Preparing for the Seventh
Sunday after the Epiphany

Year B

Prayer

Psalm 41

Heal me, O God

 

Happy are those who consider the poor;

the Lord delivers them in the day of trouble.

The Lord protects them and keeps them alive;

they are called happy in the land.

You do not give them up to the will of their enemies.

The Lord sustains them on their sickbed;

in their illness you heal all their infirmities.

As for me, I said, “O Lord, be gracious to me;

heal me, for I have sinned against you.”

My enemies wonder in malice

when I will die, and my name perish.

And when they come to see me, they utter empty words,

while their hearts gather mischief;

when they go out, they tell it abroad.

All who hate me whisper together about me;

they imagine the worst for me.

They think that a deadly thing has fastened on me,

that I will not rise again from where I lie.

Even my bosom friend in whom I trusted,

who ate of my bread, has lifted the heel against me.

But you, O Lord, be gracious to me,

and raise me up, that I may repay them.

By this I know that you are pleased with me;

because my enemy has not triumphed over me.

But you have upheld me because of my integrity,

and set me in your presence forever.

Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel,

from everlasting to everlasting.

Amen and Amen.

 

Isaiah 38:1-8

Hezekiah is healed by God

 

In those days Hezekiah became sick and was at the point of death. The prophet Isaiah son of Amoz came to him, and said to him, “Thus says the Lord: Set your house in order, for you shall die; you shall not recover.” Then Hezekiah turned his face to the wall, and prayed to the Lord: “Remember now, O Lord, I implore you, how I have walked before you in faithfulness with a whole heart, and have done what is good in your sight.” And Hezekiah wept bitterly.

 

Then the word of the Lord came to Isaiah: “Go and say to Hezekiah, Thus says the Lord, the God of your ancestor David: I have heard your prayer, I have seen your tears; I will add fifteen years to your life. I will deliver you and this city out of the hand of the king of Assyria, and defend this city.

 

“This is the sign to you from the Lord, that the Lord will do this thing that he has promised: See, I will make the shadow cast by the declining sun on the dial of Ahaz turn back ten steps.” So the sun turned back on the dial the ten steps by which it had declined.

 

Hebrews 12:7-13

What is lame may be healed

 

Endure trials for the sake of discipline. God is treating you as children; for what child is there whom a parent does not discipline? If you do not have that discipline in which all children share, then you are illegitimate and not his children. Moreover, we had human parents to discipline us, and we respected them. Should we not be even more willing to be subject to the Father of spirits and live? For they disciplined us for a short time as seemed best to them, but he disciplines us for our good, in order that we may share his holiness. Now, discipline always seems painful rather than pleasant at the time, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.

 

Therefore lift your drooping hands and strengthen your weak knees, and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be put out of joint, but rather be healed.