Prayer CXXIX

Help us, O Lord, to draw near with true hearts, and in full assurance of faith. Cleanse us with the pure water of Thy ever-flowing Spirit that our spirits may be purged from all evil. We know that it is ’ a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.’ We thank Thee that it is a blessed thing to commit our spirits into Thy hands. And we would do so remembering that Thou dost redeem us, and that Thou art the Lord God of truth.

We beseech Thee that all of us here this morning mayfind the blessedness of putting ourselves, by the submission of our wills and the outgoings of our desires, into Thy gracious hands. Do Thou come to us as we may severally require, in the manifoldness of Thy grea’t gifts, and bestow upon each of us that which we most need for the life of godliness. We thank Thee that however often and sorely we may err in the presentation of our necessities to Thee, Thou knowest Thy thoughts to usward which are for good and not for evil. And we would leave ourselves in Thy hands, and pray that Thou wouldst bestow upon us what we most need, whether it is what we most desire or no. Love and care for each of us. Lord! Give us Thyself, give us purer hearts, loftier desires, clearer insight into duty, more resolute purpose to perform it. Help us to live as Christ’s followers and like our Master, and to follow the Lamb that was slain whithersoever He goeth.

We beseech Thee for Thy blessing now; forgive the imperfections of heart and mind. May we feel that the bonds of earth are somewhat slackened; that we may see the things which are, and the things which only appear, in truer proportion. We thank Thee that by these gatherings we are helped to set right our motions as to the relative importance of the present and the future, of the outward and the inward. We ask Thee to bless us with some illumination of spirit this morning, by which we shall discern the things that differ, and see the unseen and eternal in its magnitude and glory.

Bless each of us in all the variety of Thy providences with us and our characters and needs. Draw near to each heart, for Thou canst shape Thy message and Thy gifts so as to be that which each of us most requires; comfort where consolation is needed, enlightenment where illumination is sought, strength to obey and to run where weakness is felt, and for each of us the gift which is all gifts, the gift of Thy Holy Spirit and of Thy dear Son. We pray Thee to draw near, to forgive, and answer us, through Christ our Saviour-Lord.