"God, Who Never Grows Old" - Vespers 9 February 2020


Almighty and indestructible God, you never grow old, and never succumb to memory lapses; you never forget your promises, and never misplace your valuables; you speak, and your word is solid and sure; you plan out the end from the beginning, and all you have planned comes about. It is to you that we come, worshiping you in your greatness, adoring your majesty, singing of your might, and offering ourselves as living, whole-person sacrifices, made holy and acceptable to you through Jesus Christ your Son, and in the power of your Holy Spirit. You have promised that if we submit to you, and resist the devil, he will flee. And that if we draw near to you, you draw near to us (James 4:7-8). Help us to submit and draw close to you, and resist the devil. O Lord, hear our prayer.
  
Turn your eyes and cares onto those who are having trouble and turmoil in their marriages or with their children; those who find that life hasn’t gone where they had dreamed and are disheartened; and those who are in the ravenous grip of rapacious urges (...). Because you have not given us a spirit of fear, but the Spirit of power, love and sober-mindedness (2 Timothy 1.7), fortify them with the righteous resilience to work through their situation, looking above, where Christ is, seated at your right hand, and to turn neither to the right hand or to the left. O Lord, hear our prayer.
  
Father, we implore your help and guidance for our denomination, this congregation and Hills and Plains Presbytery.  Keep us from being swayed by the wooing, seductive voices of our age, those voices that beckon us to “go along to get along,” the voices that promise us “peace, peace” when there is no peace, those voices that tell us we can have respect and renown if we would but slide a smidgeon on this or skootch a bit on that. Like Jehoshaphat, may our hearts be courageous in the ways of the LORD (2 Chronicles 17:6). O Lord, hear our prayer.

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