Call to Worship
Receive God’s gracious call to worship.
How lovely is Your tabernacle, O Lord of hosts! My soul longs, yes, even faints For the courts of the Lord; My heart and my flesh cry out for the living God. Even the sparrow has found a home, And the swallow a nest for herself, Where she may lay her young— Even Your altars, O Lord of hosts, My King and my God. Blessed are those who dwell in Your house; They will still be praising You. Selah (Psalm 84:1–4).
Adoration
Offer this praise to God:
You are good, You are blessed, like David we would willingly sit down before You in silence and wait awhile, for our words when we do use them are totally inadequate to the expression of what we feel, much more of what we ought to feel concerning Your goodness and Your loving kindness; yet we will bless Your name with such language as we have.
Jehovah, our God, let others worship whom they will and seek after what object of love they please, this God is our God for ever and ever, He shall be our guide even unto death.
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, the Triune God of Israel, we express most solemnly the reverence we feel for You; and render to You our humble adoration as we acknowledge You to be the One and only God, by whom the heavens and the earth were made, by whom all things consist, the Redeemer of Your people, their Father and their Friend, for ever and ever!
All our hearts worship You, Oh You glorious Lord!
And truly since we have received so many mercies at Your hand, we do feel that You will never forsake us nor in any darkness which may be in our path in the future, will You desert Your own. You have done too much for us to desert us now.
We have cost You so much — Oh wondrous price that You have paid for us — and You have spent so much of wise thought, and gracious act upon us, that we are persuaded You will go through with the work which Your wisdom has undertaken.
The Law
Hear God’s perfect requirements.
He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God and he shall be My son. But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death. (Revelation 21:7–8)
Confession of Sin
Confess and repent of sins before God.
And now, Lord, You will listen to us while we confess before You how unworthy we have been of all Your goodness; for we are a sinful generation, even as our fathers were.
We have sinned times without number, and even those of us who are Your people, and have been born into Your house, we have even more than others to mourn over our sin, for You have made us more sensible of it, and we have sinned against greater light, which we do sorrowfully confess.
Our sins of pride, of unbelief, of hasty judgment of Your providence, our neglect of searching into Your mind in the Word, our neglect of possessing Your mind in our daily life, our transgressions and our shortcomings make against us a great list of accusations.
But we bless You that they will not stand as accusations, for behold, none can lay anything to the charge of Your people, seeing all was laid on Him upon whom the transgression of Your people was laid of old by Your own hand; and now, washed in His precious blood, and clothed in His matchless righteousness, we know that despite our faults we stand accepted in the Beloved, for which again we bless You. Deep down in our hearts shall the song begin in humiliation of spirit because of our offenses, but it shall rise to the very heights of heaven while with joy we behold how we are “raised up together and made to sit in the heavenly places,” and are presented in Christ Jesus “without spot or wrinkle or any such thing.”
Assurance of Pardon
Hear the promise of grace:
But now having been set free from sin, and having become slaves of God, you have your fruit to holiness, and the end, everlasting life. For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 6:22–23)
Praise
Offer this praise to God:
Alleluia! For the Lord our God the Almighty reigns! (Revelation 19:6)
Creed
Testify what you believe of Christian truth:
This is a faithful saying: For if we died with Him, We shall also live with Him. If we endure, We shall also reign with Him. If we deny Him, He also will deny us. If we are faithless, He remains faithful; He cannot deny Himself. (2 Timothy 2:11–13)
Catechism
Learn from Spurgeon’s catechism.
55. Which is the sixth commandment?
A. The sixth commandment is, “Thou shalt not kill.”
56. What is forbidden in the sixth commandment?
A. The sixth commandment forbids the taking away of our own life (Act 16:28), or the life of our neighbour unjustly (Gen 9:6), or whatever tends to it (Pro 24:11-12).
Prayer for Illumination
Ask for spiritual understanding before reading God’s Word:
But Lord, while we work for You, always keep us sitting at the feet of Jesus.
Let our faith never wander away from the simplicity of its confidence in Him.
Let our motive never be anything but His glory; may our hearts be taken up with His love, and our thoughts perpetually engaged about His person.
Let us choose the good part which shall not be taken away that if we serve with Martha we may also sit with Mary.
Let the church, Lord, receive a fresh anointing of the Holy Ghost, that all its members may be spending themselves for the Master.
Scripture Reading
Read Scripture with dependence and a desire to obey.
Day 22: Isaiah 55:1-13 (Come and Drink Freely)
Prayer of Intercession
Make your requests with thanksgiving, and pray this prayer.
The Lord be very mindful of all his sick servants at home, of any that are under depression of spirit, and especially of such as are near to die.
Oh be very gracious to all Your children under temptation, and if any are in very sharp trial, and are also conscious of having brought it upon themselves, which makes the trial worse than ever, yet of Your mercy do You let the fullness of the power of Your grace be manifest in them, that in the ages to come they may, with all saints declare the exceeding riches of Your power and love in Christ Jesus.
And now, Lord, bless the unconverted…. Be pleased to save them; let the eternal purpose be fulfilled in many today: Oh bring home Your prodigal children, and let such as are coming home be met by the loving Father, and may such as have come home have a feast of fat things today.
May elder brethren today be made better tempered, be made more into sympathy with the great Father! May there be blessings all round today for all of us, and so may we together bless and magnify Your august and sacred name. O You one God of Israel, whom we worship, let others worship whom they may; the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob is our God for ever and ever, and we worship You. Oh Jehovah Elohim, in the name of Jesus Christ Your only begotten Son. Amen.
Benediction
Close with the blessing of God.
May the Lord answer you in the day of trouble; May the name of the God of Jacob defend you; May He send you help from the sanctuary, And strengthen you out of Zion; May He remember all your offerings, And accept your burnt sacrifice. Selah. May He grant you according to your heart’s desire, And fulfill all your purpose. (Psalm 20:1–4)
