1 Timothy 6:12–16 (Listen)
12 Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called and about which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses. 13 I charge you in the presence of God, who gives life to all things, and of Christ Jesus, who in his testimony before Pontius Pilate made the good confession, 14 to keep the commandment unstained and free from reproach until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, 15 which he will display at the proper time—he who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords, 16 who alone has immortality, who dwells in unapproachable light, whom no one has ever seen or can see. To him be honor and eternal dominion. Amen.
Sunday of the Passion
Most believers struggle with doubts about God and faith from time to time. However, it is important to remember that doubt and unbelief are not the same. Unbelief is to live your life as if God does not exist. Unbelief is to reject Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.
Doubt is different. It is something that happens within the framework of faith. It is a questioning, an insecurity, or a deep desire to be sure of something we trust in.
In our passage today, Paul says, “Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called” (1 Timothy 6:12a). The key to overcoming that doubt is that one little word — “called.”
In our Baptism, God in His grace chose us as His children. Each of us has been “called,” chosen and elected by God, not because of something we have done, not by our own merit or worth, but purely by God’s grace, mercy, and faithfulness. It is God alone who does the choosing, according to His plan and purpose.
As we begin Holy Week, let us remember we are children of God. Let us meditate on how, because He loved us enough to send His Son Jesus to die on the cross, we are freed from sin. We are made spotless and blameless in the sight of God — thus giving us life in His kingdom forever and ever.
As Luther’s “”Explanation of the Third Article of the Apostles’ Creed”” says, The Holy Spirit calls, gathers, enlightens and sanctifies each of us, and the whole Christian Church, preserving us in unity with Jesus Christ, who daily forgives our sins and, on the last day, will raise us and all who believe — giving us eternal life.
It is comforting to know that in our humanness, when we have times of doubt, our faith and our identity as children of God are not dependent on anything we can or will do. He has done it all. Thanks be to God!
Prayer: Heavenly Father, through Your Son’s death on the cross You brought Your reign of righteousness, peace, and freedom to all. Draw us to You through His cross and keep us faithful to Your reign until He comes again; through Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
Devotion written by the Rev. Teresa E. Peters
Zechariah 9:9–12 (Listen)
The Coming King of Zion
9 Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion!
Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem!
Behold, your king is coming to you;
righteous and having salvation is he,
humble and mounted on a donkey,
on a colt, the foal of a donkey.
10 I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim
and the war horse from Jerusalem;
and the battle bow shall be cut off,
and he shall speak peace to the nations;
his rule shall be from sea to sea,
and from the River to the ends of the earth.
11 As for you also, because of the blood of my covenant with you,
I will set your prisoners free from the waterless pit.
12 Return to your stronghold, O prisoners of hope;
today I declare that I will restore to you double.
Morning Psalms
Evening Psalms
“”James Lloyd Breck, Priest, 1876″”
This daily prayer and Bible reading guide, Devoted to Prayer (based on Acts 2:42), was conceived and prepared by the Rev. Andrew S. Ames Fuller, director of communications for the North American Lutheran Church (NALC). After several challenging years in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, we have been provided with a unique opportunity to revitalize the ancient practice of daily prayer and Scripture reading in our homes. While the Reading the Word of God three-year lectionary provided a much-needed and refreshing calendar for our congregations to engage in Scripture reading, this calendar includes a missing component of daily devotion: prayer. This guide is to provide the average layperson and pastor with the simple tools for sorting through the busyness of their lives and reclaiming an act of daily discipleship with their Lord. The daily readings follow the Lutheran Book of Worship two-year daily lectionary, which reflect the church calendar closely. The commemorations are adapted from Philip H. Pfatteicher’s New Book of Festivals and Commemorations, a proposed common calendar of the saints that builds from the Lutheran Book of Worship, but includes saints from many of those churches in ecumenical conversation with the NALC. The introductory portion is adapted from Christ Church (Plano)’s Pray Daily. Our hope is that this calendar and guide will provide new life for congregations learning and re-learning to pray in the midst of a difficult and changing world.