O Lord, we come as those who need a Savior. We know that we have broken thy Law and that we have offended Thee. We know that there is no good thing that dwells in us. We know that the world is full of sin and wickedness. O Lord, we as individuals and we as a corporate people, as families, as nations, need a Savior. The coming of Christ has always been good news and it is still good news today. Lord, like the shepherds in the fields, there is no reason why we should be afraid. We should not be living in fear. For in the City of David was born to us a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. His birth, life and death is our only hope. We confess that the only basis we have for hope is that Christ was who He said He was, and His death was sufficient to wash away our sins, and his resurrection assures our resurrection and guarantees eternal live for each of us.

Lord, you know us better than we know ourselves. Each of us is growing older and someday will be old. Life is very short and then we soon fly away to be remembered no more, but yet, we have a name written permanently on the Lamb’s book of life.

Lord, keep us from the arrogance that we have a solution to every problem. Remind us that we need not say something on every occasion. Sometimes all we need is to be there. Keep us from the pride that we can somehow straighten out every man’s affairs.

Make us thoughtful, but not moody; helpful but not bossy. Help us not to drive our friends away by trying to control them. Lord, good, close, and trustworthy friends are hard to come by. Give us a few friends that are closer than a brother, rather than many friends who care little for us.

Lord, we all have our aches and pains. Our bodies have not yet been delivered from the effects of the Fall. When we are not attacked by germs and harmful bacteria, we have to endure the sickness that comes from stress and pressure. Lord, we can only handle so much. Help those of our Church who this day battle with minds that are slipping, with bodies that cannot heal themselves, with strange symptoms that even confuse the medical experts.

Bring healing to the suffering, and give hope to those whose body just can’t pull the weight of daily living. God save us – both body and soul. Help us not to be complainers. Help us to share the burdens of others, rather than sharing with others all the time our own burdens. Yet, Lord, give us those who care enough to listen to us when we suffer and to pray for us when we suffer.

Remind us that even though a strong man may walk about as a rooster among the hens, yet he can be cut down in an instant. Lord, we must not be a proud people. Our dreams soon become only that, just dreams. Our hopes can be dashed like the disappearance of the sun in the evening. Our strength can become like the weakness of a child. Our memory forgets much and our stride may become a limp.

Lord, give us the grace to be nice to one another. Give us the grace to make eye contact and nod a head or wink an eye to our brother. May we so approach each other, that they see in us something of Christ coming walking in their direction.

Make us sweet but not so sweet that we make others sick at our sweetness. Make us neighborly, but remind us that a neighbor that frequents too much becomes worrisome to the soul.

Give us the ability to see good things in unexpected places and talents in unexpected people. Give us the ability to go into unpleasant places by faith and face that which may be contrary to our sense of propriety.

Help us never to tire of helping the needy. Help us to always be ready to make friends even with our enemies. Help us to pray for our enemies. Help us to pray for our friends. May our friends never become our enemies. May our children never know betrayal. Keep them free from becoming disillusioned in their youth. Protect them from acting like old men and women when they are young. May they delight in their youth before the days come upon them in which they say they have no pleasure.