I will bless Thee, O Lord. I will bless Thee, O Lord.
With a heart of thanksgiving, I will bless Thee, O Lord.
With my hands lifted up, and my mouth filled with praise,
with a heart of thanksgiving; I will bless Thee. O Lord.
Almighty God, you have walked with everything and everyone since the beginning of all creation. Your Presence has brought wholeness, joy, and divine energies. Today, we ask that your Presence would help us recognize the divine gifts and graces of our beloved older adults. Guide us to appreciate this love and ministries offered by our elders. We may be of differing ages, O God, but we honor the ways our older adults teach us, provide faithful role models, bring joy to our gatherings, and draw more than a few smiles from time-to-time. Come, smile with us, Gracious God, as we praise You and honor our aging friends. AMEN!
Loving God, you provide everything we need, yet sometimes, we doubt there will be enough time, enough money, enough health, enough memory, enough compassion as we live out our days. We doubt when we need to have faith. We see the glass half empty when in fact it is half full. We know you are present, God with us, but in spite of ourselves we sometimes feel separated and lost.
Forgive us when we rely too much on ourselves and not enough on you, for you are steadfast and strong, ready to meet our every need and receive every petition. Bless each of us, Lord, as we grow older, that we mature in faith as well as in years. In your mercy, Lord, hear our prayers. Amen.
Your love for us never ends, eternal God, even when by age or weakness we can no longer work.
When we are retired, keep us awake to your will for us.
Give us the energy to enjoy the world, to attend to neighbors, the busy and the neglected, and to contribute wisely to the life of your church.
If we can offer nothing but our prayers, keep us faithful in the work of prayer, so that we may live always serving Jesus Christ, our hope and our true joy.
Loving God, You teach us your ways; you challenge us in all of our thoughts. There is nowhere we can go to escape from you.
In our childhood years of active learning, you are there to protect and comfort us. In teen years of questioning and confronting, You uphold us in your accepting love.
As young adults building new families, you guide us through all that we face. As middle age brings changes in our bodies and in our family relationships, you remain constant in your care.
So even when we reach older years and with grayer hair, O God do not forsake us. Lead us to proclaim your compassion and your might to all generations.
Your power and your justice, O God, reach throughout the universe directing straight paths for our feet as we follow Christ Jesus, our Lord.
You produce great and marvelous accomplishments, Lord God. Teach us to count our days by your bountiful blessings as we share your goodness.
Through our faith we see the hand of God in everything around us; we see the love of God in human relationships.
As we observe families, we celebrate the seasons and the passages of childhood, youth, adulthood and elderhood.
O God of the present and of eternity, with each passing day we become conscious of the passing years. We thank you for the grace in which we have walked along each step of the way. You have been with us in our childhood and youth. May we also put our full trust in you for the present and the future.
Holy Spirit prepare us for our aging years, taking away any fear of growing older, and replacing our anxiety with faith knowing that you will be with us always.
Our Savior and Friend, we remember the needs of all people, especially those in their senior years – the lonely and the neglected, those who are living with various illnesses, and/or struggling with emotional, mental and financial challenges
We pray for healing, above all spiritual wholeness so that they may be empowered to live fulfilling lives no matter what the age or challenge faced.
To those who are frail, be their Companion and those who grieve, be their Source of comfort, peace and hope.
Give joy to your people; reassure all of us through Christ Jesus who died and rose again, that our lives are safe with you.
Merciful Lord, guide us to pay attention to those who are older so that we may learn from them. Keep them keen in their minds and strong in their faith so that they may be true witnesses for you.
Grant them peace, hold them in your hope.
Eternal God, for the gift of this congregation, we thank you. For the seasons of life, we thank you. For the honored older adults in our midst, we thank you. For all of us who gathered today, physically and virtually, to fulfill Christ’s mission we thank you,
Loving God may we leave from this sacred space with grateful hearts to go out and show others your love!
Bless all of us, both young and old. May we always sense your loving guidance throughout life, in the midst of death and continuing into your eternal presence. AMEN
Watchword for the Week:
Jesus said, “Whoever wants to be first must be last of all and servant of all.” Mark 9:35
Today’s Watchword:
He shall be the one of peace. Micah 5:5
Doctrinal Text:
Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult. On the contrary, repay evil with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing. 1 Peter 3:9 NIV
Prayer for today:
God, often in life, we want to protect ourselves by using the same evil that was used against us. We need to stop and think about what we are doing. Help us to bless those who have caused harm to us, and instead, offer your love. This we pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.
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