Father,
We love you because you have listened to us when we asked you for mercy. Because you pay attention to us, we continue to call on you as long as we live. There are seasons of our lives that are as bitter as death, when we pray for the deliverance of our souls. Then you show us your graciousness, and righteousness, and mercy; and when you have dealt bountifully with us, our souls return to their rest. Even though you spare us so often, our lives may end with some of our distresses unrelieved. But death is no impediment to your faithfulness who are the giver of life. According to your promise, we will walk again among the living, and live that blissful life that we so much wish to have, free from tears and free from sin. You have done so much for us, how could we possibly respond appropriately to it? You have told us to bring you our praises and so we seek to do what you’ve asked of us, not as though we were earning anything, but out of the fullness of our love and thankfulness.
We know that it is your desire that the gospel be heard throughout the world. We who have gathered this morning are those who have come to know you because you sent someone to speak to us about the death and resurrection of Jesus. It is easy to look at the world around us and be discouraged. Those false teachers who hate our Lord and his words, zealously peddle lies on the internet and from house to house. Some of our loved ones seem to have no concern for their own souls. And some fellow Christians who once seemed to trust you have given up, like plants choked out by the weeds. Yet we know that this is not the whole truth. In the beginning your Spirit brooded over the barren waters and made the world. You breathed into the nostrils of lifeless dirt and made us. You moved through the valley of dry bones and made an army. You can move now among modern people for whom the glorious gospel seems like a dull and irrelevant thing and make them see. You are the light of men. Remove the veils from many hearts and let them see your Son. You who made our tongues, give us powerful words to speak to those around us as if we were speaking oracles of God. Make your enemies look like fools for the lies that they have told. Strengthen our missionaries who spread the gospel in India, and Ireland, and Serbia, and here in Toronto. May many believe through their words.
Help us to live contented lives free from anxiety by giving us the things that are needful for us each day. Give us the money we need for today, the physical strength we need for today, the wisdom we need for today, and the emotional fortitude we need for today. Don't let us have too little so that we do not fall into sinful shortcuts to trying to acquire the things we need. Don’t let some lacking need divert our lives from the pursuit of godliness. And yet don’t give us so much that we forget that we rely on you for all we need or forget how to sympathize with others. Give us the situation in life that is most conducive to godliness. Beyond this, teach us to be content with what we have, and to come to you about the things that make us anxious with the confidence that you care for us.
You sent your Son to die for us while we were still estranged. You who have only ever done what is good and right, made the greatest possible sacrifice to be reconciled to us who had never done anything that wasn’t contaminated by evil. In this way you have let us see the depth of your love. It would have been great love if Christ had died for the righteous. But your love is so deep and lavish that he died for us in our sin. And by it, our reconciliation has been accomplished. We who once opposed you, now delight in you. Let us be inflamed by the spirit of Christ that lives in us so that we may leave our life-supports in order to be reconciled to our brothers and sisters. Let us be one as you desire: Us in Christ and him in you that we may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent him and loved us even as you loved him.
Please give each of us strength to do the work we have undertaken in your service. Give skill and worshipful hearts to your musicians, clarity and wisdom to those who teach and read the scriptures, faith and clarity to those who pray, affection and joy to those who welcome others, and energy and patience to those who care for children. May all that is done here this morning be honoring to you and promote the unity and affection among your people that you desire and may our worship and praise be pleasing to you.