Daily Devotion

Voice: Ting Ai

Today is Monday, 9th of March. Take a moment to pause and be still.

We open with the collect from Ash Wednesday:

Almighty and everlasting God,
you hate nothing that you have made
and forgive the sins of all those who are penitent:
create and make in us new and contrite hearts
that we, worthily lamenting our sins and acknowledging our brokenness, 
may receive from you, the God of all mercy,
perfect remission and forgiveness; 
through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, 
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit, 
one God, now and for ever. Amen.

---

The appointed Psalm for today is Psalm 5. Reading, verses 1 to 8:

¹ Give ear to my words, O  Lord ;
consider my  groaning.

² Give attention to the sound of my cry,
my  King and my God,
for  to you do I pray.

³ O  Lord , in  the morning you hear my voice;
in the morning I prepare a sacrifice for you  and  watch.

⁴ For you are not a God who delights in wickedness;
evil may not dwell with you.

⁵ The  boastful shall not  stand before your eyes;
you  hate all evildoers.

⁶ You destroy those who speak  lies;
the  Lord  abhors  the bloodthirsty and deceitful man.

⁷ But I, through the abundance of your steadfast love,
will enter your house.
I will  bow down  toward your  holy temple
in the fear of you.

⁸  Lead me, O  Lord , in your righteousness
because of my enemies;
    make your way straight before me.

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.

---

Hebrews 4:14-16

¹⁴Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. 
¹⁵For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. 
¹⁶Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need

This is the Word of the Lord
Thanks be to God

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Draw near with Confidence.

At many moments in our lives, we need to rely on someone else who is in a better position to help us. The person may be an elder in the family, a school teacher, a lawyer, a counselor, and so on. When we need to enter a school or secure a job, we often depend on someone who has better connections to make a way for us.

From time immemorial, in the spiritual realm, humankind has instinctively felt the need for intercession or mediation. People pray at altars and lay down offerings to appease gods whom they may have offended, or simply to seek help for someone who is unwell. Even in some branches of the Church, Christians pray to patron saints, asking for their help.

But for the Christian, the veil of mystery has been removed. We now know clearly who our mediator is: our Lord Jesus Christ. For He is our great High Priest who has ascended to the Father.

He is our worthy and able Intercessor.

For He has lived our human life and understands what we are facing. He is able to sympathize with us. He is not cold or aloof. He carries our requests with deep understanding in His heart. Sometimes He weeps with us. Others may reject us or brand us as failures, but He does not.

Therefore, we draw near to the heavenly throne with confidence. We need mercy, though we deserve punishment. We need grace, though it is unmerited favor. We cannot represent ourselves. We need Jesus to stand in our place.

What are you struggling with? What do you truly need?

Other human mediators can disappoint you. Some of them may even be the source of your pain.

Will you turn to our Lord Jesus today? Hand over to Him your deepest pains. Trust Him. Ask Him.

“Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”

---

And so, we pray our Family Prayer

Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done on earth as in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us.
Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours
now and forever.
Amen.

---

In the full Morning Office, there is a moment for song, or a Canticle.  This one is named Kyrie Pantokrator, also referred to as the Prayer of Manasseh.  It is a Song of Penitence that the Church sings in the season of Lent. 

The words of this Canticle (i.e. lyrics of this song) are set out below.  You may wish to let a sung version of this Prayer of Manasseh accompany you as we close our time of devotion today.

O Lord and Ruler of the hosts of heaven, *
God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob,
and of all their righteous offspring:
You made the heavens and the earth, *
with all their vast array.
All things quake with fear at your presence; *
they tremble because of your power.
But your merciful promise is beyond all measure; *
it surpasses all that our minds can fathom.

O Lord, you are full of compassion, *
long-suffering, and abounding in mercy.
You hold back your hand; *
you do not punish as we deserve.
In your great goodness, Lord,
you have promised forgiveness to sinners, *
that they may repent of their sin and be saved.
And now, O Lord, I bend the knee of my heart, *
and make my appeal, sure of your gracious goodness.

I have sinned, O Lord, I have sinned, *
and I know my wickedness only too well.
Therefore I make this prayer to you: *
Forgive me, Lord, forgive me.
Do not let me perish in my sin, *
nor condemn me to the depths of the earth.
For you, O Lord, are the God of those who repent, *
and in me you will show forth your goodness.

Unworthy as I am, you will save me,
in accordance with your great mercy, *
and I will praise you without ceasing all the days of my life.
For all the powers of heaven sing your praises, *
and yours is the glory to ages of ages. Amen.

Source: Book of Common Prayer 2019, Supplementary Canticles, p. 81-82.

Link to the full 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 terrywong@anglican.org.sg