Day 5, Friday: My Flesh Also Will Dwell in Hope

by Pastor Brian Petak

“Here, I believe, is the key to understanding what is most personal in prayer. We do not pray to tell God what he does not know, nor to remind him of things he has forgotten. He already cares for the things we pray about… He has simply been waiting for us to care about them with him.”

~ Tim Stafford

Meditation

Think about what Jesus did for you as you read this out loud:

“For, while he is eternally in the bosom of the Father; as for us, each of us was as one cut off from him; cast out from his presence, wrapped up in his own curse. Even thus poor did Immanuel become for us; thus cursed did the Blessed One submit to be. For into our place, though it was ominously distinguished as the dwelling-place of the curse, Jesus, in his love, consented to come; and his Father’s wrath became then his portion. Then he became ‘acquainted with grief.’ The Blessed One became ‘a man of sorrows.’ He indeed suffered for sins, the just for the unjust.”

Hugh Martin, 19th Century Scottish Pastor, Aberdeen

Call to Worship

Hear God call you to worship through his word:

God raised him up, loosing the pangs of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by it. For David says concerning him,

“I saw the Lord always before me,
for he is at my right hand that I may not be shaken;
therefore my heart was glad, and my tongue rejoiced;
my flesh also will dwell in hope.”

Acts 2:24-26

Adoration

Pray this praise to God:

Christ Jesus lay in death’s strong bands,
for our offenses given;
but now at God’s right hand He stands
and brings us light from heaven.
Therefore let us joyful be
and sing to God right thankfully
loud songs of hallelujah.
Hallelujah!

It was a strange and dreadful strife
when life and death contended;
the victory remained with life,
the reign of death was ended.
Holy Scripture plainly saith
that death is swallowed up by death;
his sting is lost forever.
Hallelujah!

Here the true Paschal Lamb we see,
whom God so freely gave us;
He died on the accursed tree-
so strong His love to save us.
See His blood upon our door;
faith points to it, death passes o’er,
and Satan cannot harm us.
Hallelujah!

So let us keep the festival
whereto the Lord invites us;
Christ is Himself the Joy of all,
the Sun that warms and lights us.
By His grace He doth impart
eternal sunshine to the heart;
the night of sin is ended.
Hallelujah!

~ Martin Luther, 16th Century German Theologian, Bishop, Author and Hymnwriter, Wittenburg

Confession of Sin

Confess your sins to God:

Lord God, eternal and almighty Father: We acknowledge before your holy majesty that we are poor sinners, conceived and born in guilt and in corruption, prone to do evil, unable of our own power to do good.  Because of our sin, we endlessly violate your holy commandments.  But, O Lord, with heartfelt sorrow we repent and turn away from all our offenses.  We condemn ourselves and our evil ways, with true sorrow asking that your grace will relieve our distress.  Have compassion on us, most gracious God, Father of mercies, for the sake of your son Jesus Christ our Lord.  And in removing our guilt, also grant us daily increase of the grace of your Holy Spirit, and produce in us the fruits of holiness and of righteousness pleasing in your sight: Through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

~ John Calvin, 16th Century Reformer, Pastor and Author, Geneva, Switzerland

Assurance of Pardon

Receive these words of comfort from God:

The Lord is merciful and gracious,
    slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
⁹ He will not always chide,
    nor will he keep his anger forever.
¹⁰ He does not deal with us according to our sins,
    nor repay us according to our iniquities.
¹¹ For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
    so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him;
¹² as far as the east is from the west,
    so far does he remove our transgressions from us.

Psalm 103:8-12

Prayer of Intercession

As you make your requests to God, pray this prayer:

O God, full of compassion, I commit and commend myself to you,
in whom I am, and live, and know.
Be the Goal of my pilgrimage, and my Rest by the way.
Let my soul take refuge from the crowding turmoil of worldly thoughts
beneath the shadow of your wings.
Let my heart, this sea of restless waves, find peace in you, O God.
You bountifully give all good gifts. Give those who are weary refreshing food.
Gather our distracted thoughts and powers into harmony again.
Set the prisoner free. See, he stands at your door and knocks.
Open it to him, that he may enter with a free step, and be quickened by you.
For you are the Well-spring of Life, the Light of eternal Brightness,
where the just live who love you.
Let it be to me according to your word. Amen.

~ Augustine of Hippo, 4th Century

Further Petition

Pray for:

• Personal: pray for those in your family who are not-yet-believers or struggling in their faith – that they would understand that the Lord is gracious and merciful and freely offering His grace.
• Church: pray for The Ascent Church – for all of those participating in our 21 Days of Prayer & Fasting to hear what the Holy Spirit is wanting to say to each individually, and the church collectively.
• Community: pray for those Jesus is bringing to our community who need to experience the hope, healing and freedom He offers everyone.
• World: pray for ethnic and orthodox Jews in Israel and around the world to see clearly that Jesus is the promised Messiah and offers forgiveness and salvation to each of them through His death and resurrection.

Connect the Heart

Consider the following questions to better connect your head and your heart:

1. What did God show you about Himself through today’s devotional?
2. What did God show you about yourself through today’s devotional?
3. What is something you need to surrender to God today as you pursue greater intimacy with Him?

Benediction

As you close your time of meditation and devotion, receive by faith this blessing from God:

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.

2 Corinthians 13:14

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_{Content for our 21 Days of Prayer & Fasting devotionals is adapted from several sources, books on prayer, meditations and liturgies, drawing heavily from O Sacred Head, Now Wounded by Jonathan Gibson (copyright 2024 by Crossway)}