Voice: Li Huan
Today is Friday, 7th of Friday. The night has passed, and the day lies open before us; let us pray with one heart and mind.
Silence is kept.
As we rejoice in the gift of this new day,
so may the light of your presence, O God,
set our hearts on fire with love for you;
now and for ever.
Amen.
Psalm 16
Preserve me, O God, for in you I take refuge.
2 I say to the Lord, “You are my Lord;
I have no good apart from you.”
3 As for the saints in the land, they are the excellent ones,
in whom is all my delight.
4 The sorrows of those who run after another god shall multiply;
their drink offerings of blood I will not pour out
or take their names on my lips.
5 The Lord is my chosen portion and my cup;
you hold my lot.
6 The lines have fallen for me in pleasant places;
indeed, I have a beautiful inheritance.
7 I bless the Lord who gives me counsel;
in the night also my heart instructs me.
8 I have set the Lord always before me;
because he is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken.
9 Therefore my heart is glad, and my whole being rejoices;
my flesh also dwells secure.
10 For you will not abandon my soul to Sheol,
or let your holy one see corruption.
11 You make known to me the path of life;
in your presence there is fullness of joy;
at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son,
and to the Holy Spirit:
as It was in the beginning, is
now, and shall be forever. Amen.
Matthew 4:1-11
Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. 2 And after fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. 3 And the tempter came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.” 4 But he answered, “It is written,
“‘Man shall not live by bread alone,
but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”
5 Then the devil took him to the holy city and set him on the pinnacle of the temple 6 and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down, for it is written,
“‘He will command his angels concerning you,’
and
“‘On their hands they will bear you up,
lest you strike your foot against a stone.’”
7 Jesus said to him, “Again it is written, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.’” 8 Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. 9 And he said to him, “All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me.” 10 Then Jesus said to him, “Be gone, Satan! For it is written,
“‘You shall worship the Lord your God
and him only shall you serve.’”
11 Then the devil left him, and behold, angels came and were ministering to him.
This is the Word of the Lord
Thanks be to God.
“If You are the Son of God…”
These were the words of the Father to Jesus at His baptism in Matthew 3.
Yet, in the wilderness immediately after, Satan whispers:
If You really are the Son of God,
—turn these stones into bread.
—throw Yourself down; surely the angels will protect You.
—worship me, and I will give You authority over the whole world.
Each temptation was tied to His identity. It was a distortion of who He truly is:
“If you are who you are… then you can do this. You can have this.”
It should not surprise us that we, too, are often tempted through our sense of identity. This is similar to what we reflected on yesterday regarding the religious leaders: a spirit of entitlement.
Our claimed rights and expectations can take such a strong grip on us that they damage our relationships with others, and even with God. We become offended, disappointed, and bitter—reactions born from unmet expectations. At the root of it all is our pride and deep instinct toward self-protection.
In every temptation, Jesus responded, “It is written…” and corrected the lie with the fuller truth of God’s Word. His response in the wilderness foreshadowed the way He would live and teach.
He would go on to say:
“If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.”
(Matthew 16:24–25)
Paul later writes of Him:
“Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus,
who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped,
but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant…”
(Philippians 2:5–7)
This is who the Son of God is.
The temptations He faced and His responses reveal the heart of His ministry. He did not cling to His status, identity or rights—but willingly laid them down in obedience to the Father and out of love for us.
Will we live like Him?
Have you let go of yourself—your pride, expectations, and rights—and given all to Jesus? Will you bend in humility and serve others?
We end with the Prayer of St. Benedict (480-547)
Gracious and holy Father, give me wisdom to perceive you,
intelligence to fathom you, patience to wait for you,
eyes to behold you, a heart to meditate upon you,
and a life to proclaim you,
through the power of the Spirit of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
In closing, be blessed by this song, Teresa’s Song (Dare I Go) by Ethel Yap
How does it feel to be completely alone
How does it feel to have no place to call home
To be a wanderer, forever to roam
Dare I go there with You?
What does it mean to walk in Your steps
What does it mean to give all that I have
Utterly stripped down, laid empty and bare
Dare I go there with You?
Dare I go there with You, Lord?
Dare I go there with You?
What does it look like to have nothing else but You
What does it mean to have all my delight be in You
To let Your joy become my clothes and my food
Fill my cup, Lord, to full
Dare I go there with You, Lord?
Dare I go there with You?
To You I plead, that You’ll supply all I need
Dare I go there with You?
Are You calling me to be hungry?
Are You calling me to be poor?
Am I learning each face is just You in disguise
Do I know that when I’m resting in Your love
Your grace is enough
Dare I go there with You, Lord?
Dare I go there with You?
To You I plead, that You’ll supply all I need
Dare I go there with You?
Help me be there with You
Link to today’s Morning Office
About This Daily Devotion
This weekday devotion is drawn from the Morning Office and is part of a project initiated by Revd Canon Terry Wong, with contributions from clergy and members across various parishes. Each entry includes selected readings from the appointed Psalm and another Scripture passage, accompanied by a reflection and prayer. An audio option is also available, often ending with a hymn or song. We encourage you to both read and listen.
Our aim is to help Anglicans engage more deeply with our rich liturgical tradition, while meeting the devotional needs of today’s believers. This project began on Ash Wednesday 2025 and is offered on weekdays only.
For feedback, please write to us at info@mpcc.org.sg
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