Prayer CXXXVII

O Lord! surely Thou hast called upon each of us to work for Thee. May we never set our hands to the plough and look back, and so be unfit for the Kingdom. Strengthen us to discern Thy call, of whatever kind it may be, and by whatever way it may be made known unto us. And, O Lord, we would ask Thee that Thou wouldst help us, without reluctance or hanging back, either in mind or in act, to obey and be Thy faithful servants.

We thank Thee, O Lord, that Thou sendest no man a warfare at his own charges, and dost never lay upon us any duties for which Thou dost not fit us. Give what Thou commandest, and command what Thou wilt. And help us with glad hearts, whatever is manifestly our duty to embrace, and however Thy call comes, to answer, ‘Here am I, send me! ‘May all Thy servants be more conscious of Thy mission for them, and be less concerned to make a way for themselves than to find the way our God has made for us.

We thank Thee for the opportunity of thus uniting together again. Sweet and sacred memories gather around us here; still be near and shed Thy blessing upon us; may our drawing near be very childlike and real, and our going hence be accompanied with some new force in our convictions, and some new sanctifying and elevating influence in our lives. May the blessing of God rest upon each of us, according to our different callings and needs. Thy providences vary. Thy purposes remain the same. Thy grace is sufficient for all our need, and we pray for one another in the sure confidence that in Thy great storehouse each may find just what we require. Thou knowest our circumstances and our characters.

Draw near to any that have any special necessity, whether we may need it or not. If there be burdened hearts here, the Lord be near to bear the burden for them. We thank Thee that the loads which Thou dost lay upon us can carry those who have to carry them; and we beseech Thee that Thou wouldst be near each of us, in all our difficulties, in all sorrows, in our solitude, in our sicknesses, in our perplexities, and in all the varying forms of need which press upon this wearyworld.

And we pray that Thou wouldst pour out Thy blessing upon all good people, and make the communities that call themselves by Thy Name more like the Name by which they are called, and more devoted to the glory of God. Give a loftier piety, a deeper consecration, a more manifest unworldliness, a more conspicuous Christ-likeness, to all professing Christian people, and to all congregations of such in churches. And grant that the word of the Lord which Thou hast entrusted to Thy servants’ ministrations may be spread by earnest men throughout the world, and that wisdom and prudence may be proclaimed to the ends of the earth. And give Thy blessing to all work done, however feeble. We thank Thee that Thy strength is made perfect in weakness. May it be so in the ministrations of Thy Church. Spread abroad the knowledge of Christ’s Name. And may the kingdoms of the world become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ.

We pray for Thy blessing to be on our worship. Thankfully we recognise all Thy great mercies. O Lord! forgive the iniquity of our holiest things, and receive even us, and our poor petitions, through Him Whom Thou hearest always, even our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.