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

I have been thinking about Job, the Old Testament saint, for the last few days or so. Even as someone who is not Job or his immediate family, none of what has happened to him and the circumstances that led up to it, simply did not make sense unless we focus on God and what He has said in response to Job.

In the same way, whatever might be happening in our lives, unless we focus on God and His word, our trials will not make any sense.

This morning, I’d like to lead us in a prayer based on God’s response to Job from chapter 38 onwards.

Our Father in heaven, we praise you for you laid the foundation of the earth, laid the cornerstone, sunk its bases and determined its measurements. We thank you that at the sight of your handiwork, morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy.

We praise you for you prescribed limits to the mighty oceans. We praise you that you comprehend the expanse of the earth, from the springs of the sea to the recesses of the deep to the dwelling of the light and darkness; even if all of mankind past, present and future put together can never come close to comprehending it, but what we cannot, you can, because you are YAWEH. The I AM that I AM. We exalt you.

We praise you that you have reserved some things for the time of trouble.

We praise you that you dictate the winds, their directions, snow, hail, rain, the growth of vegetation, dew, and frost.

We praise you alone for you are our faithful provider. You provide food and satisfy the living creatures. We praise that you hear us when we cry to you for help.

We praise you for you created the majestic strong mammals and meek - weak small animals that play a vital role in the ecosystem that you designed.

We praise you for all kinds of birds of the air and fish of the seas. We can never know of their ways in the skies and in the waters, but you know, for you are God. We magnify your name, O King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

You alone can sovereignly control the mighty evil one. We praise you for that. We are eternally thankful that He who is in us is greater than he who is in the world (1 John 4:4)

We know that you can do all things and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted. We extol your name.

Please forgive us for the times we have uttered what we have not understood. We have spoken of things too wonderful for us that we cannot know. We despise ourselves and repent of it. We are of small account, we lay our hands on our mouth.

Thank you for your forgiveness. Please protect us from ourselves. May your name be glorified through our Christlike thoughts, attitudes, and actions.

May we always have the high view of you and the correct Biblical view of ourselves.

We pray this in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, your only begotten righteous Son, Amen.