Call to Prayer
O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare your praise. (Psalm 51:15)
Glory be to God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit: as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Alleluia. Amen.
Scripture for the Day
Now all the Athenians and the foreigners who lived there would spend their time in nothing except telling or hearing something new. (Acts 17:21)
Reflection
In the ancient Mediterranean world, Athens’ history, commerce, and reputation for learning attracted many new people with their stories to the city. It’s unsurprising that Athenians loved to talk about new happenings, feats, and ideas. Into this storied city, with its architecture, culture, drama, and philosophy, St. Paul arrived with truly good news about Jesus Christ.
We arrive in a different Athens. It no longer numbers among the preeminent cities of the present world, even though it basks in past glory. Still, modern Athenians love to tell and hear something new. What will we hear and how will we respond? What will we tell, and how?
Praying for Greece
Pray today for Christians in 21st-century Athens. Ask the Lord to help Athenian Christians understand their life story within the scope of the Bible’s story of God’s creative and redemptive work in our lives and the world. Pray that they will hear, receive, and interpret the news of their day with godly ears, hearts, and minds.
The Lord’s Prayer
Concluding Prayers
Almighty and everlasting Father, you have brought us in safety to this new day. Preserve us with your mighty power, that we may not fall into sin, nor be overcome by adversity, and in all we do direct us to the fulfilling of your purpose, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
