Morning Prayer - August 12, 2026

Today's Readings

Psalm 119:97-120

Judges 7:19-25,8:1-12

Acts 3:12-26

John 1:29-42

Ordinary Time
Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my strength and my redeemer. Psalm 19:14

Confession of Sin
Most merciful God,
I confess that I have sinned against you in thought, word, and deed, by what I have done, and by what I have left undone. I have not loved you with my whole heart; I have not loved my neighbors as myself. I am truly sorry and I humbly repent. For the sake of your Son Jesus Christ, have mercy on me and forgive me; that I may delight in your will, and walk in your ways, to the glory of your Name. Amen.

Almighty God have mercy on us, forgive us all our sins through our Lord Jesus Christ, strengthen us in all goodness, and by the power of the Holy Spirit keep us in eternal life. Amen

The Invitatory and Psalter
Lord, open our lips. And our mouth shall proclaim your praise
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen Alleluia

Venite

ⓘ 'Venite' is Latin for 'O Come,' the opening word of Psalm 95: Venite exultemus Domino ('O Come, let us sing to the LORD').

Psalm 95:1 to 7
Come, let us sing to the Lord;
   let us shout for joy to the Rock of our salvation.
Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving
   and raise a loud shout to him with psalms.

For the Lord is a great God,
   and a great King above all gods.
In his hand are the caverns of the earth,
   and the heights of the hills are his also.
The sea is his, for he made it,
   and his hands have molded the dry land.

Come, let us bow down, and bend the knee,
   and kneel before the Lord our Maker.
For he is our God, and we are the people of his pasture and the sheep of his hand.
    Oh, that today you would hearken to his voice!

The Antiphon:

ⓘ A short, reflective sentence recited alongside a psalm to deepen our understanding of the readings.

The mercy of the Lord is everlasting: Come let us adore him.

The Lessons

Psalm 119

⁽⁹⁷⁾ Oh, how I love Your law! It is my meditation all the day.⁽⁹⁸⁾ You, through Your commandments, make me wiser than my enemies; For they are ever with me.⁽⁹⁹⁾ I have more understanding than all my teachers, For Your testimonies are my meditation.⁽¹⁰⁰⁾ I understand more than the ancients, Because I keep Your precepts.

⁽¹⁰¹⁾ I have restrained my feet from every evil way, That I may keep Your word.⁽¹⁰²⁾ I have not departed from Your judgments, For You Yourself have taught me.⁽¹⁰³⁾ How sweet are Your words to my taste, Sweeter than honey to my mouth!⁽¹⁰⁴⁾ Through Your precepts I get understanding; Therefore I hate every false way.

⁽¹⁰⁵⁾ Your word is a lamp to my feet And a light to my path.⁽¹⁰⁶⁾ I have sworn and confirmed That I will keep Your righteous judgments.⁽¹⁰⁷⁾ I am afflicted very much; Revive me, O LORD, according to Your word.⁽¹⁰⁸⁾ Accept, I pray, the freewill offerings of my mouth, O LORD, And teach me Your judgments.

⁽¹⁰⁹⁾ My life is continually in my hand, Yet I do not forget Your law.⁽¹¹⁰⁾ The wicked have laid a snare for me, Yet I have not strayed from Your precepts.⁽¹¹¹⁾ Your testimonies I have taken as a heritage forever, For they are the rejoicing of my heart.⁽¹¹²⁾ I have inclined my heart to perform Your statutes Forever, to the very end.

⁽¹¹³⁾ I hate the double-minded, But I love Your law.⁽¹¹⁴⁾ You are my hiding place and my shield; I hope in Your word.⁽¹¹⁵⁾ Depart from me, you evildoers, For I will keep the commandments of my God!⁽¹¹⁶⁾ Uphold me according to Your word, that I may live; And do not let me be ashamed of my hope.

⁽¹¹⁷⁾ Hold me up, and I shall be safe, And I shall observe Your statutes continually.⁽¹¹⁸⁾ You reject all those who stray from Your statutes, For their deceit is falsehood.⁽¹¹⁹⁾ You put away all the wicked of the earth like dross; Therefore I love Your testimonies.⁽¹²⁰⁾ My flesh trembles for fear of You, And I am afraid of Your judgments.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.

Judges Chapter 7

⁽¹⁹⁾ So Gideon and the hundred men who were with him came to the outpost of the camp at the beginning of the middle watch, just as they had posted the watch; and they blew the trumpets and broke the pitchers that were in their hands.⁽²⁰⁾ Then the three companies blew the trumpets and broke the pitchers -- they held the torches in their left hands and the trumpets in their right hands for blowing -- and they cried, 'The sword of the LORD and of Gideon!'⁽²¹⁾ And every man stood in his place all around the camp; and the whole army ran and cried out and fled.⁽²²⁾ When the three hundred blew the trumpets, the LORD set every man's sword against his companion throughout the whole camp; and the army fled to Beth Acacia, toward Zererah, as far as the border of Abel Meholah, by Tabbath.

⁽²³⁾ And the men of Israel gathered together from Naphtali, Asher, and all Manasseh, and pursued the Midianites.⁽²⁴⁾ Then Gideon sent messengers throughout all the mountains of Ephraim, saying, 'Come down against the Midianites, and seize from them the watering places as far as Beth Barah and the Jordan.' Then all the men of Ephraim gathered together and seized the watering places as far as Beth Barah and the Jordan.⁽²⁵⁾ And they captured two princes of the Midianites, Oreb and Zeeb. They killed Oreb at the rock of Oreb, and Zeeb they killed at the winepress of Zeeb. They pursued Midian and brought the heads of Oreb and Zeeb to Gideon on the other side of the Jordan.⁽¹⁾ Now the men of Ephraim said to him, 'Why have you done this to us by not calling us when you went to fight with the Midianites?' And they reprimanded him sharply.⁽²⁾ So he said to them, 'What have I done now in comparison with you? Is not the gleaning of the grapes of Ephraim better than the vintage of Abiezer?⁽³⁾ God has delivered into your hands the princes of Midian, Oreb and Zeeb. And what was I able to do in comparison with you?' Then their anger toward him subsided when he said that.⁽⁴⁾ When Gideon came to the Jordan, he and the three hundred men who were with him crossed over, exhausted but still in pursuit.

⁽⁵⁾ Then he said to the men of Succoth, 'Please give loaves of bread to the people who follow me, for they are exhausted, and I am pursuing Zebah and Zalmunna, kings of Midian.'⁽⁶⁾ And the leaders of Succoth said, 'Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna now in your hand, that we should give bread to your army?'⁽⁷⁾ So Gideon said, 'For this cause, when the LORD has delivered Zebah and Zalmunna into my hand, then I will tear your flesh with the thorns of the wilderness and with briers!'⁽⁸⁾ Then he went up from there to Penuel and spoke to them in the same way. And the men of Penuel answered him as the men of Succoth had answered.

⁽⁹⁾ So he also spoke to the men of Penuel, saying, 'When I come back in peace, I will tear down this tower!'⁽¹⁰⁾ Now Zebah and Zalmunna were at Karkor, and their armies with them, about fifteen thousand, all who were left of all the army of the people of the East; for one hundred and twenty thousand men who drew the sword had fallen.⁽¹¹⁾ Then Gideon went up by the road of those who dwell in tents on the east of Nobah and Jogbehah; and he attacked the army while the camp felt secure.⁽¹²⁾ When Zebah and Zalmunna fled, he pursued them; and he took the two kings of Midian, Zebah and Zalmunna, and routed the whole army.

The Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.

Acts Chapter 3

⁽¹²⁾ So when Peter saw it, he responded to the people: 'Men of Israel, why do you marvel at this? Or why look so intently at us, as though by our own power or godliness we had made this man walk?⁽¹³⁾ The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God of our fathers, glorified His Servant Jesus, whom you delivered up and denied in the presence of Pilate, when he was determined to let Him go.⁽¹⁴⁾ But you denied the Holy One and the Just, and asked for a murderer to be granted to you,⁽¹⁵⁾ and killed the Prince of life, whom God raised from the dead, of which we are witnesses.

⁽¹⁶⁾ And His name, through faith in His name, has made this man strong, whom you see and know. Yes, the faith which comes through Him has given him this perfect soundness in the presence of you all.⁽¹⁷⁾ Yet now, brethren, I know that you did it in ignorance, as did also your rulers.⁽¹⁸⁾ But those things which God foretold by the mouth of all His prophets, that the Christ would suffer, He has thus fulfilled.⁽¹⁹⁾ Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord,

⁽²⁰⁾ and that He may send Jesus Christ, who was preached to you before,⁽²¹⁾ whom heaven must receive until the times of restoration of all things, which God has spoken by the mouth of all His holy prophets since the world began.⁽²²⁾ For Moses truly said to the fathers, 'The LORD your God will raise up for you a Prophet like me from your brethren. Him you shall hear in all things, whatever He says to you.⁽²³⁾ And it shall be that every soul who will not hear that Prophet shall be utterly destroyed from among the people.'

⁽²⁴⁾ Yes, and all the prophets, from Samuel and those who follow, as many as have spoken, have also foretold these days.⁽²⁵⁾ You are sons of the prophets, and of the covenant which God made with our fathers, saying to Abraham, 'And in your seed all the families of the earth shall be blessed.'⁽²⁶⁾ To you first, God, having raised up His Servant Jesus, sent Him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from your iniquities.'

The Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.

John Chapter 1

⁽²⁹⁾ The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, 'Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!⁽³⁰⁾ This is He of whom I said, 'After me comes a Man who is preferred before me, for He was before me.'⁽³¹⁾ I did not know Him; but that He should be revealed to Israel, therefore I came baptizing with water.'⁽³²⁾ And John bore witness, saying, 'I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and He remained upon Him.

⁽³³⁾ I did not know Him, but He who sent me to baptize with water said to me, 'Upon whom you see the Spirit descending, and remaining on Him, this is He who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.'⁽³⁴⁾ And I have seen and testified that this is the Son of God.'⁽³⁵⁾ Again, the next day, John stood with two of his disciples.⁽³⁶⁾ And looking at Jesus as He walked, he said, 'Behold the Lamb of God!'

⁽³⁷⁾ The two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus.⁽³⁸⁾ Then Jesus turned, and seeing them following, said to them, 'What do you seek?' They said to Him, 'Rabbi' (which is to say, when translated, Teacher), 'where are You staying?'⁽³⁹⁾ He said to them, 'Come and see.' They came and saw where He was staying, and remained with Him that day (now it was about the tenth hour).⁽⁴⁰⁾ One of the two who heard John speak, and followed Him, was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother.

⁽⁴¹⁾ He first found his own brother Simon, and said to him, 'We have found the Messiah' (which is translated, the Christ).⁽⁴²⁾ And he brought him to Jesus. Now when Jesus looked at him, He said, 'You are Simon the son of Jonah. You shall be called Cephas' (which is translated, A Stone).

The Gospel of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.

Glory to God
Glory to God in the highest,
and peace to his people on earth.

Lord God, heavenly King,
almighty God and Father,
we worship you, we give you thanks,
we praise you for your glory.

Lord Jesus Christ, only Son of the Father,
Lord God, Lamb of God,
you take away the sin of the world:
have mercy on us;
you are seated at the right hand of the Father:
receive our prayer.

For you alone are the Holy One,
you alone are the Lord,
you alone are the Most High,
Jesus Christ,
with the Holy Spirit,
in the glory of God the Father. Amen.

The Apostles' Creed
I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, his only son, our Lord.
He was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary.
He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried.
He descended to the dead.
On the third day he rose again.
He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy catholic Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting. Amen.

The Prayers

The Lord's Prayer

Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy Name,
thy kingdom come, thy will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom,
and the power, and the glory,
forever and ever. Amen.

Suffrages

ⓘ A simple prayer to God for help, mercy, or intercession, rooted in the Latin word for support.

Show us your mercy, O Lord;
And grant us your salvation.
Clothe your ministers with righteousness;
Let your people sing with joy.
Give peace, O Lord, in all the world;
For only in you can we live in safety.
Lord, keep this nation under your care;
And guide us in the way of justice and truth.
Let your way be known upon earth;
Your saving health among all nations.
Let not the needy, O Lord, be forgotten;
Nor the hope of the poor be taken away.
Create in us clean hearts, O God;
And sustain us by your Holy Spirit.

Seasonal Collect: Proper 13 The Sunday closest to August 3
Let your continual mercy, O Lord, cleanse and defend your Church; and, because it cannot continue in safety without your help, protect and govern it always by your goodness; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen.

Collect of the Day: Lord God, 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.

A Prayer for Mission: Lord Jesus Christ, you stretched out your arms of love on the hard wood of the cross that everyone might come within the reach of your saving embrace: So clothe us in your Spirit that we, reaching forth our hands in love, may bring those who do not know you to the knowledge and love of you; for the honor of your Name. Amen.

Personal Prayers and Reflection

This is a time to pause, consider and listen. Pray for yourself and others.

Closing Prayers

Thanksgiving
Almighty God, Father of all mercies, we your unworthy servants give you humble thanks for all your goodness and loving-kindness to us and to all whom you have made. We bless you for our creation, preservation, and all the blessings of this life; but above all for your immeasurable love in the redemption of the world by our Lord Jesus Christ; for the means of grace, and for the hope of glory, and, we pray, give us such an awareness of your mercies, that with truly thankful hearts we may show forth your praise, not only with our lips, but in our lives, by giving up ourselves to your service, and by walking before you in holiness and righteousness all our days; through Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom, with you and the Holy Spirit, be honor and glory throughout all ages. Amen.

Conclude with the following
Let Us Bless the Lord, Thanks be to God

Glory to God whose power, working in us, can do infinitely more than we can ask or imagine: Glory to him from generation to generation in the Church, and in Christ Jesus for ever and ever. Amen. Ephesians 3:20,21