God bids us to improve ourselves, primarily for the benefit of others, but also for ourselves. By means of Jesus, we are encouraged to become merciful, and in so doing, we ourselves shall obtain mercy. In attempting to make our lives more productive, we are not alone in the process. God goes with us each step of the way. Therefore let us with confidence worship the God who seeks a better world through lives individually made better.
Pastoral Prayer
We praise Thee, O God, that Thou art not a Creator who hurled the universe into being and then abandoned it to its own devices, but that Thou dost watch over us and care for us and move us to do the right. Thou dost not control our every action, but Thou dost live within us to choose the best actions of which we are capable. We thank Thee for all the moments in which we sense Thy presence with us in powerful and transformative ways. Help us both to depend fully on Thee and on ourselves, and give us the ability to know which is the more useful in every situation with which we are confronted.
We pray for people who face constant adversity: for those who have long battled illness and pain from a variety of ailments and who lose heart because of the constancy of the battle; for those whose vocations require major decisions on a regular basis and who lose confidence in their decision-making because of the necessity of coming to so many important and influential conclusions; for medical personnel who are called upon to diagnose various illnesses and diseases and who cannot always be certain that their diagnoses are correct; for political leaders who seek what they perceive is best for the nations they serve but who are pressured by various groups or constituencies to seek narrower goals and more specialized policies. Life for so many is so hard, Lord God, and we ask Thee to be with them and bless them in the difficulties they regularly face.
We pray for the Church of Jesus Christ and for all churches and indeed all religions. Help all Thy children, as disparate and divided as we may be, to devote ourselves more fully to work for the good of all rather than merely for our own kind. We pray that in a world which seems to change too quickly and too unpredictably that people of faith may learn to change with it, so that Thy name and Thy kingdom may continue to be uppermost in the minds and hearts of people who attempt to be Thy servants in all things. We make our prayers in the name of Jesus of Nazareth, who has led us into what we believe is the most complete knowledge of Thee available to us. Now we join together in prayer as he taught his original disciples, saying, Our Father….