11 & 12 March 2022 (Pastoral Page) A PRAYER FOR SENIOR ADULTS AND YOUNG ADULTS

By Ps Lim Wei-en

My people, hear my teaching; listen to the words of my mouth. I will open my mouth with a parable; I will utter hidden things, things from of old— things we have heard and known, things our ancestors have told us. We will not hide them from their descendants; we will tell the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord, his power, and the wonders he has done. (Psalm 78:1-4)

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Gracious Father,

We thank You for the gift of senior adults in our midst. We thank You for adding years to their lives, and life to their years. For blessing them with wisdom, knowledge, patience, generosity – which they have in turn directed to the building of Your people, the church. We thank You for their sacrificial service and giving, without which we who are younger would not get to enjoy the privileges we do today.

By Your mercy, we ask that You keep them in good health and fill them with Your joy, that they may continue to embrace Your purposes for them. In this precious season of their lives, may You renew their faith and bring to completion the good work You have begun in them. Grant them a bigger vision of Jesus and a deeper longing for Him that far exceeds any other desire in their lives.

Eternal Father,

Teach our senior adults to grow old gracefully. As they enter a season of life in which the reality of loss – loss of health, work, friends, possessions, past glories – will be felt more keenly, may they embrace such loss as an invitation by You to detach themselves from all that belongs to this earthly, temporal realm. May they be led to find greater meaning and significance in heavenly, eternal things, such as their inheritance in Christ that can never perish, spoil or fade.

By this, may You enable them to leave a legacy of faith for us who are younger. Through their words and their lives, may they tell the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the LORD, His powers and the wonders He has done. Through their prayers and the fruit of the Spirit on display in their lives, may they bear witness to You, that we who are less mature may aspire to follow them as they follow Christ.

Loving Father,

We also thank You for the gift of young adults in our midst. We thank You for calling them out of darkness into Your wonderful light, that they may declare Your praises. We thank You for providing for them materially and spiritually, out of which they may offer their lives back to You in sacred service, whether in school, at work, at home or in the church. Thank You that many are indeed using their gifts to bless those around them, whether in our community of faith or beyond.

In Your grace, teach our young adults Your ways and point them again and again to Christ, who alone can satisfy their deepest longings. As they pursue education and career opportunities, relationships, leisure and wealth, may they remain faithful to You, the Giver of these things. Protect them from the seductions of this world, the deceptions of the evil one, and the temptations of the flesh, that they may continue to take up their cross daily and follow Christ. Open their eyes to continually see the glorious hope to which they have been called, and the riches of their inheritance in Christ. In times of crisis, help them to remain anchored on You, their Rock and Redeemer.

Almighty Father,

As they look ahead to the start of “Crux”, the service catered to young adults, grant them open and expectant hearts to what You want to do in their lives. May You purify the hearts of those leading this service, that they may be instruments made holy for the Master’s use. May Your Word be preached faithfully. May Your praises be sung passionately. May Your love be made manifest in the sincere warmth of the community. May Your Name be exalted constantly. May the truth and beauty of the Gospel always be on display.

Revive our young adults, O Lord! And, in turn, use them to fulfil your Kingdom purposes in their generation and the generations to come – that they and their children, and their children’s children, may know, revere and love You as their Lord! Then will the praiseworthy deeds of the LORD, His power, and the wonders He has done, made known to them by those who have come before them, be passed on to those who will come after them.

This is our humble prayer.

In Jesus’ Name and for His sake,

Amen.