I offered the opening prayer at the Manatee County Board of County Commissioners meeting this morning. Here it is…
We come before you as humble servants,
Lord, filled with desire to know Your will and do what is best in your
sight. Help us and help these servants
of our community to be good stewards of this day and of all that you have
entrusted to us.
Help us Lord be good stewards of this
beautiful place in which we live. We
humbly recognize that all that we have and all that we are comes from you. Help us to be good stewards of the land,
water and air. Help us to be good stewards of the jobs and
economy. Help us to be good stewards of the
buildings, roads and bridges. Help us to be good stewards of the
resources of the people of Manatee County (yes, Lord, the money) that has been entrusted to us. Help us to be good stewards of our own time,
talents and wealth.
Help us to be good stewards
of all your gifts to us Lord, including the gifts of life, liberty and the
pursuit of happiness. May this Board of County Commissioners, as part of the
government of the United States, take to heart the words of Thomas Jefferson
who wrote in the Declaration of Independence that the role of government is to
protect the gifts that You, Lord, have given to us. Help them do just that.
Thank
you for these county commissioners and all who are a part of this meeting today.
Bless each of them Lord in their homes,
in their day to day lives, and as they participate in the government of Manatee
County. Help them Lord make our
community a place where the life, liberty and pursuit of happiness becomes a
daily reality for all who live here.
Help
us all Lord to be good stewards of all the blessings You have entrusted to
us. At the end of today’s meeting, may You,
dear Lord. wish to say to these commissioners, and to all who participated in
this meeting, "well, done, good and faithful servant."
May
all that we do this day give you glory.
In Christ's name I pray. Amen.
