Epiphany +4: Satan, Your Kingdom Must Come Down
A weekly Epiphany devotional post for these 8 weeks of witness. Join us!
You can read here for a brief description of the liturgical season of Epiphany, and see previous Epiphany daybook 2019 posts here. Blessed Epiphany, friends!
Note: If you're reading this in email, the formatting usually looks much better at the website. Just click the post title to get there.
Look: There Will Be No Miracles Here, 2007, Nathan Coley
(source)
Listen: “Satan Your Kingdom Must Come Down”, from Complete Recorded Works, Vol. 2, Blind Joe Taggart
Spotify | YouTube
Listen to my entire playlist on Spotify: Epiphany - Break Every Chain. Add it to your account by clicking ‘Follow.’
Read:
Sunday - Jeremiah 1:4-10; Psalm 71:1-6; 1 Corinthians 13:1-13; Luke 4:21-30
Monday (2/4) - Psalm 56, 57; Isaiah 51:17-23; Galatians 4:1-11; Mark 7:24-37
Tuesday (2/5) - Psalm 61, 62; Isaiah 52:1-12; Galatians 4:12-20; Mark 8:1-10
Wednesday (2/6) - Psalm 72; Isaiah 54:1-1-17; Galatians 4:21-31; Mark 8:11-26
Thursday (2/7) - Psalm 70, 71; Isaiah 55:1-13; Galatians 5:1-15; Mark 8:27-9:1
Friday (2/8) - Psalm 69; Isaiah 56:1-8; Galatians 5:16-24; Mark 9:2-13
Saturday (2/9) - Psalm 75, 76; Isaiah 57:3-13; Galatians 5:25-6:10; Mark 9:14-29
Excerpts from Sunday’s readings:
“Then I said, “Ah, Lord God! Behold, I do not know how to speak, for I am only a youth.” But the Lord said to me,
“Do not say, ‘I am only a youth’;
for to all to whom I send you, you shall go,
and whatever I command you, you shall speak.
Do not be afraid of them,
for I am with you to deliver you,
declares the Lord.”
*
”Rescue me, O my God, from the hand of the wicked,
from the grasp of the unjust and cruel man.
For you, O Lord, are my hope,
my trust, O Lord, from my youth.
Upon you I have leaned from before my birth;
you are he who took me from my mother’s womb.
My praise is continually of you.”
*
”If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing.”
*
”And he began to say to them, “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.” And all spoke well of him and marveled at the gracious words that were coming from his mouth. And they said, “Is not this Joseph’s son?” And he said to them, “Doubtless you will quote to me this proverb, ‘“Physician, heal yourself.” What we have heard you did at Capernaum, do here in your hometown as well.’” And he said, “Truly, I say to you, no prophet is acceptable in his hometown. But in truth, I tell you, there were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the heavens were shut up three years and six months, and a great famine came over all the land, and Elijah was sent to none of them but only to Zarephath, in the land of Sidon, to a woman who was a widow. And there were many lepers in Israel in the time of the prophet Elisha, and none of them was cleansed, but only Naaman the Syrian.” When they heard these things, all in the synagogue were filled with wrath. And they rose up and drove him out of the town and brought him to the brow of the hill on which their town was built, so that they could throw him down the cliff. But passing through their midst, he went away.”
Sunday Scripture readings are taken from the Revised Common Lectionary (Year C). Daily Scripture readings are taken from the Book of Common Prayer (Year 1), using the Psalm selections for Morning Prayer.
Pray:
“Almighty and everlasting God, you govern all things both in heaven and on earth: Mercifully hear the supplications of your people, and in our time grant us your peace; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.”
Do:
Pray blessing throughout your house and neighborhood
If you haven’t yet, this is a great week to chalk the doors and pray blessing and protection over each room in your house.
Watch here and here for explanations from a couple of Protestant pastors and here for a video demonstration from a Catholic mom. You can find prayers here or print out a larger prayer service adapted from various sources that leads you to pray through each room of your home: Feast of the Epiphany.
You can find other activities for Epiphany at this post: 12+ Ways To Keep Celebrating With the Rest of the World (loads of links)
(See all Epiphany Daybook posts from 2018 here.)