Prayer and Fasting for GAFCON - Day 3

Opening Sentence
Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be alway acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength and my redeemer. Psalm xix. 14.

A Psalm of Ascent
OUT of the deep have I called unto thee, O LORD; * Lord, hear my voice.
O let thine ears consider well * the voice of my complaint.
If thou, LORD, wilt be extreme to mark what is done amiss, * O Lord, who may abide it?
For there is mercy with thee; * therefore shalt thou be feared.
I look for the LORD; my soul doth wait for him; * in his word is my trust.
My soul fleeth unto the Lord before the morning watch; * I say, before the morning watch.
O Israel, trust in the LORD; for with the LORD there is mercy, * and with him is plenteous redemption.
And he shall redeem Israel * from all his sins.
The One Hundred Thirtieth Psalm, Book of Common Prayer, 1928 (USA)

Reflection
As we heard in yesterday's lessons and prayers, God uses flawed men and women to do His work. We must call out of the depths to the One who is merciful. We pray that the GAFCON pilgrims, and all who intercede for them and await their message, will come before the LORD in humility, aware of our sins, "that we should not dissemble nor cloak them before the face of Almighty God our heavenly Father; but confess them with an humble, lowly, penitent, and obedient heart; to the end that we may obtain forgiveness of the same..." All prsise to Jesus Christ, who on His cross outside Jerusalem redeemed us from all our sins.

V/ We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you;
R/ Because by your Holy Cross you have redeemed the world.

Morning Lesson & Canticle (Book of Common Prayer 1928, USA)
St. Luke 1, NKJV
67 Now his father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Spirit, and prophesied, saying:
68 “ Blessed is the Lord God of Israel,
For He has visited and redeemed His people,
69 And has raised up a horn of salvation for us
In the house of His servant David,
70 As He spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets,
Who have been since the world began,
71 That we should be saved from our enemies
And from the hand of all who hate us,
72 To perform the mercy promised to our fathers
And to remember His holy covenant,
73 The oath which He swore to our father Abraham:
74 To grant us that we,
Being delivered from the hand of our enemies,
Might serve Him without fear,
75 In holiness and righteousness before Him all the days of our life.
76 “ And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Highest;
For you will go before the face of the Lord to prepare His ways,
77 To give knowledge of salvation to His people
By the remission of their sins,
78 Through the tender mercy of our God,
With which the Dayspring from on high has visited us;
79 To give light to those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death,
To guide our feet into the way of peace.”
80 So the child grew and became strong in spirit, and was in the deserts till the day of his manifestation to Israel.

Prayer
Father God, we praise your faithfulness. We stand in awe and give thanks as your promises are kept and prophecies fulfilled across all times and places. May your GAFCON pilgrims be strong in the Holy Spirit and grow toward the full stature of Christ. May this infant body of Anglican leaders thrive in the desert of this fallen church and world. May they manifest the ministry of John the Baptist and point to Christ, the Lamb of God. We pray in Jesus' Name. Amen.