Let It Be
Let It Be
I pray that you may have the power to comprehend, with all the saints, what is the breadth and length and height and depth and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. Ephesians 3:18-19
My favorite prayer from the New Zealand Prayer Book comes from the service of Night Prayer. I had prayed this prayer before moving to New Zealand, but it became especially meaningful to me while I was there. In early 2020, the evening before New Zealand went into its first lockdown to stop the spread of COVID-19, the vicar of our church and I led a service with this prayer.
I invite you to pray this prayer at the end of your day. I hope you also find it to be a meaningful reminder of God’s faithful presence.
Lord,
it is night.
The night is for stillness.
Let us be still in the presence of God.
It is night after a long day.
What has been done has been done;
what has not been done has not been done;
let it be.
The night is dark.
Let our fears of the darkness of the world and of our own lives rest in you.
The night is quiet.
Let the quietness of your peace enfold us,
all dear to us,
and all who have no peace.
The night heralds the dawn.
Let us look expectantly to a new day,
new joys,
new possibilities.
In your name we pray.
Amen.