A Prayer To Live Well Even During The Mundane Over The Long Haul

 Today is the funeral for Prince Philip and as we remember his life of faithful service to the Queen and to all of us who are part of the Commonwealth, it had me considering what a life that is worthy of God’s honour looks like and how we can pray that into our own hearts and experience. 

I couldn’t think of a better person than the Apostle Paul who was faithful to the Lord through more troubles than I’m sure I’ll ever see in my lifetime and still served the Lord with all He had.    I thought we could benefit by praying with him today.  Here’s what Paul writes:

We keep asking God to fill you with the knowledge of what he wants.  We pray he will give you the wisdom  and understanding that the Spirit gives. Then you will be able to lead a life  that is worthy of the Lord.   We pray that you will please  him in every way. So we want you to bear fruit in every good thing you do. We pray that you will grow to know God better. We want you to be very strong, in keeping with his glorious power. We want you to be patient. We pray that you will never give up. We want you to give thanks with joy to the Father. He has made you fit to have what he will give to all his holy people. You will all receive a share in the kingdom of light.  Colossians 1:9-12

Well Lord, we want to be filled up with that knowledge of what You want us to do.  We really do want to please You in every way, in everything we say, do, and even think.  We ask today for the wisdom and understanding that the Holy Spirit gives so we can also lead a life that is worthy of the Lord.  We know that means that we need to work hard at knowing You better because it is only in the love and freedom You offer, we can truly be all that You had in mind for us when You created us.

Fill us again today with Your mighty power so we respond well to all that You show us as being Your will for us in the various relationships and situations we will encounter today.  Give us perseverance and patience so we don’t give up when we are faced with challenges, even failure.  You are a God who uses all things.  Your plans and purposes are unstoppable and we want to share with You and serve You as You bring about those good things in our lives and our community.

We continue to pray with Paul: 

(don’t read) I pray that your love will grow more and more. And let it be based on knowledge and understanding. Then you will be able to know what is best. Then you will be pure and without blame for the day that Christ returns. You will be filled with the fruit of right living produced by Jesus Christ. All these things bring glory and praise to God.  Philippians 1:9-11

We pray that our love will grow more and more and that it will be based on knowledge and understanding so we are able to know what is best and are pure and without blameless for the day when Christ returns.  We want to be filled with the fruit of right living produced by Jesus Christ, and in every way, and in all things bring glory and praise to God. 

God is the one who makes us patient and cheerful. I pray that he will help you live at peace with each other, as you follow Christ. Then all of you together will praise God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.  Romans 15:5-6

We don’t live alone in this life even though it sometimes feels that way with the restrictions and lockdowns that have continued for so long, and so we pray today that we will be patient and cheerful people, living in peace with one another as we follow Christ.  Whatever others say and do is on them.  We won’t blame them or shirk responsibility for our own attitudes and actions because of what others do.  We will live for You, in praise of Your great goodness extended to us today, God.  The rest we’ll leave with You. 

In prison Paul prayed:  Pray that I will be given the message to speak and that I may fearlessly explain the mystery about the good news. I was sent to do this work, and that’s the reason I am in jail. So pray that I will be brave and will speak as I should.  Ephesians 6:19-20

Once again Lord, we pray to not be swallowed up by the challenges of this pandemic but to live above our circumstances by focusing in on Your purposes for our lives today.  We want to receive the message from You that You want us to share today and then to be about the business of fearlessly sharing that Good News of the Gospel with others.  That’s the reason we live today.  Paul was in jail.  Some of us are under restrictions but we still want to be brave and speak and act as we should in a way that sends out the message of the Gospel to the ends of the earth. 

I pray that God, who gives hope, will bless you with complete happiness and peace because of your faith. And may the power of the Holy Spirit fill you with hope.  Romans 15:13

We end our prayer together today, Lord with Your blessing – that You, the God who gives hope, will bless us with complete happiness and peace because of our faith.  And may the power of the Holy Spirit fill us with hope.