Each week at Solomon’s Porch we begin with a time of silence, Scripture reading, and reflection called “Preparing our Hearts”. We encourage the Lord’s people to take a few minutes in silence with the Father before we all enter into the Lord’s presence together as His people.
What follows is Psalm 130 which was our “Preparing Our Hearts” Scripture reading from last night, our “Thought for Reflection”, Corporate Prayer (which was adapted from an old puritan prayer book called “The Valley of Vision”), and the weekly hymn. Each week of the month our worship follows a different Gospel theme. This weeks over all worship theme was “sin and repentance”. We encourage you, if you’d like, to use this in your devotional time with the Lord some time this week.
As a side note, Jeremy delivered Hebrews Part 2 of our Sunday Night Sermon Series in the Book of Hebrews (to listen to Hebrews Part 1 click here), look for the audio for the sermon to hit the blog on Tuesday, with a follow-up article for further study to come out on Thursday. May the Lord be with you.
Psalm 130 “Heart Preparation”
Out of the depths I cry to you, O LORD! O Lord, hear my voice! Let your ears be attentive to the voice of my pleas for mercy! If you, O LORD, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand? But with you there is forgiveness, that you may be feared. I wait for the LORD, my soul waits, and in his word I hope; my soul waits for the Lord more than watchmen for the morning, more than watchmen for the morning.
Israel, hope in the LORD! For with the LORD there is steadfast love, and with him is plentiful redemption. And he will redeem Israel from all his iniquities.
Thought for Reflection
Sorrow is good for nothing but sin. If you shed tears for outward losses, it will not advantage you. Water for the garden, if poured in the sink, does no good. Powder for the eye, if applied to the arm is of no benefit. Sorrow is medicinable for the soul, but if you apply it to worldly things it does no good. Oh that our tears may run in the right channel and our hearts burst with sorrow for sin.
“The Doctrine of Repentance” by Thomas Watson 1668
Corporate Prayer
Father,
I am amazed by Your mercy in Christ Jesus toward me. You have struck a heavy blow at my pride, at the false god of self, and I lie in pieces before You. But you have given me another Master and Lord, Your Son, Jesus. Because of Him, my heart is turned towards holiness. Help me in all my doings to put down sin and to humble pride. Save me from the love of the world and the pride of life, from everything that is natural to fallen man, and let Christ’s nature be seen in me day by day.
In Jesus Name
Amen
adapted from “The Valley of Vision”
Hymn “Come Ye Sinners”
Scripture Readings for This Week
2 Samuel 18:5-15, 31-33
Psalm 130
Ephesians 4:25-5:2
John 6:35, 41-51