Prayer V
O Lord, our gracious and glorious Lord, who dwellest in the light inaccessible, and inhabitest the praises of Eternity, we would worship before Thee with the reverence and godly fear becoming us. Thou art holy, separated from all the limitations of Thy creatures, and far above our thoughts. But we bless Thee that Thou hast come near us, near us in Thy daily gracious providences, near us in the voice in our own hearts, near us best of all in Thy Son. And we thank Thee that, impassable for us as is the gulf between us and Thee, Thou hast bridged it over; and there is for us now a way into the Holiest of all, by which thoughts and love and trust and obedience can pass into Thy presence, and be united to Thee.
We beseech Thee, O Lord, that Thou wouldst help us, while we lose nothing of our reverence, to gain much of childlike confidence that Thou may est be our dearest faith, and not only our fear and our dread. We beseech Thee to help us now, by that spirit of adoption, whereby even we can take upon our lips our Lord’s prayer in Gethsemane, and like Him can pray ‘Abba! Father! ’
Teach us all that lies in that great Name, and may it ever be present in our hearts and lives, so that we may bring Thee not only the honour due to a Father, but the love which Thou dost wish more.
We bless Thee for all Thy great mercies to us. We draw near to Thee now, laden with benefits. Thou crownest our days with Thy goodness; and we believe, though it is sometimes hard to feel it and be sure of it, that all the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth to such as keep His covenant. Help us to keep it. Teach us to accept Thy commandments, to believe Thy promises, to live in the light of Thy Presence, and whether present or absent to labour that we may be well-pleasing to Thee; and then do Thou help us that we may ever be compassed about with Thy favour as with a shield, and may feel that in union with Thee all our need is greatened and purified and glorified.
Be with each of us in our daily lives, guide us by Thy wisest counsel, draw near to us as we wait before Thee, and let our gatherings together be for the better and not for the worse. May we each, coming in Christ’s Name, find Him in the midst. Hear us; in Thy mercy forgive and answer and bless us, for Jesus Christ our Saviour’s sake.