Friday Morning Devotion

Psalm 69:1-6

Save me, O God *

 for the waters are come in, even unto my soul.

  I stick fast in the deep mire, where no ground is *

 I am come into deep waters, so that the floods run over me.

  I am weary of crying; my throat is dry *

 my sight faileth me for waiting so long upon my God.

  They that hate me without a cause are more than the hairs of my head *

 they that are mine enemies, and would destroy me guiltless, are mighty.

  I paid them the things that I never took *

 God, thou knowest my simpleness, and my faults are not hid from thee.

  Let not them that trust in thee, O Lord God of hosts, be ashamed for my cause *

 let not those that seek thee be confounded through me, O Lord God of Israel.

(Translation: Coverdale)

A Reading

(2 Kings 1:2-17)

And Ahaziah fell down through a lattice in his upper chamber that was in Samaria, and was sick: and he sent messengers, and said unto them, Go, enquire of Baalzebub the god of Ekron whether I shall recover of this disease.

But the angel of the Lord said to Elijah the Tishbite, Arise, go up to meet the messengers of the king of Samaria, and say unto them, Is it not because there is not a God in Israel, that ye go to enquire of Baalzebub the god of Ekron?

Now therefore thus saith the Lord, Thou shalt not come down from that bed on which thou art gone up, but shalt surely die. And Elijah departed.

And when the messengers turned back unto him, he said unto them, Why are ye now turned back?

And they said unto him, There came a man up to meet us, and said unto us, Go, turn again unto the king that sent you, and say unto him, Thus saith the Lord, Is it not because there is not a God in Israel, that thou sendest to enquire of Baalzebub the god of Ekron? therefore thou shalt not come down from that bed on which thou art gone up, but shalt surely die.

And he said unto them, What manner of man was he which came up to meet you, and told you these words?

And they answered him, He was an hairy man, and girt with a girdle of leather about his loins. And he said, It is Elijah the Tishbite.

Then the king sent unto him a captain of fifty with his fifty. And he went up to him: and, behold, he sat on the top of an hill. And he spake unto him, Thou man of God, the king hath said, Come down.

And Elijah answered and said to the captain of fifty, If I be a man of God, then let fire come down from heaven, and consume thee and thy fifty. And there came down fire from heaven, and consumed him and his fifty.

Again also he sent unto him another captain of fifty with his fifty. And he answered and said unto him, O man of God, thus hath the king said, Come down quickly.

And Elijah answered and said unto them, If I be a man of God, let fire come down from heaven, and consume thee and thy fifty. And the fire of God came down from heaven, and consumed him and his fifty.

And he sent again a captain of the third fifty with his fifty. And the third captain of fifty went up, and came and fell on his knees before Elijah, and besought him, and said unto him, O man of God, I pray thee, let my life, and the life of these fifty thy servants, be precious in thy sight.

Behold, there came fire down from heaven, and burnt up the two captains of the former fifties with their fifties: therefore let my life now be precious in thy sight.

And the angel of the Lord said unto Elijah, Go down with him: be not afraid of him. And he arose, and went down with him unto the king.

And he said unto him, Thus saith the Lord, Forasmuch as thou hast sent messengers to enquire of Baalzebub the god of Ekron, is it not because there is no God in Israel to enquire of his word? therefore thou shalt not come down off that bed on which thou art gone up, but shalt surely die.

So he died according to the word of the Lord which Elijah had spoken. And Jehoram reigned in his stead in the second year of Jehoram the son of Jehoshaphat king of Judah; because he had no son.

(Translation: Authorized Version)

A period of silence may follow.

Canticle

Quaerite Dominum

Isaiah 55:6-11

Seek ye the Lord while he may be found, *
    call ye upon him while he is near:
Let the wicked forsake his way, *
    and the unrighteous man his thoughts:
And let him return unto the Lord,
and he will have mercy upon him; *
    and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.
For my thoughts are not your thoughts, *
    neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord.
For as the heavens are higher than the earth, *
    so are my ways higher than your ways,
    and my thoughts than your thoughts.
For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, *
    and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth,
And maketh it bring forth and bud, *
    that it may give seed to the sower,
    and bread to the eater:
So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: *
    it shall not return unto me void,
But it shall accomplish that which I please, *
    and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, *
    and to the Holy Ghost:
As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, *
    world without end. Amen.

(Source: Anglican Service Book)

The Apostles’ Creed

I believe in God, the Father almighty,

    maker of heaven and earth;

And in Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord;

    who was conceived by the Holy Ghost,

    born of the Virgin Mary,

    suffered under Pontius Pilate,

    was crucified, dead, and buried.

    He descended into hell.

    The third day he rose again from the dead.

    He ascended into heaven,

    and sitteth on the right hand of God the Father almighty.

    From thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Ghost,

    the holy catholic Church,

    the communion of saints,

    the forgiveness of sins,

    the resurrection of the body,

    and the life everlasting. Amen.

Prayers for Ourselves and Neighbors

Almighty and everliving God, I pray unto Thee for thy Universal Church and all her members, past, present and yet to come:

Silence or add individual intentions here

Christ, the ruler of all the nations, I pray for the health and well-being of my nation and all the nations and leaders of the earth:

Silence or add individual intentions here

God, the Holy Ghost, I pray Thee to be poured out upon all who are sick and suffering in body, mind, or spirit, that Thy healing grace may be infused in them and in myself:

Silence or add individual intentions here

Heavenly Father, I commend unto Thee those who are departed, that they may be judged with magnanimity and see Thy Heavenly Kingdom:

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 Fridays

Almighty God, whose most dear Son went not up to joy but first he suffered pain, and entered not into glory before he was crucified: Mercifully grant that we, walking in the way of the cross, may find it none other than the way of life and peace; through the same thy Son Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.