Prayer XXV

We, too, O Lord, would ascribe to Thee glory, humble though our voices be, amidst the praises of Eternity. And we beseech Thee that Thou wouldst breathe upon this gathered congregation this evening, and give us all to aspire after Thee, and to rejoice in Thee. May we rise above the things seen and temporal, and be brought close to Thyself, and feel that Thou indeed art with us and speaking to us. How much we have for which to praise Thee we never can measure, but we know that Thou art love, and we believe that Thou art our Father. We would recognise Thy gracious hand in common things, and pray that the daily round may not shut Thee out from us, or us from Thee, but that we may be able so to pass through, and so to use, the things temporal that finally we lose not the things eternal.

Regard us here before Thee this evening; give us Thy blessing, for without Thee all our gathering together is as nought; and help us in hearing and in speaking Thy word, in prayer and praise, in meditation upon Thy truth, and in all parts of this service. We bless Thee for all Thy mercy, thankfully we acknowledge Thy constant goodness, humbly we confess our own ill-desert, our often unthankfulness, our often forgetf ulness, our often misuse of Thy benefits; but we pray Thee to receive and to bless us now, through Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour.