Our Heavenly Father, Creator of the heavens and the earth, is the Sovereign Lord whose will be done in heaven and on earth (Matthew 6:10; Genesis 1:1).
God has shown us such great love that while we were still sinners, rebelling against His commands and enemies of God in our minds, He sent His Son as an atonement for our sins (Romans 5:8; Colossians 1:21; 1 John 4:10). Since while we were sinners He saved us and loved us, giving up His Son so that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life (John 3:16), how then should we live our lives in reverence before our Father?
God keeps no record of wrongs (1 Corinthians 13:5), so we may worship Him with reverence and submissive wonder (Hebrews 12:28).
The duty of mankind is to submit to God and love Him with all our heart, mind, soul, and strength (Mark 12:30), and to love one another as He has loved us (John 13:34), forgiving our transgressions and sins (Ephesians 4:32).
For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). All we like sheep have gone astray, each of us turning to our own way, but by His wounds we are healed (Isaiah 53:5–6).
Jesus is Lord, and every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord (Philippians 2:10–11). Every eye will see Him coming with the clouds, with great power and glory, together with His holy angels (Matthew 24:30–31; Revelation 1:7).
Then all the peoples of the earth will mourn because of Him, but those who stand firm in faith shall rejoice, for their faith will become sight (2 Corinthians 5:7).
So before the golden bowl is broken and the silver cord is severed (Ecclesiastes 12:6), we pray for all men and women on this earth to repent and turn to Him, placing their complete trust in the One who alone can give rest to our souls (Matthew 11:28; Acts 3:19).
We pray that mankind would turn away from hatred and instead love, respect, be patient, and forgive one another in brotherly and sisterly love (Colossians 3:12–14). For there is one earth, and all are loved by God. He desires all people to live peaceful and quiet lives in godliness and holiness and to come to the knowledge of the truth (1 Timothy 2:2–4).
Christ is the Lord and the Light of the world (John 8:12), who sets us free from the power of darkness (Colossians 1:13) in both the seen and unseen realms (2 Corinthians 4:18).
As we wait patiently for the Lord’s return, help us, Lord, to persevere through trials, tribulations, and afflictions (James 1:12; Romans 5:3–4), to take up our cross and follow You (Luke 9:23), and to imitate the example of our Lord Jesus Christ, who, though He was in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but humbled Himself (Philippians 2:6–8). He resisted the powers of evil even to the point of shedding His blood on the cross (Hebrews 12:4; John 19:30).
We are called to endure, to stand firm on the Word of God (1 Corinthians 16:13), and not to question the goodness of the Lord (James 1:17), but to continue in faith through the power of the Holy Spirit within us (Acts 1:8) until the day of His second coming. For with the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years like one day (2 Peter 3:8).
Only the Father knows the day of the Lord’s return—not even the Son, as He told us before He was crucified (Matthew 24:36). Therefore, let us stand firm in faith on every word that proceeds from the mouth of God (Matthew 4:4).
Let us love one another deeply, for love covers a multitude of sins (1 Peter 4:8). Help us to do good to the least of our brothers and sisters (Matthew 25:40), for all are equal in God’s sight (Galatians 3:28).
May we go from strength to strength (Psalm 84:7) to the glory of God and His Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord and Saviour of the world (John 4:42).
Help us to keep loving, forgiving, and being patient with one another, bearing one another’s burdens with humility and gentleness (Galatians 6:2; Ephesians 4:2).
Amen.