Voice: Doreen
Today is Friday, 9th of October. 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 17:1-9
Hear a just cause, O Lord; attend to my cry!
Give ear to my prayer from lips free of deceit!
2 From your presence let my vindication come!
Let your eyes behold the right!
3 You have tried my heart, you have visited me by night,
you have tested me, and you will find nothing;
I have purposed that my mouth will not transgress.
4 With regard to the works of man, by the word of your lips
I have avoided the ways of the violent.
5 My steps have held fast to your paths;
my feet have not slipped.
6 I call upon you, for you will answer me, O God;
incline your ear to me; hear my words.
7 Wondrously show your steadfast love,
O Savior of those who seek refuge
from their adversaries at your right hand.
8 Keep me as the apple of your eye;
hide me in the shadow of your wings,
9 from the wicked who do me violence,
my deadly enemies who surround 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.
Acts 28
17 After three days he called together the local leaders of the Jews, and when they had gathered, he said to them, “Brothers, though I had done nothing against our people or the customs of our fathers, yet I was delivered as a prisoner from Jerusalem into the hands of the Romans. 18 When they had examined me, they wished to set me at liberty, because there was no reason for the death penalty in my case. 19 But because the Jews objected, I was compelled to appeal to Caesar—though I had no charge to bring against my nation. 20 For this reason, therefore, I have asked to see you and speak with you, since it is because of the hope of Israel that I am wearing this chain.” 21 And they said to him, “We have received no letters from Judea about you, and none of the brothers coming here has reported or spoken any evil about you. 22 But we desire to hear from you what your views are, for with regard to this sect we know that everywhere it is spoken against.”
23 When they had appointed a day for him, they came to him at his lodging in greater numbers. From morning till evening he expounded to them, testifying to the kingdom of God and trying to convince them about Jesus both from the Law of Moses and from the Prophets. 24 And some were convinced by what he said, but others disbelieved. 25 And disagreeing among themselves, they departed after Paul had made one statement: “The Holy Spirit was right in saying to your fathers through Isaiah the prophet:
26 “‘Go to this people, and say,
“You will indeed hear but never understand,
and you will indeed see but never perceive.”
27 For this people’s heart has grown dull,
and with their ears they can barely hear,
and their eyes they have closed;
lest they should see with their eyes
and hear with their ears
and understand with their heart
and turn, and I would heal them.’
28 Therefore let it be known to you that this salvation of God has been sent to the Gentiles; they will listen.”
30 He lived there two whole years at his own expense, and welcomed all who came to him,31 proclaiming the kingdom of God and teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ with all boldness and without hindrance.
This is the Word of the Lord
Thanks be to God
We have reached the final chapter of Acts, and our readings will conclude with this passage tomorrow. As tomorrow is Saturday, we have chosen to reflect on it today.
We are told that in Rome, “from morning till evening he expounded to them, testifying to the kingdom of God and trying to convince them about Jesus both from the Law of Moses and from the Prophets.” Is Jesus the promised Messiah? This is the crux of Paul’s message and ministry.
Paul’s message about Christ was rooted in the Scriptures his Jewish listeners knew. Some were convinced; others refused to believe. As they disagreed and began to leave, Paul quoted Isaiah’s warning about hearing without understanding and seeing without perceiving. He then declared that “this salvation of God has been sent to the Gentiles; they will listen.”
The passage does not tell us that the inclusion of the Gentiles was the decisive objection for those who did not believe. Yet Paul’s declaration challenges any attempt to keep God’s salvation within familiar religious and cultural boundaries. It invites us to examine our own hearts: are we willing to welcome those whom God welcomes?
Let us pause and reflect on this in our context. Christianity today finds expression across many denominations, churches, ethnic communities and national cultures. Why do some Christians struggle to accept other believers even though they share the same foundational faith in Christ?
Some of us remember the depth and joy of Christian fellowship during our school and university days, or in our workplaces. Denominational differences did not prevent us from loving one another, praying and worshipping together, and sharing our faith deeply. One fruitful outcome was how naturally evangelism flowed from that fellowship. Our friends were drawn to Christ through the love they saw among us.
This does not mean that truth is unimportant. Paul paid a great price for preaching Christ. But we must be alert to our tendency to major on the minors. When secondary teachings and disputes consume our attention, we can lose sight of Christ and of the people He calls us to love.
Could our resistance to other believers sometimes arise from deeply held prejudices rather than faithfulness to the gospel? Could zeal for doctrinal correctness conceal a lack of love for God and for one another? These are questions we must first ask of ourselves.
Let us ponder and pray. May God give us discernment to hold firmly to the truth, humility to recognise our prejudices, and love to welcome one another in Christ.
We end with the Collect for the Day:
Almighty and everlasting God, increase in us your gift of faith
that, forsaking what lies behind and reaching out to that which is before,
we may run the way of your commandments
and win the crown of everlasting joy;
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.
Be blessed by this American Negro spiritual, Lord I want to be a Christian in my heart.
Lord, I want to be a Christian in my heart, in my heart,
Lord, I want to be more loving in my heart, in my heart,
Lord, I want to be more holy in my heart, in my heart,
Lord, I want to be more like Jesus in my heart, in my heart,
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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