Prayer LXXVI
We thank Thee, O Lord, for Him Who intercedes for us before the Throne. We thank Thee for that Divine Spirit that intercedes in us. And we beseech Thee that we, who know not what to pray for as we ought, may be helped by that indwelling Spirit of supplication, that our desires may be such as Thou dost delight to give, and be according to the will of God. And we beseech Thee that when, as now, we come to Thee, we may ever be resting our whole hope and confidence, and grounding all our plea upon that perfect sacrifice, Him Who hath entered within the veil for us, and is in Thy presence our High Priest and Intercessor.
We beseech Thee, Lord, to strengthen us that we may indeed keep firm hold of the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord; and that nothing may be able to separate us therefrom, because nothing has power to draw away our faith and confidence from our Saviour. We beseech Thee that in all the variety of our daily conflicts and struggles, and whatever other influences may be brought to bear upon us, and whatever allies these may find in our own hearts, Thou wouldst steady our tremulous faith and increase our feeble desires. Unite our hearts to fear Thy Name, O Lord, and may there be less distance than there often is between Thy requirement that we should love Thee with all our heart, and mind, and will, and strength, and the love that we do bring to Thee.
Forgive the imperfections of our highest desires, of our purest faith, of our warmest love, of our most submissive obedience. We bless Thee that He Who bears upon His heart the names of the tribes bears the iniquity of our holy things, and bears it away. And we beseech Thee that through Jesus Christ there may now come to every one of us some communication of Thine own life-power, some gift that may make the things unseen and eternal more real and clear and dear to every one of us, and we be lifted up in some measure above our ordinary selves by the hour of united worship in Thy presence. O Lord, we have to thank Thee for a thousand blessings, for many daily gifts which we too often accept without remembering the hand that gave, and so without feeling our responsibility to Thee and to Thy stewards.
We beseech Thee that we may carry a clear discernment of Thy presence with us into all our daily duties and all our daily mercies. And we pray that day by day Thou wouldst go with us in our various occupations and tasks, and wouldst teach us to hallow the common things of life, and to offer all our works to
Thee. May we so live as to be ever in the secret place of the Most High, beholding Thy beauty and inquiring in Thy Temple. And strengthen, we pray Thee, the hope within us that is never put to shame, and grant that the brightness of our hope may be the measure of the patience of our waiting. And do Thou strengthen us in the midst of all our various work ever to be looking beyond to the things unseen, and ever to be walking in the light of Thy face.
O Lord, receive our thanks for all Thy past mercies to us, which, for many years for some of us, Thou hast manifested in these services. We pray Thee that Thou wouldst still be with us; that Thou wouldst help us ever to draw near to Thee; and that the word of the Lord may be ministered among us, in its purity and in its power, and with the demonstration of Thy present Spirit. We pray for all whom we may love, present or absent. We would desire to commend to Thee all Thy sorrowing servants; if there are any such here, do Thou give them wisdom and patience, peace and victory. And, wherever Thou art trying Thy children by Thy paternal discipline, help them to recognise the Father’s hand, and to be sure that their sorrows are tokens of His love. And we pray Thee to prosper in like manner, as we have asked for ourselves, all our brethren who are in any form seeking to magnify the Name of Jesus Christ, and to spread His Kingdom. Lord! be with the many thousands of Israel, with all them that love the Lord Jesus Christ in incorruption. And now give us Thy blessing, and draw near to our hearts, and help us to hear, and help us to speak, through Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour.