O God, protector of all the faithful, you alone make strong; you alone make holy. Show us your mercy and forgive our sins day by day. Guide us through our earthly lives that we do not lose the things you have prepared for us in heaven; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
We pray to our loving Father for his protection. While we certainly would like to be free from the pain, toil, and grief that come from living in a sinful world, our prayer here is for protection against that which would harm our soul and destroy our salvation. We pray to be kept free and safe from our sin.
It is our Lord alone who makes us strong against temptations. That is why we pray, "Lead us not into temptation." It is not that God tempts us. It is that God preserves us when temptations come. And they come so that we will call on him.
It is God who guides us, who protects us, and who preserves us. Most importantly, it is our Father in heaven who supplies forgiveness of our sins to us through his Son, Jesus Christ. As he applies Jesus' saving work to us through the preached word and administered sacraments, he continues to give us the very things grant and preserve us in his salvation. Therefore, he answers our prayer so that we will enjoy the good things he has prepared for us in heaven.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Due to recurring spam, all comments will now be moderated. Please be patient.