St. Nicolai Notes

Prayer for Lent - Day 4 - Saturday (February 20, 2021)

Gospel Reading: Luke 4:1-8

     We rejoice, O God, that You endowed Jesus with your Spirit, and that every moment of his ministry was in the presence and under the direction of the Spirit. Even his sojourn in the wilderness, echoing the experience of his ancestors, was initiated by the Spirit's guidance.

     We rejoice that your Spirit enabled Jesus to fast for 40 days. And though he became very hungry, at the end of those days, his time in the presence of your Spirit gave him the courage, wisdom, and energy to resist the temptation to make his physical hunger the  dominant reality of his life.

     We rejoice that Jesus, the embodiment of your Word, was so thoroughly acquainted with the scriptures that he was able to resist the temptation to let hunger for personal authority and glory cause him to act in the idolatrous way that the tempter offered. He was fully loyal to You in spite of great temptation. And he did not doubt your affirmation of his role as your beloved Son, with the authority and eventual glory that implied.

     God, we don't always allow your Spirit to guide us, especially when we are guided toward potential hardship. Forgive us! We don't always trust in the identity You have given us as your children, but, instead, work hard to achieve what You give as gift. Forgive us! We don't always resist the temptation to put our own needs, or our own appetite for power and glory aside, in order to be fully faithful to You! Forgive us.

     May we find in our own wilderness days, that your Spirit is close, your word is true, and your call upon our lives is full of promise. Energize us for the ministry to which You have called us. We rejoice in You, O God! Amen.