Evening Prayer + Readings Home Page + Last + Next
Click HERE for books/eBooks on Daily Office Readings w/ Questions
Wednesday
The First
Lesson
Nehemiah 1
1 The words of Nehemiah the son of Hachaliah. And it came to
pass in the month Chisleu, in the twentieth year, as I was in
Shushan the palace,
2 That Hanani, one of my brethren, came, he and certain men of
Judah; and I asked them concerning the Jews that had escaped,
which were left of the captivity, and concerning Jerusalem.
3 And they said unto me, The remnant that are left of the captivity
there in the province are in great affliction and reproach: the
wall of Jerusalem also is broken down, and the gates thereof
are burned with fire.
4 And it came to pass, when I heard these words, that I sat down
and wept, and mourned certain days, and fasted, and prayed before
the God of heaven,
5 And said, I beseech thee, O LORD God of heaven, the great and
terrible God, that keepeth covenant and mercy for them that love
him and observe his commandments:
6 Let thine ear now be attentive, and thine eyes open, that thou
mayest hear the prayer of thy servant, which I pray before thee
now, day and night, for the children of Israel thy servants,
and confess the sins of the children of Israel, which we have
sinned against thee: both I and my father's house have sinned.
7 We have dealt very corruptly against thee, and have not kept
the commandments, nor the statutes, nor the judgments, which
thou commandest thy servant Moses.
8 Remember, I beseech thee, the word that thou commandedst thy
servant Moses, saying, If ye transgress, I will scatter you abroad
among the nations:
9 But if ye turn unto me, and keep my commandments, and do them;
though there were of you cast out unto the uttermost part of
the heaven, yet will I gather them from thence, and will bring
them unto the place that I have chosen to set my name there.
10 Now these are thy servants and thy people, whom thou hast
redeemed by thy great power, and by thy strong hand.
11 O Lord, I beseech thee, let now thine ear be attentive to
the prayer of thy servant, and to the prayer of thy servants,
who desire to fear thy name: and prosper, I pray thee, thy servant
this day, and grant him mercy in the sight of this man. For I
was the king's cupbearer.
1st Lesson Questions -
Nehemiah 1. Have I ever prayed a prayer similar to Nehemiah's prayer? Should I have? For what or whom? RESOLVE.
The Second
Lesson
Acts 12:1-24
1 Now about that time Herod the king stretched forth his hands
to vex certain of the church.
2 And he killed James the brother of John with the sword.
3 And because he saw it pleased the Jews, he proceeded further
to take Peter also. (Then were the days of unleavened bread.)
4 And when he had apprehended him, he put him in prison, and
delivered him to four quaternions of soldiers to keep him; intending
after Easter to bring him forth to the people.
5 Peter therefore was kept in prison: but prayer was made without
ceasing of the church unto God for him.
6 And when Herod would have brought him forth, the same night
Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains:
and the keepers before the door kept the prison.
7 And, behold, the angel of the Lord came upon him, and a light
shined in the prison: and he smote Peter on the side, and raised
him up, saying, Arise up quickly. And his chains fell off from
his hands.
8 And the angel said unto him, Gird thyself, and bind on thy
sandals. And so he did. And he saith unto him, Cast thy garment
about thee, and follow me.
9 And he went out, and followed him; and wist not that it was
true which was done by the angel; but thought he saw a vision.
10 When they were past the first and the second ward, they came
unto the iron gate that leadeth unto the city; which opened to
them of his own accord: and they went out, and passed on through
one street; and forthwith the angel departed from him.
11 And when Peter was come to himself, he said, Now I know of
a surety, that the Lord hath sent his angel, and hath delivered
me out of the hand of Herod, and from all the expectation of
the people of the Jews.
12 And when he had considered the thing, he came to the house
of Mary the mother of John, whose surname was Mark; where many
were gathered together praying.
13 And as Peter knocked at the door of the gate, a damsel came
to hearken, named Rhoda.
14 And when she knew Peter's voice, she opened not the gate for
gladness, but ran in, and told how Peter stood before the gate.
15 And they said unto her, Thou art mad. But she constantly affirmed
that it was even so. Then said they, It is his angel.
16 But Peter continued knocking: and when they had opened the
door, and saw him, they were astonished.
17 But he, beckoning unto them with the hand to hold their peace,
declared unto them how the Lord had brought him out of the prison.
And he said, Go show these things unto James, and to the brethren.
And he departed, and went into another place.
18 Now as soon as it was day, there was no small stir among the
soldiers, what was become of Peter.
19 And when Herod had sought for him, and found him not, he examined
the keepers, and commanded that they should be put to death.
And he went down from Judaea to Caesarea, and there abode.
20 And Herod was highly displeased with them of Tyre and Sidon:
but they came with one accord to him, and, having made Blastus
the king's chamberlain their friend, desired peace; because their
country was nourished by the king's country.
21 And upon a set day Herod, arrayed in royal apparel, sat upon
his throne, and made an oration unto them.
22 And the people gave a shout, saying, It is the voice of a
god, and not of a man.
23 And
immediately the angel of the Lord smote him, because he gave
not God the glory: and he was eaten of worms, and gave up the
ghost.
24 But the word of God grew and multiplied.
2nd Lesson Questions -
Acts 12:1-24. The early Church was persecuted. What form(s) does persecution take today? Herod gave not God the glory, and he was eaten of worms. (V. 23) Are there any public figures today acting the same way? When will the worms come? RESOLVE.