Our lives move from day to day and year to year, until most of us realize that we have lived perhaps much longer than we ever imagined we would live. In the slow and fascinating process, we are reminded by countless signs along the way that God goes with us, guarding us, watching us, standing over us. His grace and mercy never fail, and for that we are ever grateful. Therefore let us, with the maturing confidence which only advancing age can grant us, worship God.
Pastoral Prayer
When we approach Thee in prayer, O God, we are struck once again by the immensity of Thy being and the tiny nature of our own being in comparison. Eons ago Thou didst begin the process of creating an ever-expanding universe, and we realize we are but minuscule specks on the surface of a relatively small planet in the vast ocean of space. Who are we, that Thou dost pay any attention to us at all? Yet we have been led to believe that Thou dost care for each of us as though there were only one of us to care for, and that Thy grace and love never fail, no matter what we may face in the world. Therefore we give Thee our highest praise, acknowledging that it scarcely brushes the reality of how great our praise should be.
We ask Thee to forgive us, Lord God, for all the times that we make decisions and take actions which are at odds with Thy will for us. Often we do what we think is right, only to discover that it turns out to be wrong. Sometimes, when we are the most self-centered, we do what we know is in opposition to Thy laws, but we do it anyway. Convict us of our sins, convince us of Thy grace, and then lead us into new paths of righteousness, whereby we more completely and willingly reflect Thy will for Thy world.
We pray Thy presence and Thy guidance as we traverse whatever number of years we shall ultimately have in our lives. Grant us wisdom by means of our longevity, so that our living will not be in vain. And, as we pray for ourselves, we pray for others, particularly today for some civilians in Gaza, Ukraine, and elsewhere. We pray also for their family members who live far away, and who are daily anxious for them in their deep distress and concern. Their situation reminds us of the tenuousness of life for all of us, and we ask Thee to be with all those who currently are facing unusual trials in their life’s journey. Be Thou our guide through all of our challenges, O God, for without Thy presence, we can lose our way, our trust, and our hope. We ask these things in the name of Jesus, who is the author and pioneer of our faith. Now we join together in the prayer he taught his disciples, saying, Our Father….