Lord, we thank Thee for the work of Christ. We are full of sin. We are full of guilt. We hide our sin. We cover up our sin. Jesus paid it all. He frees the prisoner and delivers those in bondage. Our account in heaven is wiped clean once we confess our sins and turn to Christ for forgiveness.

Lord, sin brings great trouble into our lives. We hurt ourselves. We hurt the people we love most. It brings guilt. It brings fear. It brings sadness. It breaks the family into pieces. Yet, Lord, Your grace is even more powerful than sin. Forgiveness is available to all of us.

Lord, remind us that we must both confess and turn from our sin. Faith without repentance is dead faith. Faith without a desire to serve Thee is dead faith. A faith without love as its fruit is worthless. It is like a dead man without the spirit. Help us to turn from our sins.

Lord, even when we turn from our sins, we still fail. Our minds think things that they ought not to think. Our tongues say things they ought not to say. Our feet move us to commit sins we ought not to do. Lord, as James reminds us, "We all stumble in many ways." We are thankful that you not only forgive us from the day of our baptism, but as long as we live we have the fountain of grace at our disposal. You did not intend for us to live in guilt and misery. You did not intend for us to moan daily over our condition. You came to give us joy and to give it more abundantly.

Lord, we live by faith. We cannot see You. We cannot touch You. What we feel, we are often unsure about. Yet, you have been gracious to give us Thy word. We can touch it. We can see it. We can read it. It is more than a book of literature. It is Your Holy word. We thank You for the Book. Jesus loves me this I know, for the Bible tells me so. We thank You for the Book.

Lord, give us wisdom in the decisions we make. We wish we could put out the fleece. We wish we could just cast the lots. Yet, you have not ordained it so. You have given us all we need. You have given us Thy word. You have given us the fear of the Lord for with fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. You have given us counselors. You have given us overseers in the Church. You have given us prayer and the Spirit to comfort us. Lord, even though we do not have direct revelation, we do have many witnesses. And finally, Lord, we know all things work together for good for those who love the Lord and have been called according to Your purpose. Even after we have made decisions, even what we consider the wrong decisions, we know that there is a purpose in everything. Our challenge is to take what is left and use it for our sanctification and growth in Christ. Our difficulties only give others the opportunity to practice the love of Christ. If for no other reason than this, there is purpose in all that happens. Ultimately, God gets the glory.

Our Father, bless our covenant children. Life seems so much more difficult today than it did when with many of us were young. There is so much more temptation. Sin and temptation have always been around, since Adam and Eve, but it is so much more accepted today. There is no public moral conscience. There is no more Christian consensus in our nation. Lord, how much more our children need the Church today even than when we were young. They need the safety net of a loving family, a strong father, and a solid church. Lord, may they not only escape the traps of the world, but may they be more than conquerors. Give them boldness, zeal, and confidence in the truth of Thy word.