Thursday of the Second Week in Advent
Many people stress out and worry about what the end times will look like and can get wrapped up in predicting the exact time and date. Here, Paul is describing end time events that will happen before the second coming of Jesus. An agent of Satan, the lawless one, a deceiver, will come, and have “power and false signs and wonders” (2:9). This deceiver will twist doctrine and spread false teachings, and to make things worse “the mystery of the lawlessness is already at work” (2:7). Paul is not telling the Thessalonians this to predict the future, but to give them words of comfort. Paul is giving assurance to his fellow believers, who walk in faith, that they are already gathered with Christ and will be gathered together with Him at the second coming as well. We as believers are given that same assurance, because of what Christ did on the cross for each one of us. We are gathered together now as the body of Christ and will be gathered together with Him when He returns to claim ultimate victory and reigns forever and ever.
What protection do we have against “false signs and wonders” (2:9)? We have God, the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. We have God’s Word, the Holy Scriptures. We also have been given the ability to pray, hear the Word rightly preached and receive the Sacraments. At the heart of the Scriptures is God’s promise of freedom, Salvation and eternal life for His fallen children — sinners like you and me. For the Word of God is a means of grace and His Word is life-giving. These are the real gifts we can celebrate in the coming of Christ for us at Christmas.
I am prompted to pray the words from the Hymn Lord, Keep Us Steadfast in Your Word.
Prayer: Lord, Heavenly Father, we pray that You would keep us steadfast in Your Word. Lord, Jesus Christ, we pray You would defend Your holy Church so we may sing Your praise triumphantly. Lord, Comforter, we pray send peace and unity, support us in our final strife and lead us out of death and in to life. In His Holy Name, Amen.
Devotion written by The Rev. Teresa Peters
Morning Psalms
Evening Psalms
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.