Prayer XXII
O Lord, Who art our God and our Father, ever ready to hear us, and ever more willing to give, and to give more than we are to ask or to receive. May the abundant supplies of Thy grace not be spilled by us or wasted, or not taken up and into ourselves. We sometimes cry to Thee for what Thou hast given to us, and what we should only ask Thee to help us to take. We bless Thee that Thou dost not wait to be besought, and Thou dost forgive. We bless Thee that Thou dost not wait to be asked ere Thou dost pour out Thy quickening and sanctifying grace, but we pray that we may take the things that, before we ask, were freely given to us of God.
O Lord! we know that we have not, often not only because we fail to ask or ask amiss, but because we keep our lips closed when Thy showers of blessing are coming down on us. Forgive all our sluggishness to receive, and help us that we may open our mouths wide in the assurance that Thou wilt fill them. Strengthen us day by day for all the variety of our circumstances and duties, and if any of us are in heaviness through manifold temptations, may we find that the trial of faith is good for us even whilst it is painful, and may we learn that wonderful secret of being sorrowful yet always rejoicing. Help us, we pray Thee, not to keep our eyes on the clouds only, but on the clear sky and the bright sunshine. May we not be so engrossed by our difficulties that we cannot see our Helper, nor ever walk with our sight glued to earth and careless of the Heaven above us. Be Thou near us, and then all things will be well with us; and our days, however burdened and laden, however sad and solitary, will not be dark, seeing that there is light in our hearts from Thee. ‘In Thy light we shall see light.’ May it be so with us all.
Look upon us now, help us to enter ’ with joy unspeakable and full of the glory’ of which we have been reading, and to take the right road to it by believing in and loving the unseen Christ. We pray Thee to help us in our worship, to speak through our lips unworthy as they are, to deliver us from all the errors and imperfections that cleave to us when we try to handle Thy holy Word, to make the motives of all who open their lips for Thee this day simple and pure, and to give to all Thy servants who speak to others their own portion in due season, that they may believe before they speak, and speak because they do believe. We pray that Thy grace may help us in hearing as well as in speaking, and that carelessness and indifference, and the urgent cries of worldly occupations and distractions may not be permitted to deaden Thy voice, or to deafen our ears; but that we may hear, and hearing may remember, and hearing and remembering may practise. Lord! be near us all as we severally require. The Lord bless each of us in our daily life and struggles; the Lord help us that we turn not aside to any * by-ends,’ nor be discouraged by any difficulties, but in peace and patience by continuance in well-doing to inherit the promises.
We commend ourselves now, O Lord, to Thy holy keeping; we beseech Thee to be near us according to our different necessities, conditions, and requirements. We thank Thee with one heart for the mercies received by each, and pray Thee still to be gracious to us, through Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour.