Prayer CLIII
O Lord our God, we thank Thee for that Name. It is Thou that hast made us, and we are Thine, and Thou dost remember all the needs which Thou hast made us to feel. Thou knowest our frame, and since Thou hast created us Thou hast bound Thyself to satisfy us. We thank Thee for the great promises which Thy very word of Creation brings with it. ‘Faithful is He that hath called us. Who also shall do it.’ Thou art not of those who begin works that they are not able to finish. When we cry unto Thee do Thou perfect that which concerneth us. Forsake not the works of Thine own hands. Thou dost answer, ‘I will never leave Thee, nor forsake Thee, till I have done that which I have spoken to Thee of.’
Help us then, we beseech Thee, to commit the keeping of ourselves, body, soul and estate; and may we have an active faith, and trust ourselves to Thee in well-doing, not expecting Thy providence to stretch out its hand to save us when we go against Thy holy will.
Accept our praise, O Lord, for all the great blessings which Thou hast bestowed upon us; and chiefly because we can come to Thee with free hearts, in full assurance as children of faith, and having no dread, though we have reverent awe, and can believe that Thou art ever pacified towards us for all that we have done, and art ready to accept and to bless and answer us in Jesus Christ our Saviour.
We thank Thee for those sufferings whereby we are healed; and we pray that we may each of us, in our measure and degree, take up our cross daily and follow the Lord our Redeemer and our Pattern.
We bless Thee for Him Who did no sin, neither was guile found in His mouth. And we beseech Thee to give us more and more of the spirit that was in Christ Jesus, that in meekness and gentleness we too maylive. And may we be wise to make the highest and best use of all the changing circumstances of our daily lives. We thank Thee that Thou art in the darkness as in the light. We thank Thee that Thou sendest nothing to Thy children which has not the token of Thy love plainly written upon it to the eye of faith. And we beseech Thee that all which befalls us in our daily lives may so minister to our highest needs as that we shall be thankful for it, and for the darkness and the sorrow.
We praise Thee that Thou art more willing to give Thy blessing than we often are to ask it. We thank Thee for all the rich store which Thou hast laid up for Thy children in Thy word. We pray that the Spirit of the Lord may shine on Thy truth, and permit us all not only to perceive but to receive and obey the will of the Lord revealed to us in His Word.
Guide us, we pray Thee, in all our meditations and worship in this hour of prayer. We bless Thee that we can turn aside and find refreshment and strengthening and patience and peace in drawing near to God. May it be a true hour of fellowship with the Father and the Son through the Divine Spirit for each of us here.
Be with all who are dear to us, and all members of this community of ours who are absent from us. The Lord be with them where they are. If any are in sorrow or sickness, or watching by the beds of dear ones, give them what they specially need, we pray. If any are busied with legitimate duties, and pressed upon by many cares, help such, even in the midst of the business of life, to be fervent in spirit, serving the Lord as truly as we are. And do Thou pour out of Thy holy influences upon this congregation. Make us more manifestly Thy witnesses and epistles; and grant, we beseech Thee, that the work of our hands, being done for Thy holy Name, may be done with Thy rich blessing; and that much good may result from our gathering together, and the ministration of Thy truth amongst us.
We pray Thee to lift away from hearts and minds anything that may come in the way of our full entrance into the meaning and the blessedness of this hour of worship, and deliver us from any externals that may mar the completeness of our communion with Thee.
The Lord help us, and be near us; speak to us and through us; the Lord accept, forgive, and answer our petitions; through Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour.