Prayer Is the Chief Exercise of Faith
Prayer Is the Chief Exercise of Faith

Meditation for the day taken from Everyday Prayer with John Calvin,” written by Donald McKim:

Scripture: Daniel 9:1-10

Daniel 9 is a prayer offered by Daniel as he was in exile in Babylon. The opening verses of the chapter set the stage for Daniel's prayer as he recounts the circumstances of God's people. As he reflects on the words of Jeremiah the prophet, he is painfully aware of the trial that his people face and the discipline they are currently experiencing. As a result of the anguish of his soul, he turns to pray and plead with the God of heaven. The example of Daniel should encourage us to do the same. When we are facing difficulties, we should turn to the Lord in prayer. Nothing else will do. We must learn to plead our case before the Lord. Calvin comments, "God does not here promise his children earthly blessings, but eternal life, and while they grow torpid and cast aside all care and spiritual concern, he urges them the more to earnestly to prayer. For what benefit do God's promises confer on us, unless we embrace them by faith? But prayer is the chief exercise of faith...For the true proof of faith is the assurance when we pray that God will really perform what he has promised." (64). Life for Daniel and the church of old was hard and they were under God's discipline. Yet, Daniel reflected on the promise of God to return the people to their land. This reflection turned to prayer and that a demonstration of his great faith in God and his promises.

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prayerWilliam Hill
Daily Prayer for the Lord's Day, May 2, 2021
Daily Prayer for the Lord's Day, May 2, 2021

Prayer: Almighty God, we praise your name today because you are good and kind to your people. You have given us your Word in which we hear your voice and know your will. We thank you that you have given us ears to hear and hearts to respond to your commands. We thank you that through the primary and ordinary means of grace -- that preaching of your Word -- we hear the living voice of the Lord Jesus speaking. As he speaks, He ministers to his people as the Good Shepherd of the sheep. We confess that there are times when we do not listen and heed the things the Spirit declares to his church. We confess that we fail to prepare our hearts and minds to hear your Word. We are ashamed at how dull of hearing we often are as we sit under your Word. Forgive us, Lord. Please cause us to hear you today, the Lord's Day. Please cause us to listen diligently and meditatively so we may bring forth fruit of your Word in our lives and glorify you. We pray these things in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

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prayerWilliam Hill
Worship Preparation for May 2, 2021
Worship Preparation for May 2, 2021

Call to Worship: Isaiah 60:1-5
Confession of Faith: the Apostles’ Creed
Hymns and Psalter Selections:

  1. I Greet Thee, Who My Sure Redeemer Art #282

  2. The Lord’s My Shepherd #23A

  3. Almighty God, Your Word is Cast #173

Sermon: Mark 4:21-25

Discussion Questions:

  1. What is the purpose of light?

  2. How is the Word of God “light?” See Ps. 119:105. What are the implications of this verse?

  3. If the things hidden in the Old Testament are now manifest in the New, what should we do with this information?

  4. Why does Jesus exhort the listeners to hear? Who is able to hear?

  5. Where does Christ speak, primarily? See WLC 160.

  6. Why does Jesus say, “to the one who has, more will be given?” In the context of this passage, to what is he referring?

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worshipWilliam Hill
Redeeming the Time
Redeeming the Time

At our most recent prayer meeting, I mentioned the following video and commend it to you. I encourage you to watch this prayerfully and thoughtfully and consider the wisdom that it contains. We can learn much from those who have gone before us.

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videoWilliam Hill
Daily Prayer for April 29, 2021
Daily Prayer for April 29, 2021

Prayer: Our great and gracious God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, we praise your name today because you are good and kind to your people. Throughout all ages, you have proven yourself to be patient and good to us. As we read your Word and observe the many ways in which you cared for your people. Your Word describes the events that prove your faithfulness. You brought your people out of the land of sin and bondage and safely across the Red Sea. You provided their daily bread as they journeyed to that land of promise. There, in that land, you went before them and conquered all their enemies. You patiently tolerated stiff-necked people and gave them a king. Throughout all ages, you continued to labor and work and offer yourself to the church of old. Today, we continue to witness your kindness to undeserving people. You have given us your Son, and through him, we have peace with you. He is our older brother, and he ministers for us today. He is carefully and patiently guiding his church and promises our safe arrival in a better country. We praise you, our God, that though we too wander, we know that your faithfulness to us is new every day. Forgive us, Father, for our tendency to stray. Thank you for being good to us. We pray these things in the name of Christ. Amen.

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prayerWilliam Hill
Prayer: Our Adoration and Worship of God
Prayer: Our Adoration and Worship of God

Meditation for the day taken from "Everyday Prayer with John Calvin" written by Donald McKim:

Scripture: Daniel 6:10-16

The narrative before us is a familiar one. This is the story of Daniel in the Lion's Den. Daniel finds himself in exile in Babylon. The holy city has been laid waste, and the Babylonian Empire has captured it and returned some of God's people to that pagan city. Daniel is a picture of our sojourning as God's people today labor in exile in a foreign country waiting for the arrival of that new and better country. While Daniel is waiting patiently for God to restore his people, he maintains his faithfulness in a faithless and godless land. The nation is so wicked that jealousy rages because the king sets Daniel in charge. Because of this evil rage, the jealous people set a trap for the king and Daniel. The mandate is clear: no prayer or petition to any god except the king. The resulting punishment for violators would be imprisonment in a lion's den. Knowing the terms of the mandate, Daniel refused to be deterred by such evil. He maintained his godliness and faithfulness, praying three times a day before God as usual (6:10). As a result, the king, sorrowfully, tossed Daniel into the den of lions. You know the end of the story.

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William Hill
Daily Prayer for April 28, 2021
Daily Prayer for April 28, 2021

Prayer: Our great and holy God, we thank you for the privilege of prayer brought about by the work of your Son and our Savior, the great High Priest, the Lord Jesus Christ. We confess to you that we often feel like the prophet who mourned and grieved over the circumstances of his day. There are times when we feel abandoned by you, though your Word plainly tells us you will never leave us or forsake us. We are like wandering sheep, exiles in a dark world that has no regard for your Word or will. We grieve over the circumstances of our life. We plead with you to work mightily through your church and through the preaching of your Word. We pray for revival born by your Spirit that your people might be moved to pray and plead with the God of heaven. We seek your face, knowing that our feelings do not change our need to come before you, and pray to find hope in you, our Father. Please help us today to walk according to your will and be useful salt and light in a dark place. We pray these things in the name of your Son. Amen.

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William Hill
Out of Our Despair Comes Hope
Out of Our Despair Comes Hope

Meditation for the day taken from "Everyday Prayer with John Calvin" written by Donald McKim:

Scripture: Lamentations 3:1-26

The book of Lamentations parallels the Psalms in the outpouring of emotion as the writer puts pen to paper. This book is the laments of Jeremiah the prophet as he mourns over the state of Judah and the destruction of the city of God (Jerusalem) in 586 BC. It appears that the labors of the faithful prophet have fallen on deaf ears. His people are shattered and scattered. The temple lies in ruin. God has fled, and it appears that all is hopelessly lost. Lamentations three is the centerpiece of the five chapters of the book. It is three times longer than the other four chapters. It is full of references to misery, anguish, darkness, bitterness -- all depicting the emotional state of the prophet.

I suspect it is included in the canon because we sometimes feel this way. We sometimes move through our day with despair on our minds and hearts. We loathe this life at times. We think that our God is against us and nothing can help. Jeremiah felt this way (consider the graphic image presented in 3:16-18). If we are honest, we, too, feel this way at times. Jeremiah even goes so far as to say, "My soul is bereft of peace; I have forgotten what happiness is." (3:17). He even declares that God does not hear his prayers. He writes, "Though I call and cry for help, he shuts out my prayer." (3:8). Yet, note that he still pours out his heart. His emotions do not control his actions.

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William Hill
Daily Prayer for April 27, 2021
Daily Prayer for April 27, 2021

Prayer: Our God in heaven, you who ordained your Son as the suffering servant who would come, take upon himself our humanity, suffer in all ways that we suffer yet know no sin, we thank you for the labor and ministry of your beloved Son, our Lord, and Savior, Jesus Christ. We know that we, like sheep, often go astray. Like David, we bemoan that our sins are ever before us. Yet, we know that your Son, as our High Priest, is patient with us -- more patient than we are with ourselves and others. Your Word tells us that he will not break the bruised reed. That is, he will act tenderly and compassionately towards those he has redeemed. He does not snuff us out, though our light is barely burning. Your Son deals gently with the ignorant and wayward, and these things often characterize our lives. Forgive us, Father, for such a low view of your love for us and a poor understanding of the gospel. May we preach the hope of Christ to ourselves es in times of great sin and struggle. Be merciful, Lord. We pray all of these things in the name of the Savior. Amen.

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prayerWilliam Hill