Wednesday Evening Devotion

Psalm 128

Blessed are all they that fear the Lord *

 and walk in his ways.

  For thou shalt eat the labours of thine hands *

 O well is thee, and happy shalt thou be.

  Thy wife shall be as the fruitful vine *

 upon the walls of thine house.

  Thy children like the olive-branches *

 round about thy table.

  Lo, thus shall the man be blessed *

 that feareth the Lord.

  The Lord from out of Sion shall so bless thee *

 that thou shalt see Jerusalem in prosperity all thy life long.

  Yea, that thou shalt see thy children’s children *

 and peace upon Israel.

(Translation: Coverdale)

A Reading

(Acts 23:23-35)

And he called unto him two centurions, saying, Make ready two hundred soldiers to go to Caesarea, and horsemen threescore and ten, and spearmen two hundred, at the third hour of the night;

And provide them beasts, that they may set Paul on, and bring him safe unto Felix the governor.

And he wrote a letter after this manner:

Claudius Lysias unto the most excellent governor Felix sendeth greeting.

This man was taken of the Jews, and should have been killed of them: then came I with an army, and rescued him, having understood that he was a Roman.

And when I would have known the cause wherefore they accused him, I brought him forth into their council:

Whom I perceived to be accused of questions of their law, but to have nothing laid to his charge worthy of death or of bonds.

And when it was told me how that the Jews laid wait for the man, I sent straightway to thee, and gave commandment to his accusers also to say before thee what they had against him. Farewell.

Then the soldiers, as it was commanded them, took Paul, and brought him by night to Antipatris.

On the morrow they left the horsemen to go with him, and returned to the castle:

Who, when they came to Caesarea and delivered the epistle to the governor, presented Paul also before him.

And when the governor had read the letter, he asked of what province he was. And when he understood that he was of Cilicia;

I will hear thee, said he, when thine accusers are also come. And he commanded him to be kept in Herod’s judgment hall.

(Translation: Authorized Version)

A period of silence may follow.

Canticle

Benedictus Dominus Deus

Luke 1:68-79

Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, *

    for he hath visited and redeemed his people;

And hath raised up a mighty salvation for us *

    in the house of his servant David,

As he spake by the mouth of his holy prophets, *

    which have been since the world began:

That we should be saved from our enemies, *

    and from the hand of all that hate us;

To perform the mercy promised to our forefathers, *

    and to remember his holy covenant;

To perform the oath which he sware to our forefather Abraham, *

    that he would give us,

That we being delivered out of the hand of our enemies *

    might serve him without fear,

In holiness and righteousness before him, *

    all the days of our life.

And thou, child, shalt be called the prophet of the Highest, *

    for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways;

To give knowledge of salvation unto his people *

    for the remission of their sins,

Through the tender mercy of our God, *

    whereby the dayspring from on high hath visited us;

To give light to them that sit in darkness

and in the shadow of death, *

    and to guide our feet into the way of peace.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: *

    as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.

Prayers for Ourselves and Neighbors

Everlasting God, I pray for my own needs and those of others:

Silence or add individual intentions here

I confess to Almighty God that I have sinned by my own fault in thought, word, and deed, in things done and left undone; especially these sins which I have committed today:

Silence or add individual intentions here

For these and all other sins which I cannot now remember, I am truly sorry. I pray God to have mercy upon me. I firmly intend amendment of life, and I humbly beg forgiveness of God and his Church.

+May the Almighty God grant me forgiveness of all my sins, and the grace and comfort of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Holy Trinity, One God, Thou art the bearer of good things, grant unto me a grateful heart that I may go forth with thanksgiving for all thy blessings:

Silence or add individual intentions here

And now, I gather my all prayers in the words Thy Son hath taught us:

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,

    for ever and ever. Amen.

A Collect for Protection

O God, who art the life of all who live, the light of the faithful, the strength of those who labor, and the repose of the dead: We thank thee for the timely blessings of the day, and humbly beseech thy merciful protection all the night. Bring us, we pray thee, in safety to the morning hours; through him who died for us and rose again, thy Son our Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.

+The almighty and merciful Lord, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, bless me and keep me. Amen.