The Daily Lectionary for Thursday, March 2, 2023

 

The Daily Lectionary
Thursday, March 2, 2023
Psalm 121; Isaiah 51:1-3; 2 Timothy 1:3-7
(Revised Common Lectionary Year A)

A Psalm and A Prayer
Responsive Readings from the Psalms and Prayers
for Public Worship and Private Devotions
Psalm 121
The Lord watches over you
Levavi oculos

I lift up my eyes to the hills;
from where is my help to come?

My help comes from the LORD,
the maker of heaven and earth.

He will not let your foot be moved
and he who watches over you will not fall asleep.

Behold, he who keeps watch over Israel
shall neither slumber nor sleep;

The LORD himself watches over you;
the LORD is your shade at your right hand,

So that the sun shall not strike you by day,
nor the moon by night.

The LORD shall preserve you from all evil;
it is he who shall keep you safe.

The LORD shall watch over your going out and your coming in,
from this time forth for evermore.

Heavenly Father, we look up to You as we pray today, for You are high and lifted up in reality and in our praise of You. Your word teaches that You made heaven and earth, and You made us in Your image, a little lower than yourself. You know us completely, far better than we know ourselves. You know our needs. You anticipate every problem that will cause us to struggle in the days ahead. You keep Your eyes upon us day and night, ever ready to come to our rescue. Direct our paths, so we will not stray into evil. Protect us from Your enemies and ours, through Your Son, who taught us to pray,

“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 51:1-3
Look to Abraham and Sarah

1 “Listen to me, you who pursue righteousness
     and who seek the Lord:
  Look to the rock from which you were cut
     and to the quarry from which you were hewn;
2 look to Abraham, your father,
     and to Sarah, who gave you birth.
  When I called him he was only one man,
     and I blessed him and made him many.
3 The Lord will surely comfort Zion
     and will look with compassion on all her ruins;
  he will make her deserts like Eden,
     her wastelands like the garden of the Lord.
  Joy and gladness will be found in her,
     thanksgiving and the sound of singing.

2 Timothy 1:3-7
Faith handed down from faithful mothers

1:3 I thank God, whom I serve, as my ancestors did, with a clear conscience, as night and day I constantly remember you in my prayers. 4 Recalling your tears, I long to see you, so that I may be filled with joy. 5 I am reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also.

6 For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands. 7 For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.

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. Responsive Readings from the Common Book of Prayer (1789).

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 Lectionary for Thursday, March 2, 2023
Psalm 121; Isaiah 51:1-3; 2 Timothy 1:3-7