Voice: Li Huan
Today is Friday, 4th of September.
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,
may the light of your presence, O God,
set our hearts on fire with love for you;
now and for ever.
Amen.
Psalm 142
1 With my voice I cry out to the Lord ;
with my voice I plead for mercy to the Lord .
2 I pour out my complaint before him;
I tell my trouble before him.
3 When my spirit faints within me,
you know my way!
In the path where I walk
they have hidden a trap for me.
4 Look to the right and see:
there is none who takes notice of me;
no refuge remains to me;
no one cares for my soul.
5 I cry to you, O Lord ;
I say, “You are my refuge,
my portion in the land of the living.”
6 Attend to my cry,
for I am brought very low!
Deliver me from my persecutors,
for they are too strong for me!
7 Bring me out of prison,
that I may give thanks to your name!
The righteous will surround me,
for you will deal bountifully with 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.
2 Samuel 23:1-7
Now these are the last words of David:
The oracle of David, the son of Jesse,
the oracle of the man who was raised on high,
the anointed of the God of Jacob,
the sweet psalmist of Israel:
2 “The Spirit of the Lord speaks by me;
his word is on my tongue.
3 The God of Israel has spoken;
the Rock of Israel has said to me:
When one rules justly over men,
ruling in the fear of God,
4 he dawns on them like the morning light,
like the sun shining forth on a cloudless morning,
like rain that makes grass to sprout from the earth.
5 “For does not my house stand so with God?
For he has made with me an everlasting covenant,
ordered in all things and secure.
For will he not cause to prosper
all my help and my desire?
6 But worthless men are all like thorns that are thrown away,
for they cannot be taken with the hand;
7 but the man who touches them
arms himself with iron and the shaft of a spear,
and they are utterly consumed with fire.”
This is the Word of the Lord
Thanks be to God
David’s final words do not celebrate military victories, wealth, or fame. They point instead to what matters most: living under God’s rule and the fruit of that.
David describes a God-fearing ruler as morning light breaking through darkness and rain awakening grass from dry ground. This is what godly influence should feel like. Wherever God has given us leadership responsibility—in a nation, family, workplace, church, or friendship—we can bring light rather than confusion, nourishment rather than harm, and justice rather than selfishness.
Your area of responsibility may be challenging and unfavourable. Perhaps one of your child is suffering from autism. Or one of your classmates has a rude or violent behaviour. Some of your employees may be misbehaving. These words of David is not about a righteous or perfect environment, but in our broken world, righteous leaders can make a positive difference.
David’s confidence, however, does not rest in his own faithfulness. His life contained serious failures. His hope rests in God’s “everlasting covenant,” which is ordered and secure. Our hope rests in the same faithful God. Ultimately, Jesus is the perfectly righteous King whom David’s words anticipate. His rule brings light, life, and lasting security.
Today, we can ask: Does my presence help others flourish? Am I exercising influence in the fear of God? When my imperfections stand in the way, will I trust myself —or God’s faithful promises?
Start with a desire to glorify Him. Start with a desire to make a lasting and positive difference in the lives of others. And trust Him for the grace and strength to do so.
Today, we also commemorate the life and ministry of Robert Morrison (1782–1834). He was a Scottish missionary and the first Protestant missionary sent to China. His tireless lifelong labour in translating the Bible into Chinese has left behind a lasting legacy for the work of the Gospel in China, Macau and Southeast Asia. He founded an institution which eventually became Raffles Institution in Singapore. He was influential in the early spread of Christianity in the 19th century in Malaya and Singapore.
Robert Morrison godly and gospel-centered leadership has made a lasting difference.
We pray this collect:
Almighty and everlasting God,
who called your servant Robert Morrison to carry the gospel to the peoples of East Asia, and by his patient labour in Scripture translation and quiet perseverance opened a door for your Word in China:
grant that we, like him, may steadfastly serve you wherever you send us, trusting not in our own strength but in your unfailing grace;
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever. Amen.
Be blessed by this song, Never Once sung by Mark Rasmussen
Standing on this mountaintop
Looking just how far we’ve come
Knowing that for every step
You were with us
Kneeling on this battle ground
Seeing just how much You’ve done
Knowing every victory
Was Your power in us
Scars and struggles on the way
But with joy our hearts can say
Yes, our hearts can say
Never once did we ever walk alone
Never once did You leave us on our own
You are faithful, God, You are faithful
Kneeling on this battle ground
Seeing just how much You’ve done
Knowing every victory
Was Your power in us
Scars and struggles on the way
But with joy our hearts can say
Yes, our hearts can say
Never once did we ever walk alone
Never once did You leave us on our own
You are faithful, God, You are faithful
You are faithful, God, You are faithful
Scars and struggles on the way
But with joy our hearts can say
Never once did we ever walk alone
Carried by Your constant grace
Held within Your perfect peace
Never once, no, we never walk alone
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. Unless otherwise stated, the reflections are written by Revd Wong.
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. We also welcome donations to MPCC. Information on how you may give can be found in this link.
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