Lent Day 39 – Lenten Devotion – Holy Week, Good Friday, April 3, 2026
Remaining Holy Week Worship Schedule:
"Seven Words: Simple,
Powerful, Renewing Words,
In Grace Alone!"
Go to Dark Gethsemane
Montgomery, Redhead
Go to dark Gethsemane
All who feel the tempter's pow'r
Your Redeemer's conflict see
Watch with him one bitter hour
Turn not from his griefs away
Learn from Jesus Christ to pray
Calv'ry's mournful mountain climb
There adoring at his feet
Mark the miracle of time
God's own sacrifice complete
It is finished hear him cry
Learn from Jesus Christ to die
“Then Jesus, crying with a loud voice, said, “Father, into your hands I commend my spirit.” Having said this, he breathed his last.”
Have you ever felt, "too proud"? You know, someone wanted to do something for you, to give you something, and you mistook being polite with being too proud to be gracious, so you reply, "No," or "No, thank you," or "No, give that, do that for someone who needs it," or "No, I am okay, I'll be okay, I don't need that," or "No, no, you are too busy for me."
My friends, for grace's sake, for heaven's sake, for salvation's sake, we are invited not to be too proud today, to not be so gracious, that we reply, "No, no,..." We are invited today, to breathe our last breath of trying to do it all ourselves, our last breath of being so proud that we fail to surrender, our last breath of thinking we can beat the tempter's power on our own. We are invited to use our broken spirit and our tired breath to speak seven simple, powerful, renewing words in grace alone: "Into thy hands, I commend my spirit."
Let us pray: Father, loving Lord, faithful Jesus, Holy Spirit, grace me to learn from Jesus Christ how to pray; how to surrender; how to allow my old self to die; how to see you calling my new life to spring forth in renewing power and grace alone; to completely let go of so much pride I miss leaning on you, calling on you, commending my all to you. While today is for all God's children, I trust and hold fast you, God, are not too busy for me, and that your grace, almighty and all loving, God, includes me. Into your hands, I commend my spirit, as I pray. Amen.
