Guidance To An Easier Life

PRAYER FOR THE AGED

Lord thou knowest better than I know myself that I am growing older and will someday be

old. Keep me from getting talkative, and particularly from fatal habit of thinking I must say

something on every occasion. Release me from craving to try to straighten out everybody’s affairs.

Keep my mind free from the recital of endless details – give me wings to get to the point.

I ask for grace enough to listen to the tales of others’ pains. Help me to endure them with

patience; but seal my lips on my own aches and pains – they are increasing and my love

of rehearsing them is becoming sweeter as the years go by. Teach me the glorious lesson that occasionally,

(more often than in my younger years), it is possible that I may be mistaken.

Keep me reasonably sweet; I want to be the saint that the bible says I am in Christ,

exuding all the nine characters of the fruit of the Spirit. Some old people are hard to live

with, but a sour old person is one of the crowning works of the devil.

Teach me to spend alone times (these increase as my mobility decreases) to study the

bible and pray for everyone so that the inner man becomes stronger as the outer man

dies. Make me thoughtful, but not moody; helpful but not bossy. With my vast store of

wisdom, it seems a pity not to use it all – but Thou knowest, Lord, that I want to be surrounded by loved ones

and people of faith, at the end.

(Unknown author, modified by Toyin Ogundipe)