I’ve been taking a break from my sociological reading in order to be nourished by a biography of John Newton. I say “nourished” because the more I read his story, the more I come to love this man of common dress and language – and yet a man whose heart was so transformed by Christ that he could not help from pouring out his heart and soul in preaching, hymn-writing, and prayer. He is/was a man transformed, a testimony to the power of the Gospel. This morning, I read the two chapters on the background of Amazing Grace – both it’s lyrics and how it became popularized – and I could only sit in wonder. In that moment, I felt a call to thank God for all the saints who have traveled this path before me. Their faith, struggles, and even failures inspire me to walk in the same way – the path of Jesus. My thankfulness led to me write the following prayer, which will be read next Sunday at Central as our prayer time:

A Prayer of Thankfulness

Merciful God,We acknowledge today that we do not come to you on our own, but as part of a story both more broad and deep than we are able to fully know. We are late-comers to the story of salvation which has captured our own hearts, and today we give thanks for all the saints who shined the light of the Gospel before us.

We are thankful first for all the saints whose tales of struggle, faith, and grace are recorded in your holy word. They challenge, inspire, and exemplify what it means to rely on your grace.

Let us give thanks for the saints of the Bible who inspire us to follow Christ.

[Please name, silently or out loud, those Biblical figures who inspire you to faithfulness]

We are also thankful that the story of your redemption didn’t not end with the final page of the New Testament, O God. But you saw fit, by the power of your Spirit, to raise people up from every generation as examples of your grace and love. We thank you for their testimony to your Gospel, and we look forward to joining them in the eternal worship around your Heavenly throne – even as we acknowledge their presence with us here today.

Let us give thanks for those saints of the past that have inspired our faith.

[Please name, silently or out loud, names of past saints who inspire you to faithfulness]

Finally, Lord, we are thankful that the revelation of your great salvation extends even into our own day. We thank you for those living saints who have been formed into your image so deeply, that they inspire us to walk the path of life with them. We pray that they may always be faithful and that, when the time comes, that we may encourage them as they have so often encouraged us.

Let us give thanks for the those living saints who continue to inspire our faith.

[Please name, silently or out loud, names of living saints who inspire you to faithfulness]

We pray in the name of of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. The author of our salvation, and the source of all grace and light.

Amen.