Prayer XXXVI
Give us, O Lord, we beseech Thee, strength and courage, faithfulness to confess Christ before men; and may we have Him in our hearts the very joy of our lives, and Him before us the aim of all our living. We beseech Thee that Thou wouldst abide with us day by day, amidst all the various duties and difficulties of this life; and help us, by actions and words, to make known Whose we are and Whom we serve. We pray for faithfulness, for meekness, and for courage; we pray that the peace of God in our hearts may rule, and sit there as umpire, and so deliver us from all the delusions as to what may be allowable for us, and may make us strong to do and to fight. Help us to be wise as serpents, and harmless as doves. May Thy Spirit abide in us, and always prepare us for any obstacles that we may encounter. And we beseech Thee that through all we, Thy poor servants, who are so feeble and irresolute, may be made strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.
Help us, day by day, in our work; be with each of us according to our various necessities and circumstances; fit us for our various tasks, of whatever sort they may be. May we carry Thy Name into them all; may all life tend to make our possession of Thee more assured; and may we thereby be exercised and disciplined, and so prepared for the better and more perfect life which this leads towards. If any of us have need of Thy special help by reason of heavy tasks, perplexing circumstances, sore temptations, or gnawing anxieties, or sorrows that weigh us down, Thou wouldst be near such, and according to all the variety of our necessities wouldst shape Thy manifold grace in which there is more than sufficient for our deepest needs. And we pray, O Lord, that Thou wouldst help us to understand where our true comfort and our true strength are. And if in anything we need consolation, O Lord, preserve us from seeking it in the broken cisterns which can hold no water. And help us to turn to the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort, Whose consolations are neither few nor small. Help us to be Thy faithful, humble, loving, lowly servants and soldiers till our life’send. May like blessings rest upon all Thy servants throughout the world; and whatever in individuals or in communities may stand in the way of the full knowledge of Thy will, and the full possession of Thy grace, may these hindrances be swept away, so that all Thy people may be more worthy to be Thy witnesses in the world, and their testimony sound out clear and full among men, making known to the ends of the earth the salvation of our God.
O Lord, make all good people better, bring them nearer to Thyself, strengthen the hands of all workers for God and men, enlighten them to know what the world needs most, and strengthen them to bear the true message of love and peace unto all dark and saddened souls.
We desire to commend to Thee our Sovereign, our country, all rulers, all persons who can influence opinion and action in this and other lands. We pray that peace may prevail in our time, and that those who delight in war may be suppressed and scattered. We ask Thee that Thou wouldst further Thine own gracious promises, and hasten the time when the kingdoms of this world may be the kingdoms of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. Hear us, and grant us Thy blessing, for His sake.