Matins: Teach Me To Abide
As we enter into the wonder of this day, I think it would be amazing to participate together in an early morning worship service, the first of the canonical hours known as Matins. Matins is taken from the Latin word matutinus, meaning “pertaining to the morning.” During Matins, we put aside other thoughts, reflect quietly, and concentrate on our prayers.
Our focus today is to petition ourselves before God, asking him to break cycles of unhealthy habits. Habits can be good or bad, but they are hard to give up, and we humans are prone to be distracted by shiny earthly things. But I have good news. There is no pit, bad habit, or trouble we may fall into due to our paths; that removes us from the power of Christ at work in us. His grace is more extraordinary than any habit!
God calls us to turn to him when we are weak. When our defenses are down and we long to give in, he waits patiently and reminds us that his power is perfected in us when we admit our weaknesses. With this promise in mind, I have taken the initiative to type a service order below, coordinating with a curated Spotify playlist¹ to still our hearts before our great creator.
Feel free to grab some coffee, surrender to the comfort of your favorite chair and give yourself space to feel the holiness of our God, who is near and as close as the mention of his name. He delights in you and wants you free from the curse of any habit or bondage.
Let’s begin by saying these words:
“O God, come to my assistance; O Lord, come quickly and help me.”
“O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare the depths of your praise.”
SONG #1: Abide (Dwell Music)
Read the word of The Lord with me from Romans 7:14–25 (The Message Version): “I’m full of myself — after all, I’ve spent a long time in sin’s prison. What I don’t understand about myself is that I decide one way, then act another, doing things I absolutely despise. So if I can’t be trusted to figure out what is best for myself and then do it, it becomes obvious that God’s command is necessary. But I need something more! For if I know the law but still can’t keep it, and if the power of sin within me keeps sabotaging my best intentions, I obviously need help! I realize that I don’t have what it takes. I can will it, but I can’t do it. I decide to do good, but I don’t really do it; I decide not to do bad, but then I do it anyway. My decisions, such as they are, don’t result in actions. Something has gone wrong deep within me and gets the better of me every time. It happens so regularly that it’s predictable. The moment I decide to do good, sin is there to trip me up. I truly delight in God’s commands, but it’s pretty obvious that not all of me joins in that delight. Parts of me covertly rebel, and just when I least expect it, they take charge. I’ve tried everything, and nothing helps. I’m at the end of my rope. Is there no one who can do anything for me? Isn’t that the real question? The answer, thank God, is that Jesus Christ can and does. He acted to set things right in this life of contradictions where I want to serve God with all my heart and mind but am pulled by the influence of sin to do something totally different.”
Let’s pray together:
I realize that I have some bad habits. I do things that are not beneficial for me, and some things I do never benefit myself, my goals, my family, my marriage, or my kingdom. Please help me to break these bad habits and develop self-control. Thank you for Your Holy Spirit helping and transforming me! Please give me direction, guidance, and encouragement during the transformation process — draw me close and teach me to Abide. In Jesus’ name, Amen!
SONG #2: Light of Your Love (Young Oceans, Amanda Cook)
Read the word of The Lord with me from 2 Corinthians 12:9–10 (MSG): “My grace is enough; it’s all you need. My strength comes into its own in your weakness. Once I heard that, I was glad to let it happen. I quit focusing on the handicap and began appreciating the gift. It was a case of Christ’s strength moving in on my weakness. Now I take limitations in stride, and with good cheer, these limitations that cut me down to size — abuse, accidents, opposition, bad breaks. I just let Christ take over! And so the weaker I get, the stronger I become.”
Let’s pray together:
“Listen to this prayer of mine, God; pay attention to what I’m asking. Answer me — you’re famous for your answers!” — Psalm 143:1 (MSG) In Jesus’ name, Amen!
SONG #3: I Don’t Have Much (Mission House, Josh Baldwin)
Read the word of The Lord with me from 1 Corinthians 10:13 (MSG): “No test or temptation that comes your way is beyond the course of what others have had to face. All you need to remember is that God will never let you down; he’ll never let you be pushed past your limit; he’ll always be there to help you come through it.”
Let’s pray together:
God, thank you for your word and the true holy strategies applicable for changing behavior and replacing it with your promises for my life. I am willing to change, so please fill every void with your power. I await your deliverance as I meet you in the chaos. I surrender to your power. In Jesus’ name, Amen!
SONG #4: Psalm 143 (Poor Bishop Hooper)
With humility and sorrow, let’s confess our sins.
Silence is kept for reflection.
Lord, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.
May God our Father forgive us our sins and bring us to the fellowship of his table with his saints forever. Amen. Thanks be to God.
SONG #5: He Has Time (Common Hymnal)
