Lord God, it’s good to be gathered here today as your people. We have come to worship You our Lord and our Maker. You are the great King above all gods. You spoke the world into existence – from the depths of the earth to the heights of the mountains; the seas and the dry earth were all formed at Your command. Almighty God, nothing is too difficult for You; nothing escapes Your notice.

But God we know that since that is true, it means that You know everything about us as well. You see our sin. You see the times when we deliberately choose to go our own way. We may fool others. We may even fool ourselves at times, but You see right to our hearts. You see the way we often get so caught up in our own busy lives, our own goals and agendas, that we stray from You. We don’t yield to You what is Your rightful place as Lord of our lives; we don’t seek, first and foremost, Your kingdom and Your righteousness. Please convict us of our sins, reveal our errant ways, remind us of the incomparable and complete sacrifice of Jesus and forgive us just as You have promised to do.

On this special day God we want to thank you for mothers. You are the Giver of Life, and we thank You for the special role that You have given to mothers to conceive and bear children and then to pour their lives into their children. Thank You that mothers can provide such a powerful example of Your tender heart and unconditional love toward us. Please be with the mothers who are here with us today. Give them the wisdom, energy and patience they need for their many daily tasks. I pray too that their children and husbands would show them appreciation and honor for who they are and all they do. God, we recognize as well, that this day may be a time of sorrow for those who have tried but been unable to conceive or those who have suffered miscarriages. Others may have lost a child or feel disconnected from or abandoned by their children. Please wrap them in Your tender love, comfort them with Your peace and let them walk in the hope that comes only from knowing You.

Father, we have seen a lot of change in the past few years. While change, in and of itself, is neither good nor bad, it can be unsettling. We are often tempted to cling to our memories of the past or to become worried or anxious about what tomorrow may bring, but please help us to remember that You are in control and You never change. You are the first and the last; the eternal, unchanging, incorruptible God. Thank You that Your word stands forever and we can rely on Your truth.

I pray Lord that we would rely on Your truth. That we would be changed by it. Call us out from the world around us, renew our minds and transform us. As Your word says, let us put on compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience. Let us bear with one another and forgive each other. Teach us to put on love, letting Your peace rule in our hearts, and being thankful. Lord Jesus, let Your word dwell in us in such a powerful way that it is evident to those around us.