Faith in God is a short and easy leap for some, and a wide and fearful chasm for others. However it is for any of us, God is at the other side, joyfully waiting for our arrival. Even in the midst of our greatest agonies and our most disastrous decisions, He beckons us into His presence and His peace. Our journey may be perilous, like Job’s, but God is always there – to guide us, to sustain us, and to redeem us. Therefore let us, with confidence, worship the God of the circuitous journey.
Pastoral Prayer
Lord God, we confess before Thee both our trust in Thee and our impatience with Thee. We suppose Thou art with us in all things, as in so many ways Thou hast promised to be, but also we wonder about Thy presence when things go awry and the future seems very cloudy. Give us constancy of heart and contentment of spirit in the midst of life’s vicissitudes. Help us to give thanks to Thee, even when times or situations seem to have conspired against us, for we know that without Thee, we are surely lost.
We also confess that there have been times when we imagined Thou didst forget us, and that we felt we were cut entirely adrift, little trusting in Thy grace and refusing to remember that we were never promised lives of carefree indulgence. Forgive us when we express angry thoughts against Thee, supposing that Thou hast ignored us in our plight. Give us sufficient calmness of spirit be able to declare that always all is well, because Thou art Lord of all, and therefore all must ultimately be well.
We pray for those who are making difficult adjustments to new circumstances in their lives, and who are feeling very much ill at ease because of it. We pray for the newly married, the newly widowed, the newly divorced. We pray for those who have new employment, and who feel anxiety because uncertainty surrounds them. We pray for those who have lost their employment, and who fear the future may be even more shattering than the upheavals of the immediate past. Be with all Thy children in all their needs, and also with each of us in our particular needs. Give us the kind of faith which Jesus had, who, facing great hardships and uncertainties, nevertheless continued to trust in Thee and Thine unfailing goodness. Now we pray as Jesus taught, saying, Our Father….