A Prayer about What Makes Life Meaningful

There is no remembrance of former things, nor will there be any remembrance of later things yet to be among those who come after. Ecclesiastes 1:11

Eternal God,

As my daily Bible reading takes me to Ecclesiastes, 

I am reminded of how easily we set our hopes 

on finding meaning in the things of this world.

As we read, “Is there a thing of which it is said, 

‘See, this is new’? 

It has been already 

in the ages before us” (Ecclesiastes 1:10), 

we might be tempted to say, 

“Well, yes, ChatGPT is new, 

and nothing like it ever existed 

in the ages before us,” 

but that would be to discount the awe the world felt 

when the telephone 

or the telegraph 

or the computer 

was discovered. 

Yes, even the latest, greatest technology 

will one day be “old,” 

and even ChatGPT 

cannot make our lives meaningful. 

You have created us to be meaning-making creatures, 

and again and again, 

the author of Ecclesiastes reminds us 

that the only lasting meaning to be found 

is in seeking to know and love you 

and in seeking to know how much you love us. 

You have endowed us with meaning, 

making us your image-bearers, 

and calling us to be ambassadors 

of the good news of the gospel. 

And while it is true that much about our stories 

will not be remembered 25 years after 

we’ve gone to be with you, 

what will last eternally 

is the way we’ve lived 

your calling 

to “be fruitful and multiply” the gospel. 

Help us today to turn our minds 

from the things that so occupy us, 

“toil under the sun” (Ecclesiastes 1:3), 

“great possessions of herds and flocks” (Ecclesiastes 2:7), 

even the acquisition of “great wisdom” (Ecclesiastes 1:16), 

that we might “hunger and thirst for righteousness,” 

for in it, we shall be satisfied (Matt. 5:6).

In Jesus’ meaning-full name. Amen.

Read Ecclesiastes 1-2.

The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing. Zephaniah 3:17

Lord, 

We believe; help our unbelief.

We believe you have already come into our midst 

in the incarnation of Jesus Christ.

We believe you are a mighty one 

who has already saved us from our sins 

through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

But in the next line of this magnificent verse, 

we stutter and stumble. 

We think that maybe you will rejoice in us 

some day in the future 

when we are more holy, 

that you will love us 

some day in the future 

when we never sin again,

that you will exult in us with loud singing 

some day in the future 

when we’ve finally earned our way to heaven.

But that’s not what Scripture tells us.

The gospel good news 

for all who trust in Jesus

is that right this minute, 

you are rejoicing over us, 

right this minute

you are quieting us with your love, 

right this minute

and you are exulting over us with loud singing. 

You saved us. 

You love us. 

You delight in us. 

You sing extra-loud over us, 

like the five-year-old who loves to sing 

at the top of his lungs 

because he’s so happy. 

Help us today to sit quietly 

and listen for the sound 

of your delight in us, 

and may that delight 

change the way we live and love 

today and every day. 

In Jesus’ saving name. Amen.

Read Zephaniah 3:14-20.