Prayer LXXXIII
O Lord our God, we would thank Thee for Thy countless gifts of love, and beseech Thee that we may connect more constantly all our good with Thyself, the Chief Good. Surely ’ every good and perfect gift cometh from Thee,’ and all the lesser lights are kindled at Thy beam. We bless Thee for the manifold ways in which Thou dost impart Thyself to every portion of our nature and our need. And we pray Thee that Thy lesser gifts may help us to understand and possess Thy greater ones, and that none of us may be like the creatures who know not the hand that feeds them; but may we ever find, and find increasingly, that Thy presence in our joys is the gladness of our joys, and that Thy presence in our tasks makes our burdens light, and Thy presence in our sorrows brings a glow even into the darkness.
O Lord! look upon us and graciously help us in our words and meditations, that Thy truth may run amongst us and be glorified, and that many gathered here this evening may by reason of this gathering be brought face to face with Thyself, and led to yield their hearts to Thee.
We pray for all assembled here, especially for the younger portion of our congregation, and ask that each of them may be led, from this time forth, to say, ‘My Father, Thou art the Guide of my youth.’ Keep any that are in slippery places. Look upon the young men here, who, perchance, far from earlier associations, and the security of being known and surrounded by those that love them, may be in danger of falling into the temptations of the world, the flesh, and the devil, which are rife in this great city. In their solitude may they have Thyself, and may they keep themselves pure, and innocent from the great transgression. In the early flush of their days may they consecrate their youth to Jesus Christ, and find in Him all that youth or age can ever need. And if it please Thee, O Lord, give us some message this evening that may be felt to come from Thyself, and grant that Thy good Spirit may go with Thy word, and write it deep on the hearts and consciences of all of us.
O Lord! help us each according to our different duties, difficulties, and circumstances. Strengthen and give patience to those in sorrow. If any of us are in anxiety, or nourishing forebodings of coming possible evil, help us to cast our burden on the Lord, and seek not to be anxious about anything; but ’ in everything, by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, make our requests known unto Thee,’ that Thy peace may steal into our hearts. Whatever may be our present condition, help us to use it as Thou dost mean it, to bring us nearer to Thyself, to build up within us Christ-like and Christ-pleasing characters. And may we so use the things seen and temporal that they may make more clear and firm to us our possession of ’ the things that are unseen and eternal.’
Hear, accept, and bless us now, through Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour.