“Dear Lord, I Am Growing Older“

(Selected and Adapted)

Dear Lord,

The years have sped by so rapidly, and I find I am no longer young. As I grow older, Lord, I truly need Thy help to keep me close to Thy house of prayer. Satan would have me think about my aching bones and worn muscles. While at times I am unable to get out to the church assembly, I pray that I may not use my aches and pains as an excuse to stay home. Lord, as I near heaven’s gates, may I be found more and more in prayer. Satan tries to deter me by whispering that I have prayed enough down through the years, and that since I am old, I do not need to spend as much time talking to thee. Let me remember that he is a deceiver. Help me also, Lord, with my Bible reading. Satan says, “You have read the Bible over and over again and know the message by heart.” But I know better than to believe that I have learned everything there is to know about Thy Word. Take me back to the Book with a renewed zeal and a renewed ardor. Help me to keep serving Thee by being faithful to my Sunday school class, mid‑week Bible study, and the works and challenges given by the decision makers at my congregation. Remind me that I can still write notes of cheer to others, that I can keep myself joyfully active rather than becoming sour and pessimistic, and that I can be young at heart even though my body is slowing down with age. Lord, the traps that Satan lays for me now are a bit different than they were when I was younger. I am no longer tempted by lustful pastimes or superficial pleasures. Now I am tempted by boredom and monotony, and I must guard against these spilling over into my spiritual life.

Let me remember, Lord, that I can give a cup of cold water in Thy name, a smile, a handshake, a telephone call, a greeting card, an encouraging word, a pat on a child=s shoulder, an uplifting word to a teenager, and a prayer on the behalf of others. There is still a great deal that I can do! Lord my hands are not pretty like they used to be. They are not smooth and agile like they once were. But they can still clasp another hand in Christian love. They can still make a pie for someone. They can pick up the phone and make someone’s day brighter.

Neither is my mind as alert as it once was. Still it recalls answers to past prayers, memories of how you looked out for me during trials of sickness and trials of loss. Remind me, then, to tell others of my faith in Christ, especially the young, those who are just starting to walk as a Christian. Lord, I see the teens and remember when I was young. Don’t let me just pass them by, thus widening the generation gap. Rather, help me put my arm around their shoulders, tell them that I am praying for them, and encourage them. Help me to be less critical and more understanding.

Lord, I need thee now as much -maybe more- as I ever have. I am growing older. In the short time I have left her on earth, please make me more and more like Thee.

In Jesus’name,

Amen