In my church, each Sunday, one member read a scripture and leads in a a community prayer during our morning service. Today, that is my responsibility. The prayer must be pre-written, which I appreciate, because it causes the prayers to be well thought-out, and more personally, because it causes me to ponder biblical truths in a way I should do more often. Here is my scripture and prayer for today:
Psalm 90, From Everlasting to Everlasting
A Prayer of Moses, the man of God.
Lord, you have been our dwelling place in all generations.
Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever you had formed the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God.
You return man to dust and say, “Return, O children of man!”
For a thousand years in your sight are but as yesterday when it is past, or as a watch in the night.
You sweep them away as with a flood; they are like a dream, like grass that is renewed in the morning: in the morning it flourishes and is renewed; in the evening it fades and withers.
For we are brought to an end by your anger; by your wrath we are dismayed.
You have set our iniquities before you, our secret sins in the light of your presence.
For all our days pass away under your wrath; we bring our years to an end like a sigh.
The years of our life are seventy, or even by reason of strength eighty; yet their span is but toil and trouble; they are soon gone, and we fly away.
Who considers the power of your anger, and your wrath according to the fear of you?
So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom.
Return, O LORD! How long? Have pity on your servants!
Satisfy us in the morning with your steadfast love, that we may rejoice and be glad all our days.
Make us glad for as many days as you have afflicted us, and for as many years as we have seen evil.
Let your work be shown to your servants, and your glorious power to their children.
Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us, and establish the work of our hands upon us; yes, establish the work of our hands!
Lord, we come and gather together this morning, as a people who are called, and chosen by You. We acknowledge as the Psalmist did, that though made in Your image, we are but dust of the Earth. We are grass, growing and flourishing today, but gone tomorrow, to return to the Earth. We are not remembered, but created and then destroyed at the pleasure of Your will. We know only that which you grant to us to know, and we live for only as long as you deem.
You are the exalted one, Who existed before time, Who created the heavens and Earth out of nothing, Who holds our lives together, you are the unchanging, and always unchanging God. You rise up kings and presidents, and you stir the peoples of the earth and make them rise and fall in Your own order. You know our sins, our secret sins, and our future sins. You know all things, and all things that happen, happen according to Your will and design. We pray, and acknowledge, that you are the eternal creator, having power and authority over all the universe, over all ages and generations, and we are momentary creations of dust.
So Lord, we pray, would you cause this body to ponder these truths in our hearts? As we gather in fellowship, would you stir this church toward Yourself? That we would minimize ourselves, but magnify You, in our perceptions, and in our worship? Holy Spirit, satisfy our hearts, and fill our minds with your truth as we sing hymns and songs, and hear the unfolding of Your word. And would you embolden us to sing, in unity, and speak your truths, in love, to each other?
We pray these things in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, Amen.
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