Prayer Reviewing God's Faithfulness

Well it started a few days ago but we have officially moved into the “Year In Review” news cycle.  I’m not sure if these are packages that are pre-recorded so online personalities can have a few days off after Christmas or fill-ins for lack of news as we all take a breather and stay home with our loved ones.  In any case, whenever you turn on the TV and watch the news there invariably will come a “Top this or that from 2021.”  Some are cute stories.  Many, again this year are Covid-19 related – not a surprise. 

What rings in my heart as I reflect on this year are the words of an old hymn that many of you will know so well: 

Great is Thy faithfulness, O God my Father,

There is no shadow of turning with Thee;

Thou changest not, Thy compassions, they fail not

As Thou hast been Thou forever wilt be.

Chorus:

Great is Thy faithfulness! Great is Thy faithfulness!

Morning by morning new mercies I see;

All I have needed Thy hand hath provided—

Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!

And then a song we sang for such a long time, and it still resonates in my heart – written by a local guy around here Brian Doerksen – Faithful One

Faithful one, so unchanging

Ageless one, you’re my rock of peace

Lord of all I depend on you

I call out to you, again and again

I call out to you, again and again

You are my rock in times of trouble

You lift me up when I fall down

All through the storm

Your love is, the anchor

My hope is in You alone

Well, I thought we might pray today with poets and prayer warriors from the Bible who had lots to say about God’s faithfulness.  As we rehearse our own 2021 events and look towards 2022, I can’t think of anything that stabilizes my heart more than to consider the faithfulness of God – to us.

With King David we pray:

I will thank you, Lord, among all the people. I will sing your praises among the nations.  For your unfailing love is as high as the heavens. Your faithfulness reaches to the clouds. Be exalted, O God, above the highest heavens. May your glory shine over all the earth.  Psalm 57:9-11

You faithfully answer our prayers with awesome deeds, O God our savior. You are the hope of everyone on earth, even those who sail on distant seas.  Psalm 65:5

And with the Apostle Paul we pray blessing on all of us for an impartation of this faithfulness from God to come alive in our own hearts and lives.

Peace be with you, dear brothers and sisters, and may God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give you love with faithfulness. May God’s grace be eternally upon all who love our Lord Jesus Christ.  Ephesians 6:23-24