Wednesday, April 26, 2023

The Daily Lectionary for Thursday, April 27, 2023

 

The Daily Lectionary
Thursday, April 27, 2023
Psalm 23; Exodus 2:15b-25; 1 Peter 2:9-12

(Revised Common Lectionary Year A)

A Psalm and A Prayer
Responsive Readings from the Psalms and Prayers
for Public Worship and Private Devotions
Psalm 23
God our shepherd
Dominus regit me


1 The LORD is my shepherd; *
    I shall not be in want.


2 He makes me lie down in green pastures *
    and leads me beside still waters.


3 He revives my soul *
    and guides me along right pathways for his Name’s sake.


4 Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
      I shall fear no evil; *
    for you are with me;
      your rod and your staff, they comfort me.


5 You spread a table before me in the presence of those
      who trouble me; *
    you have anointed my head with oil,
      and my cup is running over.


6 Surely your goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days
      of my life, *
    and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.


Lord Jesus, risen from the dead and reigning forevermore. We praise You and honor You this day for Your great sacrifice in our behalf. You left Your heavenly throne for us, and not only walked through the life we live daily, fighting spiritual foes and temptations common to us, but for the joy set before You died the shameful death of hanging of a cross. We trust You with our hopes and future, knowing as Your first disciples understood, that there is no one other than You to whom we can reasonably and faithfully go for everlasting life. And now we pray together:
“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.”
Exodus 2:15b-25
Moses the shepherd

2:15b but Moses fled from Pharaoh and went to live in Midian, where he sat down by a well. 16 Now a priest of Midian had seven daughters, and they came to draw water and fill the troughs to water their father’s flock. 17 Some shepherds came along and drove them away, but Moses got up and came to their rescue and watered their flock.

18 When the girls returned to Reuel their father, he asked them, “Why have you returned so early today?”

19 They answered, “An Egyptian rescued us from the shepherds. He even drew water for us and watered the flock.”

20 “And where is he?” Reuel asked his daughters. “Why did you leave him? Invite him to have something to eat.”

21 Moses agreed to stay with the man, who gave his daughter Zipporah to Moses in marriage. 22 Zipporah gave birth to a son, and Moses named him Gershom, saying, “I have become a foreigner in a foreign land.”

23 During that long period, the king of Egypt died. The Israelites groaned in their slavery and cried out, and their cry for help because of their slavery went up to God. 24 God heard their groaning and he remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac and with Jacob. 25 So God looked on the Israelites and was concerned about them.

1 Peter 2:9-12
Living as God’s people

2:9 But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. 10 Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

11 Dear friends, I urge you, as foreigners and exiles, to abstain from sinful desires, which wage war against your soul. 12 Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.

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, April 27, 2023
Psalm 23; Exodus 2:15b-25; 1 Peter 2:9-12

The Morning Prayer for Thursday, April 27, 2023

 

The Morning Prayer
Thursday, April 27, 2023


You answered me when I called to you; with your strength you strengthened me.
Psalm 138:3, GNT


Dear Father in heaven, we thank you that we are your children and that your eyes watch over us and see all that is in our hearts. You hear the request of each heart, and you will answer at the right time. Stretch out your strong hand to us, for we are weak and often heavy-hearted, not knowing what to do nor how to find you. But you are with us in every need in spite of all our faults and shortcomings. You are with us; you lead us through everything to our life’s true goal, until each of us can rejoice over all you have done, to the praise of your name, our Father. Amen.

Verse of the Day for Thursday, April 27, 2023

 

Verse of the Day
Thursday, April 27, 2023


Luke 19:10
For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.
The Lord does not merely provide us with an example of godly living, but makes it possible for us to enjoy an intimate relationship with Himself. All of us “have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Rom. 3:23), which means that we are all lost. Yet Christ came to earth to save us (John 3:16–18). He did for us what we could never do on our own (Rom. 5:1, 2).