Prayer CXLIV
O Lord, our gracious Father, we too would come with ’ wonder, love and praise,’ for surely Thy mercies pass expectation, and rise high above all our thoughts. May that love of Thine kindle a flame of answering love in our hearts which shall flow out in constant surrender, constant aspiration, and constant practical obedience, as well as in the calves of our lips and the sacrifices of our songs.
May we all feel the good hand of the Lord our God upon us for good, drawing us nigh to Thyself, and drawing us gently and strongly away from our evil selves, and from all the cares of our low-thoughted lives. Help us, we pray Thee, to turn ourselves to Thee, and to make our own the things which Thou dost destine, and hast given us ere we asked Thee.
We bless Thee that we may all have the happiness of the man that has the God of Jacob for his help, and we pray that we may be all inclined to set our hopes on the Lord our God. Blessed be Thy Name for all Thy great mercies to us, for all Thy daily benefits, for all the minute and fleeting good things which make up so much of our lives.
We thank Thee for continued loving-kindness and tender care; and we pray this morning, when we are wisest and nearest Thee, that Thou wouldst help us to leave out nothing that Thou hast sent us in our acknowledgments and thanksgivings. Surely even already we have found out that Thy blessings sometimes come with darkened faces. But we praise Thee that beneath the veil is Thy own face, and we thank Thee for all the hidden kernels of sweetness which we have found as time has passed on, even in the roughest and bitterest of our sorrows.
And we pray that we may be taught by experience, and never be swept away from the assurance of Thy love by any troubles, by any perplexities of mind or heart. Keep us, we pray Thee, near Thyself, that standing in the centre we may see how all the stars move in harmony and beauty.
O Lord! we bow before Thee this morning, beseeching Thee especially that Thou wouldst quicken our desires, and enlarge our capacities, and draw us away from earth and to Thyself; and that Thou wouldst bless us in our worship now, according to our different parts in this Thy service, helping us to hear, and helping us to speak, being near each of us that we may come near to Thee. Give us grace to forget anything that would hinder our full and peaceful fellowship with Thyself. Give us grace to remember whatsoever may increase that blessing; and be near us, that the words of our mouths, and the meditations of our heart, may be acceptable in Thy sight.
We praise Thee for all which this day speaks to us of a risen Saviour, for all the associations and memories of blessed hours long gone by in this place. Help us, in Thy mercy, that we may bring our whole selves to Thee. If there be evil in our hearts may we be glad that Thou shouldst look upon it; and may we believe that whatsoever of evil Thou dost see Thou dost war against in us, and wilt help us to fight the good fight of faith, and to cast it from us. May we not cling to that which is death, and may it never be able to separate us from Him Who is life.
Be near us to hear our prayer, and to grant us Thy gracious help and presence, for our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ’s sake.