Wednesday Morning Devotion

Psalm 119:49-56

O think upon thy servant, as concerning thy word *

 wherein thou hast caused me to put my trust.

  The same is my comfort in my trouble *

 for thy word hath quickened me.

  The proud have had me exceedingly in derision *

 yet have I not shrinked from thy law.

  For I remembered thine everlasting judgements, O Lord *

 and received comfort.

  I am horribly afraid *

 for the ungodly that forsake thy law.

  Thy statutes have been my songs *

 in the house of my pilgrimage.

  I have thought upon thy Name, O Lord, in the night-season *

 and have kept thy law.

  This I had *

 because I kept thy commandments.

(Translation: Coverdale)

A Reading

(1 Kings 17:1-24)

And Elijah the Tishbite, who was of the inhabitants of Gilead, said unto Ahab, As the Lord God of Israel liveth, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, but according to my word.

And the word of the Lord came unto him, saying,

Get thee hence, and turn thee eastward, and hide thyself by the brook Cherith, that is before Jordan.

And it shall be, that thou shalt drink of the brook; and I have commanded the ravens to feed thee there.

So he went and did according unto the word of the Lord: for he went and dwelt by the brook Cherith, that is before Jordan.

And the ravens brought him bread and flesh in the morning, and bread and flesh in the evening; and he drank of the brook.

And it came to pass after a while, that the brook dried up, because there had been no rain in the land.

And the word of the Lord came unto him, saying,

Arise, get thee to Zarephath, which belongeth to Zidon, and dwell there: behold, I have commanded a widow woman there to sustain thee.

So he arose and went to Zarephath. And when he came to the gate of the city, behold, the widow woman was there gathering of sticks: and he called to her, and said, Fetch me, I pray thee, a little water in a vessel, that I may drink.

And as she was going to fetch it, he called to her, and said, Bring me, I pray thee, a morsel of bread in thine hand.

And she said, As the Lord thy God liveth, I have not a cake, but an handful of meal in a barrel, and a little oil in a cruse: and, behold, I am gathering two sticks, that I may go in and dress it for me and my son, that we may eat it, and die.

And Elijah said unto her, Fear not; go and do as thou hast said: but make me thereof a little cake first, and bring it unto me, and after make for thee and for thy son.

For thus saith the Lord God of Israel, The barrel of meal shall not waste, neither shall the cruse of oil fail, until the day that the Lord sendeth rain upon the earth.

And she went and did according to the saying of Elijah: and she, and he, and her house, did eat many days.

And the barrel of meal wasted not, neither did the cruse of oil fail, according to the word of the Lord, which he spake by Elijah.

And it came to pass after these things, that the son of the woman, the mistress of the house, fell sick; and his sickness was so sore, that there was no breath left in him.

And she said unto Elijah, What have I to do with thee, O thou man of God? art thou come unto me to call my sin to remembrance, and to slay my son?

And he said unto her, Give me thy son. And he took him out of her bosom, and carried him up into a loft, where he abode, and laid him upon his own bed.

And he cried unto the Lord, and said, O Lord my God, hast thou also brought evil upon the widow with whom I sojourn, by slaying her son?

And he stretched himself upon the child three times, and cried unto the Lord, and said, O Lord my God, I pray thee, let this child’s soul come into him again.

And the Lord heard the voice of Elijah; and the soul of the child came into him again, and he revived.

And Elijah took the child, and brought him down out of the chamber into the house, and delivered him unto his mother: and Elijah said, See, thy son liveth.

And the woman said to Elijah, Now by this I know that thou art a man of God, and that the word of the Lord in thy mouth is truth.

(Translation: Authorized Version)

A period of silence may follow.

Canticle

Surge, illuminare 

Isaiah 60:1-3, 11a, 14c, 18-19

Arise, shine; for thy light is come, *
    and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee.
For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, *
    and gross darkness the people:
But the Lord shall arise upon thee, *
    and his glory shall be seen upon thee.
And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, *
    and kings to the brightness of thy rising.
Therelore thy gates shall be open continually; *
    they shall not be shut day nor night.
They shall call thee, The city of the Lord, *
    The Zion of the Holy One of Israel.
Violence shall no more be heard in thy land, *
    wasting nor destruction within thy borders;
But thou shalt call thy walls Salvation, *
    and thy gates Praise.
The sun shall be no more thy light by day; *
    neither for brightness shall the moon
    give light unto thee:
But the Lord shall be unto thee an everlasting light, *
    and thy God thy glory.
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 Grace

O Lord, our heavenly Father, almighty and everlasting God, who hast safely brought us to the beginning of this day: Defend us in the same with thy mighty power; and grant that this day we fall into no sin, neither run into any kind of danger; but that we, being ordered by thy governance, may do always what is righteous in thy sight; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.