Prayer CXXXII

Gladly, O Lord, would we answer Thy merciful call to seek Thy face, and humbly do we ask Thee not to hide Thy face from us. Surely Thou hast never said to any, ‘Seek ye My face in vain.’ Surely Thy love streams forth to meet us, before ours is kindled to respond to Thine. Thou dost draw near ere we draw near. Help us to yield ourselves now, by thought and desire, and submission and confidence, to the drawings of Thine own Revelation of Thyself. May the light of Thy countenance ever shine into our hearts, so that we, in the possession of the perfect bliss which Thou only canst give, may, with fixed purpose, make Thee the strength of our hearts and our portion for ever.

We bless Thee that amidst all this fleeting good Thou dost manifest Thyself to them who desire Thee as the eternal Refuge. We thank Thee that we need not be condemned to be ever buffeted about from one transient scene to another, but may enter into the calm blessedness of those who have an unchanging portion, having chosen that good thing which shall not be taken away from them.

We come to Thee with humble thanksgivings for Thy great mercies which have flowed in upon our lives in one unbroken stream. Help us to be so near to Thee that we may declare with thankfulness all Thy works, and bless Thee for all the way by which Thou hast led us. We would rise to the height of thanking Thee for disappointments and losses and sorrows. Surely Thou art training us for the rest that remains; surely Thou art preparing us for service in a better land. Help us not to cast away any of Thy precious lessons, nor to let any of the changing events of life pass us by without leaving us better than they found us, and so discharging the purpose for which Thou hast sent them. May we be disciplined by Thine hand. May we yield ourselves to Thy working. May we rejoice in all which Thou dost appoint, whether it come to us in the shape of duties enjoined or of patient endurance prescribed; may we be ready for all Thy holy will, and find that all things work together for good to us, because we love God.

We draw near to Thee feeling how unworthy we are to draw near, or to receive the blessings which come to us so abundantly. Lowly before Thee would we confess the faults of life and character, and pray Thee that Thou wouldst let the candle of the Lord shine into, and search the depths of, our spirits, and all the hidden recesses of which we ourselves know so little. Keep Thou us from secret faults. Help us to treasure nothing within us that is contrary to Thy will. May we make conscience of careful study of our own selves, in order that we may find the hidden things of darkness, and may drag them to the light that it may overcome them.

We beseech Thee for Thy blessing as we are here this morning, praising Thee for all Thy past mercies to us, and for all the associations and memories which some of us have of days gone by in this service. Give each of us here some consciousness of Thy blessed nearness, some vision of Thy love that shall lead us to loftier desires; and more resolute determinations to live, in time to come, soberly, righteously, godly. Draw near to us according to Thy gracious promises to them that draw near to Thee; free us from the bonds of commonplace and ordinary use and wont, and help us to feel that it is good for us to draw nigh unto God. Hear us, through Jesus Christ our Saviour-Lord.