Prayer CX
O Lord, our gracious God, we humbly confess that our ways are not as Thy ways. We joyfully accept the assurance that as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are Thy ways higher than our ways, and Thy thoughts than our thoughts. We cannot conceive of Thee, of Thy love, of Thy tender heart, of Thine infinite compassion, of Thy love which hopeth all things for the worst of us, and beareth all things from the worst of us. But we bless Thee that as from the heavens come down all fruitful-making power, so from Thee there will come to our barren natures, if we keep our hearts open to the noontide of God, all things that shall root out the briar and bring forth the myrtle, and that shall make even our poverty rich and our unfruitfulness fruitful.
We come to claim our portion, O Lord, in Thy great love and tender care. We thank Thee for the large tokens and results of that love and care which are given to us all, even when we neither claim them nor recognise their source. But we would not be blind to the great Fountain from which all the streams of blessing come, nor would we be unthankful even whilst we enjoy Thy manifold mercies. Therefore we pray Thee, O Lord, that Thou wouldst help us to realise our continual dependence upon Thee, and to rejoice in it; to see that in Thee we live and move and have our being; that from Thee all that brightens life, all that ennobles life and makes us glad, all that helps us to be good, comes. May we ever thus recognise Thy presence in the world, and feel that all things are drenched with God; that we ourselves are in fellowship with Him.
Help us day by day to live in the light of Thy face. May that light conquer all our native darkness, whether it be ignorance or sin or sorrow. Redeem us from the bondage of corruption; and bring us, we beseech Thee, into the liberty of the glory of the children of God.
We thank Thee, O Lord, for all Thy great goodness to us. We bless Thee that Thou hast always been beside us to further and to help us; to enrich us with many blessings; to anticipate and disappoint many forebodings and fears; to lead us, though we often have been blind, by the way that we know not. Thou hast surprised us with mercy as well as sometimes with sorrow, and Thou hast done all from a loving heart, and for the great purpose that we might be partakers of Thy holiness. May that purpose be fulfilled in us. May we grow in whatsoever things are lovely and of good report, and so adorn the teaching in all things.
Accept our thanks, we beseech Thee, for Thy manifold blessings. Be near us as we draw near to Thy mercy-seat. Pour some beams of Thine own light into our hearts, and clear away the mists that so often come between us and Thee. And whatever pressure of care, or duty, or of exciting occupations, may have come with us into Thy presence, may the grip of all earthly things be slackened now, and our souls set free to soar, that thereby we may come down again to earth and work all the better there.
We beseech Thee to grant Thy blessing on our worship, and to accept and answer us, through Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour.