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
And the priest of Zeus, whose temple was at the entrance to the city, brought oxen and garlands to the gates and wanted to offer sacrifice with the crowds. But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard of it, they tore their garments and rushed out into the crowd, crying out, “Men, why are you doing these things? We also are men, of like nature with you, and we bring you good news, that you should turn from these vain things to a living God, who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and all that is in them. (Acts 14: 13-15)
Reflection
The only mention of Zeus in the Bible occurs in Acts 14, a text describing events not in Athens—where work on a temple honoring Zeus began in the sixth century B.C. and went on for over 600 years—but in Lystra, a city in central Asia Minor. But what actually happened in Lystra might have occurred in Athens if Paul had had healed the lame here. “Barnabas they called Zeus, and Paul, Hermes, because he was the chief speaker.” Treated as gods, they immediately pointed away from themselves to the living God in whose service they humbly labored.
Praying for Greece
Pray today for Christian leaders who identify the false gods of our age, turn away from unseemly praise and vainglory, and walk humbly before a God whose praise they proclaim.
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.
