Heavenly Father,
From the very beginning, you have always had a place for us in your plans. When you created the heavens and the earth, not only did you make humans part of your world, but you made us a crowning achievement, in your image, capable of relating to you and wanting to relate to you. You named us as a people for yourself, and you guided us. You sent messengers through history to tell us your plans and your will. You sent your son, Jesus Christ, into the world as a human, coming to us and becoming one of us. You share with us your desire to have us live in your presence for all eternity, and you put your Holy Spirit within us, so that you dwell inside us each and every day, assuring us that yes, you really do want to be with us, and want us to be with you.
And yet despite you being the King of the World, the Lord of Creation, the Lord God Almighty, we still feel like we can do things on our own. Worse than that, we sometimes think that we know better than you! We trade your assurances of glorious eternity for false promises of a slightly better tomorrow. We take the good news proclaimed in the Bible and explained to us by those you send, and we squander it, choosing to focus on our own entertainment, or our own pleasure, our own security. We judge people you made in your own image, even those you call our brothers and sisters in faith. We have so little trust in you that we make up all sorts of excuses for not taking the many, many opportunities you give to us to do what you ask. Instead of being obedient and relying on you, we try and turn living for you into a system, so that if we can follow the right rules, say the right things, live the right kind of life, then we can tick the boxes and feel like we're on track.
Father, we're sorry. We're sorry because we forget that for you it's not about rules, it's not about systems, and it's not about our accomplishments. You don't want us to simply follow a pattern. You don't expect us to be successful. You sent your son, Jesus Christ, not just to show us how to live, but to die for us knowing that we are failures! Our salvation is at your cost, not ours. All you've ever wanted from us is to love you, to thank you, and to trust you.
So thank you, our Father, for being so far above us that you never make the stupid mistakes we do. Thank you for stooping down so low to come and pay attention to us because you just love us that much. Thank you for not leaving us to try and guess what we have to do. You take responsibility for the success of all your plans, and simply ask us to say yes to you. Thank you for walking this human life with us, for sending Jesus to walk in our shoes, to know our victories and our struggles. And thank you for making your home in our lives through your Holy Spirt, so that every day, whether in times of plenty and joy, or in times of sadness and pain, we are never, ever without you.
We ask you, Father, please be with those who are sick, who are sorrowful, who are struggling - please let them know that it's okay, you've got it all under control, that their suffering isn't because they're sinful or they're worthless or that you've forgotten them. Please be with them in every dark moment, leading them into the light, where you walk with them. And be with us as we help them out of love for you.
In Jesus name we pray, Amen
