for Joe and Martha
Prayer for Sunday, June 11, 2023 — the day after Martha Racchi died
Father in heaven, last evening, I looked up and saw majestically huge clouds in a beautiful pale sky. Whether your clouds are white or grey, black or golden, heavy or flung lightly across your sky, they all point to you. Your glory is breath-taking, your strength beyond comprehension. The psalmist truly sings that
The heavens declare the glory of God,
and the sky above proclaims his handiwork. — Psalm 19:1
With the psalmist, we praise you for your infinite knowledge, your limitless strength, your matchless beauty, your perfect truth.
Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
be acceptable in your sight,
O LORD, my rock and my redeemer. — Psalm 19:14
All our life is, in a very real sense, preparation for physical death. For your children, there is a clear and trustworthy path to follow.
Jesus did not simply die and hop up again a few moments later. He died. He stayed dead. He descended into death so he could defeat it, remove its sting, and make Death nothing more than a doorman. Jesus’ resurrection proved his victory. Hallelujah!
The Creator of life has already gone where we will go. He waits for us on the other side of death. Jesus guarantees a divine welcome—even a celebration! —for his elect children.
Help us to learn that you are not committed to our comfort in this life. You will take us into the eye of the storm, to show us that you are the storm’s Master, and that you can make our fragile vessel float safely through to the other side. Your wonderful plan for our life is to sanctify us through trials and tribulations.
Father in heaven, we ask for strength when we are exhausted… faith, when we are bewildered or persecuted… befriend us when we are grieved or scared… and grant us joy in the eye of the storm.
Bless your church with vision that looks beyond circumstances, that longs—even aches—to see our King and his kingdom come in perfect completion, Soli Deo Gloria.
Amen and amen. So we ask, as your church, in the majestic Name of our Saviour and our Hope.
May the strength of God pilot us, may the wisdom of God instruct us, may the hand of God protect us, may the word of God direct us. Be always ours this day and for evermore.