Voice: Shivdas
Today is Wednesday, 6th of May. We start by praying the Collect for Purity:
Almighty God,
to whom all hearts are open,
all desires known,
and from whom no secrets are hidden:
cleanse the thoughts of our hearts
by the inspiration of your Holy Spirit,
that we may perfectly love you,
and worthily magnify your holy name;
through Christ our Lord. Amen.
The appointed Psalm for today is Psalm 34. Reading verses 1-10:
I will bless the Lord at all times;
his praise shall continually be in my mouth.
2 My soul makes its boast in the Lord;
let the humble hear and be glad.
3 Oh, magnify the Lord with me,
and let us exalt his name together!4 I sought the Lord, and he answered me
and delivered me from all my fears.
5 Those who look to him are radiant,
and their faces shall never be ashamed.
6 This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him
and saved him out of all his troubles.
7 The angel of the Lord encamps
around those who fear him, and delivers them.8 Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good!
Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!
9 Oh, fear the Lord, you his saints,
for those who fear him have no lack!
10 The young lions suffer want and hunger;
but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing.
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.
Luke 5:17-26
17On one of those days, as he was teaching, Pharisees and teachers of the law were sitting there, who had come from every village of Galilee and Judea and from Jerusalem. And the power of the Lord was with him to heal.
18And behold, some men were bringing on a bed a man who was paralyzed, and they were seeking to bring him in and lay him before Jesus,
19but finding no way to bring him in, because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and let him down with his bed through the tiles into the midst before Jesus.
20And when he saw their faith, he said, “Man, your sins are forgiven you.”
21And the scribes and the Pharisees began to question, saying, “Who is this who speaks blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but God alone?”
22When Jesus perceived their thoughts, he answered them, “Why do you question in your hearts?
23Which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Rise and walk’?
24But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—he said to the man who was paralyzed—“I say to you, rise, pick up your bed and go home.”
25And immediately he rose up before them and picked up what he had been lying on and went home, glorifying God.
26And amazement seized them all, and they glorified God and were filled with awe, saying, “We have seen extraordinary things today.”
This is the Word of the Lord
Thanks be to God
Rise, pick up your bed, and go home
This healing miracle of the paralytic man became the occasion for Jesus to teach this truth: He has authority to forgive sins.
Which is easier—to say to the paralytic, “Your sins are forgiven,” or to say, “Rise, take up your bed and walk”?
To the skeptical onlookers, the easier thing to say would be the first—because forgiveness cannot be immediately verified. Anyone could say it, and no one could prove it. But the scribes rightly took issue, because they knew only God can forgive sins.
So Jesus went on to do the “harder thing.” He told the paralytic to get up and walk—and he did. By healing in this way, Jesus intentionally showed that He had the authority to do the greater thing: to forgive sins.
The miracle of healing was temporary—for sooner or later, our bodies will weaken, age, and die. But forgiveness of sins is eternal. Jesus would eventually go to the Cross to make this possible for us all.
And truth be told, each of us knows what it feels like to be paralyzed—not just in body, but in spirit. We struggle to live out God’s will. Sometimes we drift into a spiritual “dead zone,” unable to connect to Him or sense His presence.
Often, beneath it all, lies sin—unconfessed, unaddressed, or quietly tolerated.
What we need most is not merely strength or motivation.
We need forgiveness.
That is why, as Anglicans, we confess our sins regularly. Let us not take this lightly. Each time we confess, take a fresh hold on His forgiveness, that we may once again “rise, pick up our beds and go home” to the Lord. Let us leave behind our sinful ways to live in the freedom Christ has given us and live out His image in us.
So, do not linger in spiritual paralysis.
Take hold of His forgiveness today. Leave behind what binds you.
Walk again in the freedom Christ has won for you.
And as you rise, may your life bear once more the image of the One who has made you whole.
The Collect from the Fifth Sunday of Easter:
Almighty God,
who through your only-begotten Son Jesus Christ
have overcome death and opened to us the gate of everlasting life:
grant that, as by your grace going before us
you put into our minds good desires,
so by your continual help we may bring them to good effect;
through Jesus Christ our risen Lord,
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever. Amen.
Be blessed by this song which expresses our thanksgiving for what Christ has done for us, Gratitude
All my words fall short
I got nothing new
How could I express
All my gratitude?
I could sing these songs
As I often do
But every song must end
And You never do
So I throw up my hands
And praise You again and again
‘Cause all that I have is a
Hallelujah, hallelujah
And I know it’s not much
But I’ve nothing else fit for a king
Except for a heart singing
Hallelujah, hallelujah
I’ve got one response
I’ve got just one move
With my arms stretched wide
I will worship You
So I throw up my hands
And praise You again and again
‘Cause all that I have is a
Hallelujah, hallelujah
And I know it’s not much
But I’ve nothing else fit for a king
Except for a heart singing
Hallelujah, hallelujah
So come on my soul, oh, don’t you get shy on me
Lift up your song, ’cause you’ve got a lion
Inside of those lungs
Get up and praise the Lord
Oh, come on my soul, oh, don’t you get shy on me
Lift up your song, ’cause you’ve got a lion
Inside of those lungs
Get up and praise the Lord
Come on my soul, oh, don’t you get shy on me
Lift up your song, ’cause you’ve got a lion
Inside of those lungs
Get up and praise the Lord, hey
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord
Praise the Lord
So I throw up my hands
Praise You again and again
‘Cause all that I have is a
Hallelujah, hallelujah
And I know it’s not much
But I’ve nothing else fit for a king
Except for a heart singing
Hallelujah, hallelujah
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 terrywong@anglican.org.sg
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