Grant Us To Walk On Right Paths, O LORD!
The Divine Reading – Isaiah 3:12
My people! Their oppressors are children, And women rule over them.
O My people! Those who guide you lead you astray
And confuse the direction of your paths.
Lectio Divina Prayer
Gracious heavenly Father, you who dwell in perfect unity with Your Divine Son, and Holy Spirit, and are present whenever two or three gather in Your Holy Name, hear the cries of your people that call upon Your Name and hear the deepest cry’s of our broken and repentant hearts! For we to whom You have given Your great and precious promises, Your Word and Holy Spirit, and all things pertaining life and godliness, have become a people of unclean hearts and lips. We, and those You have given to shepherd us, O God, have all together thrown off Your divine laws and precepts, and corrupted our ways by not taking heed according to Your Word, but have instead, allowed worldly wisdom and science, falsely so call, to become strongholds of stumbling to us and to our children.
Instead of letting the Gospel of Your grace, and the faith of our Fathers, inform our worship as we gather in Your Holy Name, to open our hearts to your Word, and remembering that You gave your body and blood on Calvary’s cross for the remission of sins; we instead let the children entertain us, and women teach us, and we have come to be lovers of pleasure and entertainment more than lovers of God. Truly, our shepherd’s have led us down crooked paths; being disobedient to Your Word they have made merchandise of Your holy people for the sake of worldly gain, they have reveled in sexual immorality and they have thrown down the glory of Your creation.
O God of all grace, grant to us repentance, let godly men arise, and let them so love and trust in You, being rooted and grounded in Your Word, that they will faithfully shepherd their families first, and let them be salt and light, and true leaders in their local congregations. Let them not be lukewarm, having one foot in the world and one in your kingdom, but rather, let them all seek first Your kingdom and Your righteousness with a holy zeal, empowered by Your Word and Spirit, that truly, every gate of hell will fall before them as they proclaim the Gospel of Christ Jesus our Lord. Then the world, full of distress, confusion, and every evil desire will know, without a doubt, that Your Church is the house of the living God, and is truly the pillar and foundation of truth! And that in the midst of Your Holy Church is He Who is enthroned the King of kings and Lord of lords, and Who alone is the Way, the Truth, and the Life; the source of salvation to all who call on the Name of Jesus for the salvation of their souls!
Amen! Maranatha!
