A prayer for the summer

LORD God, our God, the Maker of Heaven and Earth, our Father,
as your children in the northern hemisphere enter this season of the academic year,
please give us fresh grace to walk, stand and sit aright.

May those of us who enjoy running and walking in your creation
give thanks to you for that privilege
but not be as concerned about the daily step count on our trackers
as in taking practical steps this summer in kindness, in compassion, in forgiveness,
in building others up, in pleasing the Lord -
steps of progress in gracious, sacrificial, Christ-like loving (Ephesians 4-5).

May those of us who look forward to getting out of the city
give thanks to you for the privilege of travel
but not ultimately be as concerned about the physical location in which we stand
(whether "beneath the boughs" or on a hot and sweaty tube train)
as about our location "in Christ" -
the address of every spiritual blessing, complete forgiveness,
intimate sonship, total security (Ephesians 1, 6).

May those of us who are weary and looking forward to a week or two off work,
give thanks to you for the privilege of rest
but not fix our ultimate hope on sitting down on the sofa with the TV remote
but rather find our deep rest in the already-reality
that we are seated with Christ in the heavenly realms -
give us grace to grasp something of that awesome privilege
and exhale as we rest our weight on that throne (Ephesians 2).

And to the extent that all of these blessings are corporate blessings,
shared with all your people, practised by your church as a body,
please would you give us grace to resist our tendency to individualism and isolation,
and instead to walk together in a manner worthy of Christ,
to stand together in the armour of Christ,
to sit together with Him in joyful assembly,
and together with all the Lord's holy people grasp
how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ,
that we may be filled to the measure of the fulness of God...
To Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus
not only this summer but for ever,
Amen

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