Prayer LXX
O Lord our God, teach us to pray, we beseech Thee; and help us now to feel that we are indeed speaking to one that hears, and that Thy heart is open of a truth for us, and Thy hands laden with gifts which Thou dost infinitely delight to bestow. O Lord! we sometimes think it strange that we can ever forget Thee as completely as we do, and when we draw near again to Thee in this hour of prayer we cannot but be conscious of the difference between the attitude of our minds and hearts when we seek to join ourselves to Thee in that which is common to them throughout so much of our days. Therefore we would come to Thee, O Lord, with humble petitions that Thou wouldst pardon all that Thou hast seen amiss in us; and whatever there mayhave been in us, in the ordering of our lives, or in the work which has occupied us, that has borne us away from Thee, Thou wouldst forgive the weakness that we have displayed; and wouldst help us now to come near to Thyself, though it be ashamed and confounded, yet sure of Thy forgiveness, and able to say that we trust in the Lord our God.
Strengthen and help us in our service now, O Lord; may the great words that we have been reading together enter into our hearts and minds, and influence us in our daily lives. May we all be pressing towards the mark. May we all be looking for the Lord Jesus Christ as our Saviour, and forget the things that are behind except in so far as remembering them may make us thankful to Thee, and distrustful of ourselves and confident in Thyself. And may we all be reaching forth unto the things that are before.
O Lord, we have had enough of our own righteousness, and we pray that we may know Jesus Christ more deeply, more entirely, more happily and constantly, and may have Him dwelling in our hearts as the very Life of our lives, and our Portion, our Righteousness, and our Strength. We bless Thee for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus our Lord, which makes all heavy weights of earthly sorrow light as feathers, and dims the glory of all earthly good. And we pray that Thou wouldst help us more and more to come to that knowledge, that it may keep us in the paths of righteousness, and fill our hearts and minds with the joy that cannot be taken from us, and the peace that passes understanding.
And help us, O Lord, we pray Thee, in our daily life, to be rigid with ourselves, and charitable and gracious with all others. Help us to measure ourselves by the measuring-rod of the Angel, and not by the measurement of man. And may we ever seek to be conformed to the likeness of Thy dear Son; and to carry out in all the small affairs of daily life, and in the common things of constantly recurring duty, the great precepts of Thy Word, and the great Example of our Lord and Saviour. We would confess before Thee how often we have fallen beneath the one, and contradicted the other; and we beseech Thee that Thou wouldst help us growingly to become filled with Thy Spirit, and growingly to manifest that we are so by our holy living amongst men.
We pray Thee to look down upon each here before Thee this evening. We thank Thee for all the great mercies that we have realised in our daily lives and experience; and pray that Thou wouldst still be with us, and guide us by Thy counsel, and help us to accept Thy guidance and to follow without reluctance in the path which the Lord marks out for us, whatever it may be. Oh that we may have hearts and wills more completely in conformity with Thine own, so that we shall never murmur, and never regret, and never rebel, but always sit at Thy feet, and follow our Master’s call.
We pray Thee to remember all that are in any kind of sorrow or trouble, and to comfort and succour such. O Lord, bind up all broken and wounded spirits, and grant that we may none of us ever turn away from Thy consolations, or waste the precious discipline of which the end is that we should be partakers of Thy holiness.
Now, O Lord, we would commit ourselves once more to Thy gracious care, beseeching Thee that Thou wouldst be very near us, and bless us now. Help us in this hour of service and worship, directing thoughts and opening hearts and minds for the reception, the belief, and the practice of Thy holy will. Be with us when we try to speak, be with us in hearing Thy truth, and grant that our meeting may tend to make us more partakers of the resurrection of Jesus Christ and sharers in His righteousness and glory.
Hear us in our prayer, mercifully forgive and accept us, through Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour.