The Need Of God's Presence

Eternal God, our Father, we come apart once more to be with you, our creator and redeemer. We come apart to pray. Oh, how we need this time in your presence! We come apart from the world because we need to. Yet, the world seems to be here with us. We know that we have not left life out yonder where we live and work. We bear the scars of our sin and neglect, and we bring with us the confusion that has been created by the events of the past week.
O Lord, help us to learn the lesson Elijah learned long ago in a time of seeming defeat and discouragement; you do come to us, not in the earthquake, or the wind or the fire, but in the still small voice of the Holy Spirit. Help us here to be still and know that Thou art God. You will be exalted above the anguish and the violence of our day. You will be exalted in the earth. Help us to believe that even the shaking of our earth today can be you mighty hand removing the things that can be shaken in order that the things which cannot be shaken may remain
Dear Lord, we are thankful that you have set the solitary in families. How marvelous is the love that brings forth new life to be nurtured in the continuing love of home and family! Forgive us when we do not keep the vision alive, and help us to seek and accept our role both as parents and as children in homes where we love you supremely and where your will is our way of life.
Many of us come to you, our Father, with the same problems we had yesterday, and the day before. Our burdens weigh heavily on us, and we seem not to be able to believe that they can become light under the yoke of Christ. We confess that we say the words: We want to be made whole and we hear the words of blessed assurance, "Son, they sins are forgiven Thee" - yet, we find it hard to believe the good news that you do accept us just as we are - to be made clean and whole again, not through our continual trying and failing, but through the love of Christ who breaks the power of the sin He cancels. Help us to believe it now - may the whole world come to know in some small way, through us, that a different life is possible and a different world is in your plan and purpose, through our Lord Jesus Christ. We pray in his name, Amen