Please find below the notes from the Elder's Prayer this past Sunday.

Job 42:1-6
“I know that You can do all things,
And that no purpose of Yours can be thwarted.
3 ‘Who is this that hides counsel without knowledge?’
Therefore I have declared that which I did not understand,
Things too wonderful for me, which I did not know.”
4 ‘Hear, now, and I will speak;
I will ask You, and You instruct me.’
5 “I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear;
But now my eye sees You;
6 Therefore I retract,
And I repent in dust and ashes.”

Father,
As we have just been singing together, we’re awestruck by your Holiness. That brilliant radiance is displayed in
your might: all this world, this universe; is held together by you
your provision: all we have and need is given to us by you. There is nothing that we have that you haven’t provided, and nothing we need that you’ve withheld
your mercy: you’ve looked on us, sinful, rebellious, unworthy people with mercy. We were saved by your mercy. We pursue you and are preserved in our faith by your mercy.
your perfect knowledge: there is nothing that you do not know, have not ordained, do not foresee. No situation takes you by surprise; you are not shocked by any circumstance or outcome.
your unmatched power: all bends to your will. We look to a time, when all will bow their knee; because your sovereign power will be perfectly seen and understood
your purity: All these attributes are wielded by you, without blemish or spot or wrinkle. You are completely without sin

Yet, as we focus our thoughts upon these truths, we can’t help but bring to mind the myriad of ways that we’ve acted as if we were ignorant of them.
We’ve tried to understand our circumstances, overcome temptation, wallow in our sin, interacted with one another, in ways that put ourselves on the throne of our hearts.
These actions, show hearts that try to see ourselves as mighty, all in our sphere of life depends upon us. Without us in it, this whole thing might crash. Or even a life of fear, we recognize our inability, and live fearing all will fall apart because we are incapable; that it must somehow depend upon us singularly.
Our hearts’ actions show that we see ourselves as the great quartermaster of our lives. All that we have gained, we’ve earned. All that we don’t have, is because of someone else’s greed or our inability.
We look at the circumstances in our life as if we know HOW all things should turn out and in WHAT ways they should happen. We set plans and expectations on how we perceive life. When those expectations and plans go unmet, we respond in anger, fear, panic and confusion.

Father, we repent of these thoughts, these actions. As Job, we seek to be quick to hear from you in your word. We seek to have your word instruct and rebuke our hearts. We seek to be slow to speak about understanding life and quick to trust and hear from you. We look to you with eyes of faith.

Father, help us to look at the circumstances and outcomes of our life through the lens of understanding from your Word, the brilliance of who you are, and Your wonderfully gracious mercy extended to us in your Son, Jesus Christ -- Amen