12 Days of Christmas. You also hear some people think its the 12 days that lead up to Christmas. But reality, it starts on December 25, that is the first day.

The Sixth Day of Christmas

The carol says On The Sixth Day of Christmas, My True Love Gave To Me...

Six Geese A-Laying

According to catechism hidden meaning it means …

The six days of Creation. God created the World in 6 days. He rested on the 7th.