Prayer & Praise/ Praying Through The Pandemic

The Collect

O God, your never-failing providence sets in order all things both in heaven and on earth: Put away from us all hurtful things, and give us those things that are profitable for us; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.  Amen.

Isaiah 2:10-17

Enter into the rock and hide in the dust from before the terror of the Lord, and from the splendor of his majesty. The haughty looks of man shall be brought low, and the lofty pride of men shall be humbled, and the Lord alone will be exalted in that day.

For the Lord of hosts has a day against all that is proud and lofty, against all that is lifted up—and it shall be brought low; against all the cedars of Lebanon, lofty and lifted up; and against all the oaks of Bashan; against all the lofty mountains, and against all the uplifted hills; against every high tower, and against every fortified wall; against all the ships of Tarshish, and against all the beautiful craft. And the haughtiness of man shall be humbled, and the lofty pride of men shall be brought low, and the Lord alone will be exalted in that day.

Psalm 89:1-18

My song shall be always of the loving-kindness of the Lord; * with my mouth will I ever be proclaiming your faithfulness, from one generation to another.

For I have said, “Mercy shall be built up for ever; * your faithfulness shall be established in the heavens.”

I have made a covenant with my chosen one; * I have sworn to David my servant:

“Your seed will I establish for ever, * and set up your throne from one generation to another.”

O Lord, the heavens will praise your wondrous works * and your faithfulness in the assembly of the saints.

For who in the clouds can be compared unto the Lord? * And who among the gods is like unto the Lord?

God is greatly to be feared in the council of the saints, * and to be held in reverence by all those who are round about him.

O Lord God of hosts, who is like you? * Your faithfulness, most mighty Lord, is round about you.

You rule the raging of the sea; * you still the waves when they arise.

You have subdued Rahab of the deep, and destroyed her; * you have scattered your enemies with your mighty arm.

The heavens are yours; the earth also is yours; * you laid the foundation of the world, and all that is in it.

You have made the north and the south; * Tabor and Hermon shall rejoice in your Name.

You have a mighty arm; * strong is your hand, and high is your right hand.

Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne; * mercy and truth shall go before your face.

Blessed are the people, O Lord, who rejoice in you; * they shall walk in the light of your countenance.

Their delight shall be in your Name all the day long, * and in your righteousness shall they make their boast.

For you are the glory of their strength, * and by your favor you shall lift up our might.

For the Lord is our defense; * the Holy One of Israel is our King.

+Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit;
As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be; world without end.  Amen

Romans 6:1-11

What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it? Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.

For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. For one who has died has been set free from sin. Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. For the death he died he died to sin, once for all, but the life he lives he lives to God. So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.

Matthew 10:34-42

“Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. And a person’s enemies will be those of his own household. Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. And whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.

“Whoever receives you receives me, and whoever receives me receives him who sent me. The one who receives a prophet because he is a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward, and the one who receives a righteous person because he is a righteous person will receive a righteous person’s reward. And whoever gives one of these little ones even a cup of cold water because he is a disciple, truly, I say to you, he will by no means lose his reward.”