Skip to main content

6 things to pray as we grow older

A Prayer of Moses, the man of God. "Lord, you have been our dwelling place in all generations. Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever you had formed the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God." (Psalm 90:1-2 ESV)

 This Psalm is ascribed to Moses, and may have been written in context of the forty-year wandering of Israel in the wilderness. (Numbers 15-20) 

 In verses 1 through 11 Moses considers the eternal nature of God and the brevity of human life. (90:1-11)  

 Here are six petitions that Moses made in light of the brevity of life before the eternal God.  These are also six things I can pray as I am growing older...

 Wisdom. (90:12) "So teach us to number our days..."  Pray that the Lord would enable us to know the value of our remaining time on earth, and that we would plan well to make the best use of it (Eph. 5:16).

 Mercy. (90:13) "Have pity on your servants..." Pray that we would continue to rely on God's mercy and not our merits. May we ask for and rely upon his Fatherly compassion as we grow older and realize how sinful and fragile we still are.

 Love. (90:14)  "Satisfy us in the morning with your steadfast love..." Pray that we would find our satisfaction in the Lord's kind, covenantal love for us. May our love and joy be in the Lord himself rather than our accomplishments, possessions, attainments, or even our own maturity level. 

 Gladness. (90:15) "Make us glad..."  Pray that-- instead of becoming bitter, complaining, or fault-finding -- we should be glad and buoyant in the Lord all the rest of the days of our lives.  May we have a biblical optimism about life, no matter what trials or troubles we have been through. 

 Glory.  (90:16)  "...and your glorious power to their children."  Pray that we would continue to see God at work in our lives, and especially that our children (physical or spiritual) would themselves experience the glorious beauty of God in their lives. 

 Legacy. (90:17)  "...and establish the work of our hands..." Pray that you will accomplish something that will outlive you and have an eternal impact. May we -- whether in our profession, teaching, work, writing, example, parenting, art, words, lifestyle, etc. -- leave behind a lasting influence for the Kingdom of God.  May 1 Corinthians 15:58 be true of us...

 "Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain."  

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

bible reading nov 1-2

  Bible reading for weekend Nov 1 -- 2 Nov 1 -- Hosea 7 and Psalms 120-122 Nov 2 -- Hosea 8 and Psalms 123-125 ================   "Were I to write for him my laws by the ten thousands, they would be regarded as a strange thing." (Hosea 8:12) THE RESULTS OF SIN (ch 7-8). Notice the words and metaphors to describe Israel's sinful condition: they are surrounded with, and proud of, their evil (7:1-3); like adulterers in the heat of passion (7:4-5); their anger is like a hot oven (7:6-7); they are like a half-cooked (one side only) cake (7:8); their strength is gone (7:9); they are like silly doves easily trapped (7:11-12); they are undependable like a warped bow (7:16). In spite of all of this they are so proud of themselves! (We might say they have a strong self-esteem.) They have spurned what is good (8:3); they sow to the wind and have no real fruit (8:7); they are a useless vessel (8:8) and a wild donkey wandering alone (8:9); they regard God's law as a strange thing
Post a Comment
Read more

bible reading dec 3-5

  Bible reading for weekend December 3 -- 5  Dec 3 -- Nahum 1 and Luke 17 Dec 4 -- Nahum 2 and Luke 18 Dec 5 -- Nahum 3 and Luke 19 ================ "The LORD is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; he knows those who take refuge in him. But with an overflowing flood he will make a complete end of the adversaries, and will pursue his enemies into darkness." (Nahum 1:7-8)  TIME'S UP FOR NINEVEH (Nah 1-3). The prophecy of Nahum is God's word to the people of Nineveh, part two. Jonah was part one, chronicling a city-wide repentance of Assyrians in the capital about a hundred years earlier. The closing bookend is Nahum, and the Assyrian empire is big, powerful, and aggressive. Notice the references to chariots (2:3-4, 13; 3:2). The Assyrians were a militarily advanced culture, and cruel in their warfare. Whatever spiritual receptivity they had at the time of Jonah was gone by the time of Nahum. Nahum may not have actually visited Nineveh, for it seems the book was w
Post a Comment
Read more

bible reading dec 13-14

Bible reading for December 13 -- 14  Dec 13 -- Haggai 2 and John 3 Dec 14 -- Zechariah 1 and John 4 ================ "Be strong, all you people of the land, declares the LORD. Work, for I am with you, declares the LORD of hosts..." (Haggai 2:4) THE LATTER GLORY (Haggai 2). The Jews, having returned from Babylonian exile, must get to work and finish rebuilding the temple. For this reason, the post-exilic period is called the "second temple" period. King Herod would later enlarge and add many embellishments to the site. But the beginnings in Haggai are so modest compared to the temple originally built by Solomon, and the people were discouraged. The Lord asks, "Is it not as nothing in your eyes?" (v 3) He tells them that they are to be strong and to keep working, for he is with them, no matter how humble the project may seem. This principle applies to us, as well (Matt 28:20; Eph 6:10). We should not become disheartened at the smallness of the return on our
1 comment
Read more