Family Prayers for Thirteen Weeks
PREFACE
Few religious exercises mean so much in the way of spiritual impression and culture, as daily family worship. It sweetens and sanctifies the home life. It brings into the daily experiences, which are always marked by more or less friction, the spirit of love, thus healing the hurts made by impatience, pride, and selfishness, and continually restoring the balance of affection. If there were no other blessing from household worship, this alone would be enough to justify it as indispensable in a true family — one of the secrets of happy home life!Besides this, the reading of the Bible in the family daily, year after year, is an education in itself. It makes the home, the best kind of a school of Jesus. We believe in prayer, too; and answers come down upon households which every day bow at God's feet. Who can tell what blessings descend, day after day, through the years, upon the members of the families that call upon God's name?
A great many Christian young people, when they first set up their home, are timid, and shrink from establishing the family altar, because they dread to pray aloud. They fear they could not put their desires into words. Among such there is a frequent request for books of prayers which they might use, at least for a time. Some would read the prayers in their devotions, and others would merely use them as examples, to help them express their own thoughts and wishes when they pray.
This book has been prepared in the hope that it may lead to the setting up of more family altars, and may thus help in the blessing of homes.
The prayers may be helpful also in private devotions. The thoughtful reading of one of them, may at least aid in preparing the heart for bringing its own personal requests to God.
There are at the close, a few prayers for special occasions which may be suggestive.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
FIRST WEEK
SUNDAY MORNING
We begin this Sunday with You, our Father. It is Your day. You claim it for Yourself, and we desire to make it Yours indeed. You have given it to us, not as a hardship, a burdensome observance — but a day of blessing. We need its rest that we may keep well and strong; we need its spiritual privileges that our hearts may be kept warm and loving. If we had no Sunday, we would soon let You slip out of our thoughts, out of our life. So we thank You for the day which You have ordained in love for us.
May this Sunday be full of blessing for us. We would leave the world outside. Help us to keep the day so as to please You and receive good for ourselves. In the quiet around us may we hear Your voice of gentle stillness speaking to us words of love.
May our home life be made sweet by Your presence with us. Our minds have been ruffled and distracted by the cares of the week. Give us Your peace this morning. May all fret and anxiety be taken out of our hearts. If the world has gotten too strong a hold on us in the six days past, may Your grace now so possess us that You shall rule again supreme in our lives. May our love for You be strengthened, so as to expel the love of the world.
Sanctify to us, all of this day's privileges. As we read Your word, may its lessons be made plain to us. Help us to receive its instruction into our hearts, so that our lives shall be controlled by it. As we pray, may Heaven's blessings be given to us:
comfort for our sorrow,
strength for our weakness,
guidance for our feet, and
wisdom for our ignorance.As we seek to be a blessing to others — may we receive the mind that was in Christ Jesus. We ask all in Jesus' precious name. Amen.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
SUNDAY EVENING
At the close of this blessed Sunday, we come to You, our Father, with our evening worship. We thank You for all the day has been to us, with its quiet, its sweet home life, its services, and its opportunities for ministry. Sanctify to us all these privileges, and may their influence follow us all the week. May we be able to bear our burdens more cheerfully, to do our work better, to endure our struggles more victoriously, by reason of this Sunday's blessing.
We desire to grow in grace, in knowledge of spiritual things, and in whatever things are lovely. May the results of this day's rest and teachings abide in us . . .
in quickened spiritual life,
in deeper earnestness, and
in intenser hunger and thirst after righteousness.May Your words which we have read and heard stay with us, hidden in our hearts, helping us to live more worthily. May they . . .
comfort our sorrow,
strengthen our weakness,
enrich our knowledge, and
brighten our paths for us.We beseech You, O God, to follow with Your blessing, the work which has been done this day in the churches. Thousands of earnest ministers have preached the gospel; bless every word spoken in love for Jesus. Let not a grain of the golden seed of truth be lost — but may the Holy Spirit use sermons and lessons and the words dropped by the wayside, to do good.
We remember in special love all our friends, all who are dear to us, all who speak our names to You in prayer. Whatever their circumstances, grant them the blessing which they need.
Receive us now into Your care for the night. Spread over us the sheltering wings of Your love and keep us, we ask for Jesus' sake. Amen.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
MONDAY MORNING
We are beginning another work-day week, our Father, and we desire Your blessing. Sanctify to us the Sunday's rest, and may its lessons not be forgotten. May we carry them with us into the busy days. We shall have so much to do that we may not find time for quiet thoughts; but may the memories of Sunday cling to us through all the hours and prove continual inspirations to us. May the Sunday songs keep singing in our hearts all the while, as we go about our work, making music there wherever we go.
Help us to live out, this week, in our common, everyday life — the things we learned yesterday in Your sanctuary. We want to make all our faith real in actual life. We have seen visions of spiritual beauty as we meditated upon Your word; we desire to get these visions into our life, so that we shall have the beauty of the Lord upon us. We have read again Your commandments as they are written in Your word; we desire now to keep these commandments, so that our lives shall conform to Your holy law.
But it is hard for us to be holy and to do right. We make good resolves on Sunday, and we intend to keep them. But in the busy week-days we forget our good resolutions, and easily drop back into our old carelessness. We need more and more of Your grace, to help us to be faithful and to do our best. The spirit is willing — but the flesh is weak. Strengthen us, our Father, that we may diligently perform our vows, keep our promises, and fulfill our intentions of obedience and service.
So may Sunday's life flow over into our week-days, making them all bright with love and truth and holiness. Let us not fail in any part of our work, duty, or struggle. We ask in the name of Jesus. Amen.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
MONDAY EVENING
The evening has come, and we draw near to You, our Father, to close the day where we began it — at Your feet. We asked You to help us to keep the vows made upon Sunday, and to realize the visions of holiness we had as we looked into Your face.
We thank You for the help You have given us this day. You have remembered us and imparted to us Your grace. You have guarded us in the day's dangers. You have led us through the perplexing ways. We thank You for all the blessings we have received from You, since we went out this morning.
But we must confess our sins. We have failed at many points. We have not done all that we promised to do. We found ourselves too weak for . . .
the duties,
the temptations,
the struggles, and
the burdens of the day.We ask You to forgive us. We always have to ask this of You, for we are always coming short. But this evening we plead that You will help us to grow holier and stronger, so that we shall sin less against You tomorrow than we did today, and each new day live a little nearer to You. We long . . .
to grow in grace,
to overcome our faults,
to put on new beauties of character,
to be less easily vanquished in temptation.So our prayer is that You will cleanse us and sanctify us, that You will put more of Your Spirit into our hearts, that we may be holier children.
If we have hurt any one today by impatient word, by harsh act, by unkindness or rudeness, or by severe judgment — may you forgive us and help us to undo the wrong. If we have failed to show kindness which we ought to have shown, or if we have withheld help which we ought to have given — may You forgive us and teach us to be more ready to do all our duty of love hereafter. We ask all in Jesus' precious name. Amen.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
TUESDAY MORNING
O Jesus, our Savior and Redeemer, hear our prayer. Lamb of God, who by Your bitter anguish redeemed us from eternal Hell, have mercy on us, and bless us. We adore You, we praise Your name, we worship You, Son of God, who sits and reigns with Your Father in the heavenly glory. What shall we render to You for Your great love, and Your infinite sacrifice on our behalf? Your mercy is boundless, Your grace is beyond comprehension. We lift our eyes to Your cross this morning, for it was there You paid the price of our redemption.
May there come from Your cross into each of our hearts, as we bow here — a beam of Your love, which shall shine into the depths of our souls, and kindle an answering love which shall consume our whole being in devotion. We desire to go all this day under the influence of Your cross. Help us to remember all the time that we are Yours, purchased by You, even at the cost of Your precious blood!
Let us do nothing that will be unworthy of Your ownership in us.
Keep our hearts pure, that we may see You with uninterrupted vision.
Keep our lips clean, that we may speak Your name with reverence and worthy honor.
Keep our hands unstained, that their touch may leave only blessings.
Keep our lives unspotted, that wherever we go the light of Your holiness may shine in us.
We ask You, blessed Redeemer, to keep near us all the day, and to keep us near to You. There is no safe place in this world but close to Your side. Hide us in the cleft of the Rock of Ages. Wash away all our sins in Your all-cleansing blood. Fill our hearts with Your Holy Spirit. We ask all these favors and blessings, in Your precious name, Savior divine. Amen.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
TUESDAY EVENING
Jesus Christ, strong Son of God, bless us tonight. Forgive us our sins. We love You — You know that we love You — but our lives are not worthy expressions of our love. We confess that we seem not to love You at all, we are so unfaithful. We thank You that Your love is not dependent upon ours. You love us in spite of all our sins and all our failures. Your love is like the waters of the sea, which fill all the depths and flow in immeasurable floods from shore to shore. Your love covers all our sins, and fills and overflows all the depths of our evil nature. You love Your redeemed people unto the end, unto the uttermost. You love us with an everlasting love. You loved us so much that You gave Yourself for us, to redeem us and to purify and to save us.
This evening we would hide away in Your love. It is a better place to hide, than even the shelter of a mother's love. We are weary — and we find rest in You. We are weak — and being close to You makes us stronger, for strength passes from You to us. We are unholy — and Your pure love cleanses and purifies us. We are harsh and ungentle — and Your love . . .
warms our hearts into gentleness,
softens our harshness, and
blesses us with a spirit of tenderness.Draw us near Yourself precious Savior — near Your own heart. It was there that John learned his lesson in loving which made him such a beautiful disciple — and we would nestle in the same transforming bosom, that we, too, may learn the same lesson of love. May we become transfigured, by being with You.
Now, blessed Jesus, we are going to our rest for the night. We shall not be afraid, for You will keep us. Let no evil come to us. Give us refreshing sleep. All we ask is in Your name, O Lamb of God. Amen.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
WEDNESDAY MORNING
Our heavenly Father, as the light of this new day streams over the earth, so may the light of Your love stream upon us, into our hearts and all about us. We cannot live without You! Manifest Your grace and mercy to us. We are not worthy — not worthy to gather up the crumbs that fall from our Master's table — but You have invited us to come near to You, not merely to eat the crumbs that fall — but to sit at Your table as Your guests, and to share all the blessings of Your grace! So we would now be filled with good things from Your hand. Give us water to drink from the river of Your pleasures.
We desire to go out today under Your eye and to keep close to You all the time. Show us the way, for we cannot find it ourselves, and could never get home without Your guidance. Put good thoughts into our hearts, for we can think beautiful thoughts only when they first drop from Heaven, like stars, and begin to glow in us! Every good thing comes down from above. As every stream is born in the skies, in the clouds — so every good thing in life is born in Heaven, comes out of Your very heart! Send down into our hearts, good and beautiful thoughts and feelings — that from our lives, may go divine blessings to all whom we come into contact with.
Father, fit us now for making other lives holy this day. May the fire of love burn in our hearts, and may other lives be kindled into loving, and be lighted into brightness from our lives. May we be able to be comforters of those who are in sorrow. May we bear one another's burdens. May we witness in all ways to . . .
the greatness of Your mercy,
the tenderness of Your love, and
the abundance of Your grace.We ask all this in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
WEDNESDAY EVENING
Our heavenly Father, You have brought us to the close of another day. We know not through what perils we have come safely, because You have watched over us. We know not how near we were to death, and how Your hand led us along the narrow ledge. We know not among what enemies we have passed unharmed, because You shut the lions' mouths. We know not from what fatal paths we were kept, because You led us by the right way, past the ways that opened to the gates of death. We thank You, not only for the narrow escapes which we made — but also for the safe paths in which there were no perils. It has been a profitable day for us, because Your hand has marked out the way for us.
Now we leave the day with You — its work, its duty, its mistakes, its sins.
All that we have stained — will You cleanse?
All that we have done wrong — will You set right?
All that we have broken — will You restore?
The poor fragments of obediences, lying scattered on our path — may You gather up and form into something beautiful even yet. You are able to use our broken things. You are building up the walls of Your temple, with the broken things of earth. So receive our day with all in it that is marred, broken, and spoiled — and make it a profitable day, a day of grace and beauty.
Sanctify our influence to every life which we have touched. Let no hurt go to anyone, from word or example of ours. Bless to us the impressions we have received from others.
Take us now into Your care for the night. We cannot keep ourselves, and therefore we put all in Your keeping. We will lie down in peace, because You are guarding us. Keep us in safety, we ask in Jesus' precious name. Amen.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
THURSDAY MORNING
O God of Bethel, God of our fathers, be our God. Bless us, make Your face to shine upon us, and be gracious unto us. Lift up the light of Your countenance upon us, and give us Your peace. We would not dare go out into the great world this morning, if we did not have You to go with us. But You are everywhere. Where can we go from Your presence? Into whatever corner of the earth we might be cast — we will see You bending over us. Nothing can separate us from Your love! No power can snatch us out of Your hand! We will go out from the shelter of our happy home, into a world filled with dangers — but we do not fear, for we shall be with You wherever we may go.
We consecrate ourselves now to You. You have redeemed us, and we are Yours. We recognize Your claim, Your rightful ownership in us — and present ourselves to You as freewill offerings. Yet we know how hard it is to give ourselves to You, for our evil hearts keep drawing us away continually. Take us then, O God — for we cannot give ourselves to You. In temptation, may You shelter us, and let us not sink away into destruction. If we come under the power of evil — may You lead us safely through it. Save us from all that would dishonor You or hurt our own lives.
We ask for grace to make this a holy day. Help us to do our common tasks, in a way that will please You. Save us . . .
from indolence,
from covetousness,
from all neglect of duty,
from all evil tempers or feelings,
and from all resentments.Help us to be patient toward all men, to be forbearing, kind, thoughtful, courteous, loving, and prayerful. Guard us, and bring us home at nightfall in peace. We ask all in the name of Jesus our Redeemer. Amen.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
THURSDAY EVENING
Night has drawn its veil over the world again, and we come to take refuge in You. You are our refuge and strength, a very present help in times of trouble. We fear not the darkness, for You are in it. It is but Your garment enfolding You. You are as truly in the darkness, as in the light. May the wings of night be to us as Your wings — under whose shadow we shall find refuge, warmth, and blessing.
Some things have not gone well today. We have had our troubles. Our hearts have been hurt. You are the healer — will You heal us? Take the tangled threads out of our clumsy hands, disentangle them and weave them into a web of beauty! Take the dark things of the day's providences, the things that seem wrong, and by the power of Your grace, transmute them into blessing. Help us indeed to keep our hands off the strange, complex affairs of our lives — for we would only spoil the pattern which You are fashioning in us, if we attempted to adjust these complicated affairs. May You take entire charge of the myriad things of our lives that are beyond our managing, and bring good and only good out of them.
We ask for a more perfect faith, that we may never doubt Your love or Your goodness for a moment. Save us from all fear and from all unbelief. Help our half-beliefs, our little faiths. Help us to see the invisible things, and to rest upon them as upon an eternal rock!
Forgive the sins of this day. Accept our thanks for all Your goodness. Shelter us tonight, and bless us in our sleep, giving us renewal of strength. May we rise in the morning, if we are still in this world, ready for a new day of service. We ask all for Jesus' sake. Amen.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
FRIDAY MORNING
Almighty God, our Father, another day has opened for us, and we would begin it with You. If we have a little talk with You, we shall be ready to go forth to our work. If we can look into Your face and have You look into our face — we shall not be afraid to go out to meet any danger.
We thank You for the rest of the past night. Many have died since the sun went down — but we have been spared. Now we would give ourselves to You for this new day. We would make it a holy day, and we ask You for grace to do so. May Your word be a lamp to our feet, and a light to our path. May its teachings be in our hearts, and may we have grace to follow them. Order our steps according to Your word. Let no iniquity have dominion over us. Take not Your Holy Spirit from us. Restore to us the joy of Your salvation.
Our trust is only in Jesus Christ. We are unworthy in ourselves, for we have sinned and our hearts are evil. But Jesus died for us, and in His name we come, asking for Your favor and blessing. We thank You for Your love, from which neither death nor life can separate us. May we abide in Your love, and may Your peace be upon us always.
We ask a blessing for all with whom we associate in our common days. Make them all Your friends. Draw them all to Yourself. Help us so to walk before You, that our example shall impress them, and make them think of God and heavenly realities. May we speak Your words to those who are in sorrow or in sin — and may Your grace and peace pass through us to many. We put our hands now into Yours as we go out. Lead us, bless us, keep us, use us! We ask in Jesus' precious name. Amen.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
FRIDAY EVENING
We wait at Your feet, O God, for Your blessing at the close of this day. The darkness is around us — but the darkness and the light are both alike to You. Your care is as perfect and as full of blessings, in the shadows of the night — as in the sunshine of the day.
This has been a profitable day to us. We have been led by You along paths we did not know ourselves, and could not have found but for Your guidance. Forgive us if we were not willing at every step, to take Your way. If any of us have gotten off the road, out of the path, forgive us, and bring us back again before we sleep. We want to take Your plan for our life, and we do not want to mar it by rebelling against You and choosing our own foolish way.
Now at the close of the day, we lay all our work before You. Nothing is finished, until it has Your blessing. Bless the work of our hands. Correct the mistakes. Fill up the beauty of which we have sketched only the barest outlines in our poor efforts. Make all our work holy, and take it into Your own hands, to become part of Your work, to be wrought into Your great plan.
We ask You to bless to others whom we have met today, the influence of our lives upon them. Wherein we have not lived so as to represent Jesus truly to others — may you forgive us. Let no evil influence, go out from our errors.
We pray for all our friends everywhere. We pray for the sick, for the lonely who keep their watch tonight, for the sailor on the sea, for the tempted, the weary, the sorrowing. We ask all these blessings in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
SATURDAY MORNING
We come now to the close of another week, our Father, and wait for its last morning blessing. We have failed in many ways, and with humility and penitence, we confess our failures. We ask for grace to make this last day of the week, better than any of the others, to do its duties and tasks more faithfully, and to live more in accordance with Your pure and holy laws.
We thank You for all Your mercies. Blessings have come to us in abundant measure. The evils we dreaded when the week began, have not come. The clouds we thought we saw gathering, and which we feared would bring darkness and storm — were either blown away from our sky, or coming, brought only gentle rains which have blessed our fields, leaving them more fertile. The labors we feared would be too great for our strength, have been endured, and we have had strength for them as they came.
We thank You, too, for all the blessings of the week, which came to us in so many ways — through Your providences, through our friends, through our work. We have had bread to eat, and clothing to wear. We have had health and life's comforts. You have not once failed us!
We put up fervent prayers this morning for our neighbors. Some of them are in trouble. In some homes there is sickness. May You send there Your tender grace and Your gentle healing. Give strength to all who suffer, that they may be enabled to endure patiently, and may suffering work good in their souls. Remember the homes which have been darkened by sorrow. Through the clouds, may mourning ones see glimpses of Heaven's glory. Bless those of our neighbors who are not yet Your friends, who still resist Your love. Lead them to the surrender of their lives to You. We ask all in Jesus' precious name. Amen.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
SATURDAY EVENING
Dear heavenly Father, our hearts are very glad tonight as we think of the wise way You have led us this week. It has been a profitable week, a week full of loving-kindness and tender mercy. You have walked with us all the days, and have guarded us all the nights. You have brought to us many blessings which will make the week bright in memory. We . . .
have met new friends,
have read new books,
have had prayers answered,
and have new joys.
For all these things we are very grateful.Look over the record which is now spread out before You. You see many spots and stains — things done which we ought not to have done — and things left undone, which we ought to have done. Speak forgiveness to our hearts. We plead, too, for grace to make the new week before us better than this has been. We cannot change the past — but we would save what remains. Prepare us for the Lord's Day, and may Sunday prepare us for the new week. Let Your Word search us and find in us whatever is not right — and then make us clean.
Our thoughts go out tonight toward Your ministering servants who are preparing for Your work on the morrow. Fill them with Your Spirit, and lead them into the truth which they will present to Your people. Give them profitable messages — messages of life, peace, and comfort — to speak to Your people. Teach them what You would have them say. Hold them very close to Your heart tonight, that they may be ready for their sacred work. Give them sympathy, that they may come near to those to whom they will minister. Baptize them with a sense of human need, that they may be true helpers of those who are hungering for the bread of life. We ask all in Jesus' precious name. Amen.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
SECOND WEEK
SUNDAY MORNING
Son of God, this is Your day, and we would give it all, and altogether to You. On this day You rose from the grave, vanquishing death and bringing life into the world. We thank You for Your victory. We thank You for this day, which by its weekly return, keeps us ever in mind of Your completed redemption.
May You make this an uplifting day to us. Help us to keep it holy unto You. Give us restful quiet in our hearts. Prepare us in the early morning for receiving the richest things of Your love which may be offered to us during the day. May we spread wide our skirts — while you are raining down blessings. May the public and private reading of Your word, bring to us messages from You which shall enrich our lives. May Your word so enter into our hearts, that it shall sweeten and purify all the fountains of our life. May this Sunday's communion with You, hold us close to You all the day, so that the warmth of Your love shall infuse itself into our souls, making us more like You.
We pray for all those who shall speak today for You, whether in the great Christian congregation, or in the quiet room with only two or three to hear, or whether Your servants shall speak by the wayside to a single soul. Bless all teachers in Sunday schools, all missionaries, all those who will carry the gospel message into prisons, hospitals, and asylums. Give Your word power, and may it be like a hammer to break rocky hearts; or like the voice of gentle stillness, to carry comfort to hearts that are in sorrow.
May this be a day of very rich blessing to our home. Stay with us and keep us, and pour Your love upon us, making our lives more beautiful, and preparing us to be richer blessings to others tomorrow. We ask all in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
SUNDAY EVENING
At the close of Your holy day, our Father, we come to You with our evening worship. May our prayers rise like incense before You. We thank You for what the day has brought to us of rest, of spiritual help, of instruction in divine things. We thank You for the glimpses of truth we have had as we have read Your holy word. We thank You for all the good impulses and desires which have stirred in our hearts.
May we be made strong, to meet the struggles of life. May we have more quietness and confidence, amid the world's tumults and strifes. May the holy influences of Sunday, be in us like sweet songs, and every place we go during the coming week, may we carry the music of gladness. May the light which has shone upon us on this holy day, make our faces brighter, that we may shine as lights in the world. May the kindly feelings and yearnings which have been kindled in us by the Holy Spirit, impel us to helpful ministries as we go our way among men. So may we in all ways carry into our paths of life, a blessing which shall make the world a little brighter and put a little new joy into many hearts.
Let a blessing rest upon the preaching of Your word everywhere this day. May Your people be strengthened; may the sorrowing be comforted; may many lost ones date the beginning of their new life from this Sunday. May the world be holier, with more of the Spirit of Jesus in it, because for another day Your people have remembered You, and have called down blessings upon men. Pour out a large measure of Your love.
Forgive all our sins and failures in duty — and grant to us Your grace and peace as we lie down to sleep. We ask all through Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
MONDAY MORNING
Our Father, bless us this morning. Lay Your hand on each of our heads as we bow before You, and give us a Father's blessing. Then we can go out into the great world without fear. Keep us from evil all the day. Let us not wander from Your side. Hold us with Your hand, leading us and guarding us from falling. You are able to keep us from stumbling, and to present us faultless in glory. We cast our weakness upon You.
Bless us in whatever experiences the day may bring to us. May this be to each of us a day of growth in grace. May we be enabled to do our work well. Help us in our household duties and cares. Let us not be fretted or vexed with worries. Help us to do simply our duty, and then leave all of life's tangles in Your hands. Help us also in our business and work. May we have grace to be honest in all our dealings with others, truthful in all our life and conversation, and consistent in our conduct and behavior — so that all who see us, shall see Jesus in us.
We desire to make this day one of loving ministry in Your name, to others. Fill us with Your Spirit, so that wherever we go, our faces may shine with the brightness of divine love. Help us to be as Jesus to those we meet. Fill us with Your love, Your peace, Your grace, Your compassion — so that Your life really shall be revealed in us. May our wayside ministry be one of blessing. Enable us by simple kindnesses, by gentleness, and grace of manner, and by words of encouragement and comfort — to be a blessing to everyone we meet today.
We remember our friends, and ask You to bless them all. Receive us now into your care, use us, bless us, and keep us, for Jesus' sake. Amen.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
MONDAY EVENING
We come now at the close of the day, our Father, to You. For the guidance You have given us, in answer to our morning prayer, we thank You. Whatever we have done to please You — may You accept. Whatever has been wrong in our conduct, in our dispositions, in our tempers, in our affections — may You graciously forgive. If we have cherished unkind feelings toward others; if we have been envious, selfish, resentful, or jealous — we ask You to forgive us and to cleanse our hearts.
We earnestly wish to grow out of these faults of our old nature. We are not content to live, letting the old nature rule in us. But You know how hard it is for us to overcome these evil things in our hearts. May Your grace in us subdue them. We earnestly pray that You will fill us with Your Holy Spirit, and may we put off the things that displease You, and put on the new man, with all the gentle affections of our Savior. May the fruits of the Spirit abound in us. May whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, be in us.
We leave now in Your care, all the work of the day. If we have left any evil influence on any other life — we ask that You will arrest the impression. May You take whatever has been good and helpful in us during the day — and use it for the blessing of other lives, and for the glory of Your great name.
As we go now to our rest, we commit ourselves to Your care for the night. You are our keeper. We hide under the shadow of Your wings, and we will rest securely because You will keep us. We pray for the poor, the sick, the troubled, the sorrowing, and the dying. We ask these favors in Jesus' precious name. Amen.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
TUESDAY MORNING
Our Father in Heaven, we Your children gather at Your feet this morning, to begin the day with You. We seek a Father's blessing before we go forth. We are not of ourselves, able for the duties of the coming day — and we seek strength from You. We cannot resist the temptations that we must meet — and we ask You to give us grace to meet them victoriously. We lack wisdom to always choose the best things and the best courses — and we pray that You will give us wisdom that we may walk in the way of holiness.
Graciously remember us, Your children, O God, and mark not our iniquities against us — but in Your mercy, bless and save us. Teach us to do your will. Help us to live all this day so as to please You. Let us not grieve You, nor hurt Your heart of love — by our heedlessness, our unbelief, or our disobedience.
We beseech You to bless us in our employment and in all our common duties this day. Help us to be faithful in all our duties, and skillful in our employment. Help us to make our secular life truly our Father's business. Thus may we glorify You in the work of our hands.
We would not confine our prayers to ourselves and our own home. We pray for our neighbors. May Your blessing descend upon their households. Some of them know You not. No voice of prayer rises to You from them. Have mercy upon these. Bless the children for whom no father or mother prays. Let Your peace rest upon the homes of those who love You.
Receive us now into Your care as we go our way into the unknown experiences of the day. Keep us and bring us together at the close of the day in peace. We ask all in Jesus' precious name. Amen.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
TUESDAY EVENING
Evening has come again, O God, and we gather back at Your feet. You have kept us through the day, and given us many blessings. We are grateful to You for them all. Fix in our hearts, to abide there forever, every good thing that has come to us this day — the good thoughts that have warmed our hearts, the gentle impressions made upon us by our friends, all that has come to us through books or through nature. Teach us to number our days, so that we may get a heart of wisdom from the things we experience. We would grow wiser with each passing day. So we ask You to teach us all that we should learn from this day, before the day is folded up and put away.
We would remember our friends. Some of them may be in anxiety, or perhaps in sore temptation. We pray for these friends of ours, that the holy things of life may be theirs. We cannot do much to help them — but we can pray for them, and You can reach down Your hand and help them in all true, wise, and holy ways. We put them — all our dear ones — into Your care, leaving them with You. Do for them what is best. Lead them in paths of Your own choosing.
We would remember before You, the great world. It lies in sin. Over our heads is the celestial city — but underneath us and around us is darkness, with all its assailing powers, ready to harm and destroy us. We plead tonight for the lost ones — that You will have mercy upon them and save them. Show us where they are, and send us out to find them, that in Your name we may carry gospel blessing to them. Bless us upon our beds, and give us Your protection and Fatherly blessing. We ask all this through Jesus Christ. Amen.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
WEDNESDAY MORNING
Father, bless to us the word we have read this morning together. We thank You that here in this world we can read the very words of Heaven, and hear the voice of our Father speaking to us in human speech. Help us to reverence Your word and love it. Help us to hide its truths away in our heart, and may they then bless and transform our whole life. Help us to lean upon the words of promise as one leans upon a staff. Help us to hide away in them, as one fleeing from danger would hide in the cleft of a rock. Help us to find in Your word, lamps to shine upon our pathway, to show us how to go. Help us to take Your word as a counselor, and may it always guide us in life's paths. May our morning lesson touch and bless all the day's life. May its holy truths be inspiration, and strength, and life to us. May they be blessed impulses, stirring within us and quickening us. May they build us up in all holy character, and show us our duty at every point.
We cannot live without You. We need Your presence every passing moment. May we receive Your strength, to make us strong for every task and every conflict. We pray for all of our household. We pray for the homes where our loved ones are, that they may be kept in health and peace. We pray for those who are sick. We pray for the poor and the troubled, for those who go upon the sea, for those who are exposed to danger, for the orphan children. We pray for those who must endure sore temptation, that You will keep them from falling.
We beseech You to forgive all our sins, and to give us grace to live this day sweetly and beautifully, glorifying You, and blessing every life that our lives touch. We ask all in Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
WEDNESDAY EVENING
O God our Father, we come now at the close of this day to Your feet with our evening sacrifice. Please accept us and our worship, and grant to us Your mercy. We gave ourselves into Your hand in the morning, and You have kept us through all the experiences of the day.
We bring You our day's work. It is not what it should have been. We have not lived as well as we knew how to live. We have done many things we did not mean to do — and we have failed to do many things we meant to do. Our own hearts condemn us, and You are greater than our hearts, and Your holy eye has seen much sin in our day, that even we ourselves have not seen. We plead with You for forgiveness.
Yet we beseech You to accept what we bring to You, imperfect and stained as it is. You know how frail we are. You remember that we are dust. Pity our weakness, and teach us how to grow strong. Accept, therefore, the mere fragments of living which we bring You tonight, and use them for the honoring of Your own name, and the blessing of the world.
Whatever has been acceptable in our life and work this day — may You take from our hands and use so that it may become a blessing to others. Bless to others the influences that have gone forth from our lives. If we have done hurt to any of Your children, may You forgive us, and heal the wounds we have made. If we have discouraged others by word or act, or by example, making life harder for them — we plead for forgiveness, and may we be enabled so to live that our lives shall be a constant help and inspiration to others. We ask all in the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Redeemer. Amen.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
THURSDAY MORNING
O God, our heavenly Father, we cannot go into the day without Your blessing and help. We are blind, and cannot see where to set our feet, and we need to be led by the hand of One who knows all the paths. We put our hands in Yours this morning. Show us the way, for You know its every step.
Tell us what You would have us to do. You have a plan for our day's life. There are things You have set down for each one of us to do. May we find these things, and may we have grace to do them all. Keep us from being so absorbed in our own plans and schemes, that we cannot take Your plan and do Your will. If sometimes it is hard for us to take Your way, if it breaks into our cherished hopes and desires — still help us always to say, "May Your will be done."
We ask You to give us grace to live today as we should live. Life is not easy for us. Our burdens are heavy. There are temptations at each step. Help us to speak only the words that will minister grace to those who hear. Help us to be honest in all our business transactions. Help us to be thoughtful and kind to all we meet. Help us to be a strength to many. Let us be a discourager to none.
Please bless all of our work today. Without your blessing, there can be no true profit. As earth's flowers need Heaven's sun and dew — so our lives need Heaven's grace and love to make them what they should be. Breathe on us now, as we bow here at Your feet, and fill us with Your Spirit as we go forth. Then we shall be blessed, and be ready for a day of love and peace and joy.
We ask all these favors, with the forgiveness of our sins, in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
THURSDAY EVENING
Our Father, before we lay ourselves down to sleep, we thank You for protection and provision, and for all the blessings of this day. We committed ourselves to Your keeping in the morning — and You have not forgotten us for a moment. We thank You for our home-happiness during the day. Father, bless our family life, and make it more tender and helpful. May our home become a holier place to live in and to grow in. May all its influences be holy, stimulating, uplifting, and enriching. Fill it with Your Holy Spirit, and then it shall be like Heaven.
O Son of God, who made Your home in a household of earth for many years at Nazareth, and went often as a guest into the home of love at Bethany — come and dwell in our home, and bless it with Your tender grace. May we sit at Your feet as Mary did, hearing Your word and learning from You. Then in the time of sorrow, You will come to be our Comforter. We would also break the alabaster box of our heart's love and anoint Your feet. Come, dear Master, and be our abiding guest. Stay with us all the time. Help us to make our home such a place as You will care to dwell in — a home of truth, of pure feelings, of gentle words, of thoughtful affection.
So now, at the end of this day, as we retire to rest, we commit all our household to Your care. Forgive us all our sins. Accept the work we bring to You — only little fragments of what we meant it to be — stained, too, by sins. Take it as it is, and let your blessing rest upon it. Keep us through the darkness, and prepare us for the morrow, whether we shall spend it on earth or in Heaven. We ask all in Your name, O Lamb of God. Amen.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
FRIDAY MORNING
O God, our Father, we thank You for this bright morning. We would catch something of the gladness which everywhere abounds. All Your works praise You. We also would praise You, not simply with our lips — but also with our hearts. We desire to make our lives songs which shall be music to those among whom we move. We desire to live victoriously in our cares and trials, not yielding to them — but keeping Your praise in our hearts even in the deepest darkness and the sorest trial. May You therefore breathe your Spirit into our souls this morning, that we may go out and live cheerfully all the day. Let us not be discouraged by the things that will seem hard. Let us not lose the joy out of our hearts, nor the brightness out of our faces, if we have troubles to meet.
We thank You that You have promised to give Yourself to us according to our needs. We know that while You are always with us, You do come nearer to us when we are in trouble; that while Your strength is always given to us, more of Your strength is given when we are in weakness. May You come to us today according to our needs.
Sometimes we get discouraged and fretful. Keep us today from these depressing moods. Help us to live among our neighbors so that they will say of us that we have God to help us. Keep us from worry and anxiety. Teach us how to cast all our cares upon Jesus, who cares for us. May we trust You so perfectly that whatever may come into our life, we shall be happy and strong in You.
We pray for all of our household. Prepare us for all the duties, tasks, and cares of the day. Let no accident befall any of us, and bring us together again in the evening. We ask these favors, with the forgiveness of our sins, in the Savior's precious name. Amen.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
FRIDAY EVENING
Our Father, bless us, Your children, as we bow before You now, at the close of the day. We have not lived as well as we meant to do, when we set out in the morning. We thought we would mount up on wings — but we have only dragged ourselves along on the earth. We thought we would not forget You for a moment — but somehow we have let You out of our thoughts very often. Our day that began so brightly, with good resolutions and honest purposes, has been only a marred, stained day. Father, forgive us — and then teach us lessons of wisdom from the mistakes and sins of today, so that we may make tomorrow a holier day. Help us to learn from our own errors, so that we may never repeat them.
We bring You our day's work. It does not seem much. We have tried to do our duty, each of us in our different places — in our business and work outside, in our household task-work, in school, in play. We have tried to be patient and kind, the one to the other, within our own home. We have tried to be good neighbors to those about us. Wherein we have failed in any of these duties — we ask You to forgive us, and give us grace to do better.
Bless us now at the end of this day. As we pass to our rest for the night, may You receive us into Your care. If death should come to any of us before the morning, receive us home to our Father's house. If we live until the dawn of a new day, prepare us for its duties.
We would not forget tonight, those who have not the shelter of home-love as we have. Remember the sick and those who are watching through the darkness beside the sick. Comfort all who are sitting in sorrow, and make them strong to accept God's will.
Grant us these mercies and favors, for Jesus' sake. Amen.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
SATURDAY MORNING
Our Father, breathe upon us and give us a morning blessing. For keeping us through the night, we thank You. For the blessings which came to us in our sleep, we thank You. As a new day has dawned upon us, may new divine light and peace be poured upon us. Make our pathway full of gladness. We ask You to give us this day our daily bread. We ask not for luxury — but we ask for what we need. May Your blessing be upon what we receive. We ask for strength for our labor, that we may earn the food we require. We ask You to open our eyes, that we may see You as the Giver of all the good things we enjoy. Sometimes we forget that these mercies come from Your hand. We think we have gotten them ourselves. Show us Yourself as the giver of every good and perfect blessing, and give us grace to be grateful.
We desire to live cheerfully this day. Sometimes we complain and find fault, murmuring at the little trials that come to us. Forgive us all our complainings, and give us hearts that shall be always grateful. You have said that You work all things together for good, to those who love You. Help us to believe this promise; and when there are trials and losses, still to rejoice, because Your hand will surely bring good out of evil. Help us in all things to trust You, to lay all our cares in Your hand and leave them there, without anxiety.
You have promised to be with us always. Fulfill to us this word on which You have caused us to hope. We cannot go out into the new way of this day, without Your presence. We beseech You to walk beside us, and to give us Your protection, and Your guidance and help. We have never gone this way before, and we cannot find the path ourselves. All this we ask in Jesus' precious name. Amen.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
SATURDAY EVENING
O Jesus, You love us, and we come now to rest in Your love at the close of the week. It has not been easy for us. We have had our labors, our tasks, our burdens, our struggles, our anxieties, our duties, our sorrows. We are tired tonight. Our feet are weary from the long journey. It is very sweet for us to remember that You were tired, blessed Jesus, more than once during Your earthly experience. We have read how You sat down on the old well curb, so weary after traveling in the hot dust, that You could not go any further. You are able to understand how we feel, when we are tired. We are glad of Your sympathy tonight.
Accept our day's work and make it Yours. Forgive all that You see wrong in what we have said or done. Forbid, O Jesus, that anything we have done may have caused hurt to Your cause or to any other life. Forgive any rash word or act of ours, which may have given pain to anyone. Take our work, cleanse it, perfect it — and then use it to help in some way to establish Your kingdom.
Before us is the night, yet in its darkness — You walk, our unseen Friend. We desire to keep near to You, to hide ourselves in the shelter of Your love — and then no harm shall befall us, and no evil shall come near us. Take care of us — for we cannot take care of ourselves. Keep us — for we cannot keep ourselves. Watch over us in the darkness of the night — for we cannot protect our own lives. Give us refreshing rest in sleep, and fit us for the Sunday that will dawn upon us in the morning. May it be to us indeed the Lord's Day, and may we be in the Spirit, and the Spirit in us. Gather us all near Your heart, and overspread our home with Your wings. We ask all in Jesus' precious name. Amen.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
THIRD WEEK
SUNDAY MORNING
As we begin this holy Sunday, our Father, may You give us indeed a Sunday blessing. On this day which reminds us of our Savior's rising from the grave — may we rise anew to a holier, truer, and heavenlier life. May we walk in the sunshine of Your own love. As we wait upon You, may You renew our strength so that we may be able to run without being weary, and to walk without being faint, on the week-days which lie before us.
We ask that You will bless us in our private and public worship on this holy Sunday. May Your blessing rest upon all worshiping assemblies of Your people. May this be a day of spiritual renewal in all the churches. Bless all Sunday schools. May Your grace fill the heart of every teacher; and may every child that receives instruction, be blessed through Your holy word. Bless all of Your missionaries, and fill them with Your Holy Spirit, to fit them for worthy service.
We pray that You will bless us in our worship today. Help us to leave behind every worldly thought and care, as we enter Your sanctuary. As we wait before You, may we receive instruction from Your word and inspiration from Your Spirit, so that we may be strong for battle and for duty. Help us today in our ministering to others. May we be enabled in our own home to give to each other the blessing of love and peace. Help us to carry . . .
comfort to some sorrowing one,
cheer to one who is discouraged, and
sympathy to one who is in distress.We give ourselves to You for a Sunday of blessing, love, and peace. May our home receive new divine influences from above. May this be a shining day in the story of our lives. And we will give the praise and the honor to You forever. Amen.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
SUNDAY EVENING
We thank You, O God, for this blessed day. It opened with grace, and grace has brightened all its sacred hours. We have seen Your face, and our hearts have been made to rejoice. We have waited upon You, and You have renewed our strength. We went to Your sanctuary, and You met us there and blessed us. We prayed to You, and You came near to us in love, breathing Your own life into our souls.
Sanctify to us all the lessons and influences of the day. Help us to remember the words You have spoken to us. May we carry in our hearts — new impulses, warmer desires, heavenlier aspirations, from Sunday's devotions. May we be stronger for duty, more brave and heroic for struggle, gentler-hearted, with tenderer sympathies, and sweeter affections — because today we have seen You.
Bless to all Your people everywhere, Sunday's rest and worship. May good follow every sermon preached, every lesson taught in the Sunday school, and every holy word spoken in public or in private. May Your people be strengthened in their faith, may their love be increased, and may their zeal be more fervent — because of this day's ministrations of Your word.
We plead now for special grace to fit us for the work of the week that lies before us. We cannot forecast even one day. What the future, even the nearest future, has in store for us — we cannot tell. But You know, and we will go on into the unopened hours without fear. All will be well, because You will lead us, and we are not afraid to trust You. Choose the path for us. We would not choose for ourselves, if we might, for Your knowledge is so much better than ours. So we commit all to You, and we will go on in Your name. Amen.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
MONDAY MORNING
Father, as the brightness of a new day has come to us, we wait before You to get Your blessing. We desire to make this a new beginning of life. We would forget the things that are past. We would forget . . .
our past mistakes and sins,
our past sorrows, and
our past battles and struggles.We begin this new day, asking for grace to live a new life that shall honor You, and bless the world.
As we go forth to our day's tasks, we ask for Your special presence with us. We plead Your promises. You have said, "As your days — so shall your strength be!" You have said, "Lo I am with you always — even unto the end of the world!" We wait for the fulfillment of these promises. We need Your guidance and help at every step. We are weak — but You can make us strong to endure. May You empower us with Your Spirit, that we may carry something of the love of Jesus to those whom we shall meet. We desire to live in the world, as those who belong to Heaven, carrying Heaven's love in our hearts, and Heaven's brightness in our faces.
Conscious of our weakness, we cast our lives with all their burdens of infirmity, upon You — and ask You to keep us. May You watch over each one of us and bring us all together again in the evening, if it be Your will. But if our circle should be broken, if any of us should be taken away from earth — receive us into the Father's house, to go no more out forever!
We pray for those with whom life will go hard today — for the poor, the sick, the tempted, those in sorrow's darkness. Manifest Yourself to them in tender love.
Hear us in these our morning prayers. Keep us from all evil. Help us to faithfully do every duty. We ask all this in Jesus' precious name. Amen.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
MONDAY EVENING
Now at the closing of the day, our Father, we come back again to You. You have heard our prayers. You have kept us from accident and harm. You have blessed us in many ways. We thank you for the blessings we have had, for the health and comfort of the day. We now bring all that we have done, to Your feet. Whatever of it has pleased You — accept and bless. The things we have done that did not please You — we beg You to forgive, cleansing our hearts from sin. The efforts we have made to help or comfort others — please accept and use. We have tried to be cheerful in difficulties and under discouragements. We thank You for the strength You have given us, helping us to endure. If we have cast shadows upon any other life today, by fretting and discontent — we beg Your forgiveness. We have tried to speak kind words to those we have met — and we ask You to use these words to give cheer and courage.
Now at the ending of the day, as the darkness has come over us — we beg You to shelter us. You are our keeper. You neither slumber nor sleep. We shall be safe through the night — because You will be watching over us.
We would not forget our friends. Some of them are far from us — but all are near to You. Some of our friends may be in trouble. Some of them may be in great need. Some of them may be drawing near to death. You know all their dangers and needs; may You give to each of them the blessing that will do them the greatest good. Remember the homeless and the lonely tonight.
Receive us now into Your care, keep us through the darkness, and bring us again to the morning light, if it be Your will. If not, bring us to Heaven's morning, which is far better. We ask in Jesus' precious name. Amen.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
TUESDAY MORNING
O God, our Father, bless us as we go out for the day. Without your blessing, life has nothing truly beautiful or good. As children wait for a father's blessing — so we wait to get Your blessing. Grant to us Your peace. Give us health, and make us strong for duty.
As we separate for our different duties, we commend ourselves to Your keeping. Help us to keep from sin, as we walk in the way of Your commandments. We have Your word — help us to walk in the light of it.
We desire to do our work well. We do not want to bring to the end of this day, only stained fragments of duty-doing. We would bring back a good report at the evening hour. Bless us, therefore, as we turn now to our tasks and duties. We desire to do Your will — not our own; to please You — and not ourselves. So fill us with Your grace and love — that we shall be gentle, humble, submissive, and in all things in accord with You. Strengthen us with all spiritual strength, and enrich us with all grace — so that we may not fail in our obedience.
We shall have duties to others, as we go through the day. Help us to do them well. Preserve us from any feelings that would mar the beauty of our disposition. Keep us from any hurtful influences on those with whom we shall mingle. Keep us from envy, jealousy, bad temper, and irritability. Keep us from behaving ourselves improperly, so as to dishonor You or injure Your cause. Help us to carry sunshine and good cheer wherever we go — so that all who see us shall get a little brightness from our faces and from our words. Help us to be blessings all this day, making our course like the path of the shining light. Bring us all home together at the close of the day in peace. We ask in Jesus' precious name. Amen.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
TUESDAY EVENING
O Son of God, to whom shall we go but to You? You have the words of eternal life! You have redeemed us by Your blood, and You will not cast us off when we come to You. Grant us now an evening blessing. We have not followed You fully, as in the morning we promised to do. We have erred and strayed from Your ways like lost sheep. We would not go to our beds until we have Your forgiveness. Since You have died for us, we come boldly to Your throne of grace to ask for the remission of all our sins. O Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world, have mercy upon us.
We thank You for Your care, which has been so constant and so faithful today.
We have moved amid unseen dangers, with no power to protect ourselves — and You have protected us.
We have walked in paths we did not know — and You have led us. We have carried burdens which were too heavy for us — and You have sustained us.
We have met problems we could not solve — and You have given us wisdom.
For the blessings of Your providence, we thank You. For the things of Your love, and grace received from the Bible and through Your Spirit, we thank You.
We lay at Your feet, the work of Your day. What is stained with sin, may You graciously cleanse. Correct our mistakes and let them not mar our work nor hurt other lives. What You can use of the work of our hands — may You use for Your own glory.
Receive us now into Your own care for the night. Lay Your hand upon us in evening blessing, and keep us through the night. Refresh us with sleep, and fit us for a new day. We ask all in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
WEDNESDAY MORNING
Our Father, we thank You for our home. Many people are homeless in this great world, and they are very lonesome. You have given us a home with many comforts. We are grateful for it, and pray that we may have Your blessing in our home life.
We thank You that You are willing, O Jesus, to be a guest in our home. We remember how You blessed and sweetened the Bethany home in the days of Your flesh. May You make our home Your abiding place, coming to us as You did to the home of Martha and Mary. May Your peace be upon our household. May we be able to make our family life sweet and beautiful enough to please You, and to be a comfort to You — when You come to tarry with us. Let us never grieve You by selfish behavior, by quarreling or strife.
Help us to give You true hospitality, not only within our doors — but also within our hearts. We would welcome You into every corner of our lives, shutting You out of no room — but having You dwell in us so fully, so completely, that all our life shall feel Your influence, and be blessed by Your spirit and love. We want to become like You — and we never can do this except as You live in our hearts, and pour Your grace through all our being.
As we go out now, O Jesus, to meet the experiences of this new day, we put our hand in Yours, asking You to lead us and guide us. You have promised that as our days — so shall our strength be. You know what this day will be to us, what it will need of strength; may You give us what we shall need, as the need comes, hour by hour.
We ask these mercies and favors in Your own blessed name, our Savior and Redeemer. Amen.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
WEDNESDAY EVENING
We lift up our eyes to the hills, from whence comes our help. Our help comes from the Lord, who made Heaven and earth. You will not allow our foot to be moved. You who keep us will neither slumber nor sleep. You, Lord, are our keeper. You are our shade upon our right hand. The sun shall not smite us by day, nor the moon by night. You, Lord, shall keep us from all evil; You shall keep our souls. You shall keep our going out and our coming in, from this time forth, and even for evermore!
It gives us blessed comfort, O God, to be able thus to hide away in You. We cannot keep ourselves. Our best human friends cannot hide us from danger. No earthly one can shelter us. No love of earth can defend us. But we are safe forever in You. Nothing in the universe can wrench us out of Your hand. Your love is eternal. So we come at the end of the day, and lie down in the shadow of Your wings.
We would not forget that there are other people in the world besides ourselves. Some of them need You very much. Some are sick, and some are sad, and some are sorrowing. There are those who are in great trouble — in need, or anxiety, or poverty. Have mercy upon all such. Send human friendship, where human friendship can give relief. Reveal Your own love and Your grace and mercy. Save the unsaved. Remember those who are on the sea, and those who are in danger anywhere.
Now we lay us down to sleep, asking You our souls to keep. If we should die before we wake, we ask You, then, our souls to take. This we ask for Jesus' sake. Amen.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
THURSDAY MORNING
Lord, You have been our dwelling-place in all generations. Even from everlasting to everlasting, You are God. We desire to make You, our heart's home. We are not at home in this poor world, for we are not secure here. All things pass away. The mountains shall depart, and the hills shall be removed. Our souls are immortal and can find no home on this earth — no place where they will be sure of undisturbed rest forever. You alone are enduring and eternal, and only in You, can our souls find a suitable home, a refuge of love which will be sure forever. Help us to make our home in You.
We thank You for this our earthly home. We thank You for the love that binds us together, for the refuge we find here from this world's enmities. Here we can trust each other, and are sure of each other's love. Deepen our home affections. Draw us closer together as a family. Make our home-life sweeter. Enable us to be more helpful to each other. Teach us patience in our family and in all our mingling together. Help us to find the best things in each other, and to give one to the other the best things of love we have in our hearts.
May our home-life today be tender and affectionate. Fill us with Your divine love, so that heart and lips shall overflow, and that in us may grow whatever things are lovely. You know our special needs — and we ask for personal blessings. Forgive us all our sins. Comfort us in our sorrows.
Give us now a blessing as we go out into the world. May we live so as to be ever receiving from Jesus — and then enable us to be ever giving out again the good things of divine love. We ask all this in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
THURSDAY EVENING
We would come now at the ending of the day, to hide ourselves away for the night, in the secret place of the Most High, and to abide through the darkness under the shadow of the Almighty. O God, You are our refuge and our fortress, our God, in whom we trust. You will deliver us from the snare of the fowler, and from the deadly pestilence. You will cover us with Your pinions — and under Your wings of love shall we take refuge. Your truth shall be our shield and buckler. We will not be afraid for the terror by night, nor for the arrow that flies by day; nor the pestilence that walks in darkness, nor for the destruction that wastes at noonday. None of these dangers have any power to harm us. Though a thousand shall fall at our side and ten thousand at our right hand — the peril shall not come near us.
You, Lord, are our refuge. Because we have made You, O Most High, our habitation, our home — there shall no evil befall us, neither shall any plague come near our dwelling. You will give Your angels charge over us, to keep us in all our ways. They will bear us up in their hands, lest we dash our foot against a stone. We shall tread upon the lion and the adder without hurt; the young lion and the serpent we shall trample under feet.
Because we have set our love upon You, therefore will You deliver us from all danger. You will be with us in trouble; You will deliver us and honor us. With long life will You satisfy us and show us Your salvation.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
FRIDAY MORNING
O God, our Father, we Your children wait for Your blessing before we go forth to the work and the care of this new day. We thank You for the blessings You have given to us in our sleep. You have renewed in us our exhausted strength, and built up again that which yesterday's toil had torn down. We are strong this morning, and ready for another day's work — because of the blessings You have given to us in our sleep.
We consecrate now to You, our lives for this new day. Take us and use us as You will. We do not want to make our own plans, for we are too short-sighted; and would be sure to plan only for present comfort or for earthly prosperity. We would rather that You would reveal to us Your plan for our day. It may not be easy — but we know it is wiser and better than our way could be, for You see the end from the beginning, and You chose the best things for us. We lay our plans at Your feet, and ask You to use them, if they are the best; but if not, to set them aside, that Your plan for the day may work unhindered in us.
We pray for our neighbors. Some of them are sick. May You remember these, and grant them healing and restoration. Send them Your comfort in their pain, and grant that they may be richly profited by the experiences through which they are passing. Some of our neighbors have come through sorrows. Heal their wounded hearts, and give them comfort, which will make them stronger to endure their grief, and help them to find the blessing You have wrapped up for them in their sorrow.
Receive us now into Your care for this day; bless and keep us and use us as You will. We ask in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
FRIDAY EVENING
In the quiet and hush of the eventide, we come to You, our Father. We went out this morning from Your presence, sent out by You. We tried to do Your will, although ofttimes we came short. We ask You at the close of the day, for forgiveness for Jesus' sake.
You have kept us through the unseen dangers. Not a moment was Your eye withdrawn from us. You have carried us in Your heart in all our goings and comings. No mother's watchfulness over her child, is so constant and so loving as is Your watchfulness over us. We thank You for Your safe keeping. We thank You, too, for all the blessings that came to us today. May we keep these divine gifts. Even when the things that came were but for the day, like the bread we ate and the water we drank — yet may Your blessing in them stay in our lives forever.
May You gather up all our work for You today, and let none of it be lost. We ask that You will take what we have done, and make it part of Your abiding kingdom. May the words we have spoken, minister grace to those who heard them. Forgive our idle words, and bless every good thing that we said to anyone. May all the good influences and impressions of our lives, stay in the world; and whatever has not been healthful, pure, and inspiring — may You blot out.
We would remember tonight those for whom life is hard. The world is too much for their feeble strength. They are defeated in its battles, and ofttimes lie wounded in the dust. Lift them up again, Father, and let them not sink away in eternal death. Be the God of those who have failed — and help them to rise again. Keep us tonight, our Father, from all danger, and give us quiet rest. We ask it in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
SATURDAY MORNING
O God, as Enoch walked with You, we desire to walk with You this day. The world is full of danger, and we cannot get on safely without Your protection. The paths are tangled — and we could never find the way alone. We need Your companionship, to make the day one of blessing. So we ask that we may be permitted to walk with You. We will try to be faithful, not running ahead of You, nor falling behind — but keeping with You all the day. May You walk with us — and may You help us to walk with You.
We thank You for the rest of the past night. You have kept us. We lay down and slept — and You sustained us. You are our safe keeper. All our mercies come from You. Give us grateful hearts as we begin this new day. We want to please You in all things, not wandering from Your commandments. Help us, for while the spirit is willing, the flesh is weak, and we cannot be faithful but as we get strength from You.
Bless all our household this morning, and give us each a personal blessing. We go out now to our different duties. It may be that we shall never all meet together again; may we therefore separate in love, so that if we never again all come together in this world, there may be in no heart any regrets because of unkindness at parting. Bless to us our morning meal, and give us wisdom for all the duties, tasks, responsibilities, and struggles of the day. May the influence of our lives be for the good, leaving on everyone we touch a blessing. Make us strong for work. Deliver us from the arrow that flies by day, and the pestilence that walks in darkness. Keep us all day near Your own heart, and give us the grace, mercy, and peace we need. For Jesus' sake. Amen.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
SATURDAY EVENING
We thank you, O our Father, for the wonders of the universe which night reveals. We could not see the stars while it was day. They were hidden in the splendors of the light. But when the sun went down — all these glories came out. These all are Your works, O God. It comforts us to remember that our Father made all these marvelous things. Surely You are able to take care of us, Your redeemed little children.
We thank You, also, for the world of blessing which other nights reveal. You have a thousand comforts of Your love which we do not see, while the sun of prosperity shines. It is only when we have some trouble, that we begin to learn the meaning of Your promises. It is only when we lose human friends — that we find You as the Friend of friends. It is only when we lose earth's treasures — that we begin to know the value of the invisible treasures of Your grace. So we thank You for every loss of ours — which has revealed a gain and a blessing. We thank You for every bereavement — which has made You more to us. We thank You for the hard paths — which have made us trust more reposefully in You. We thank You for the hiding of day — which has brought out in our night the stars of hope. Help us always to believe that when You take away one blessing — that You give us another which is better.
We ask You now that You will make all this day's experiences work for our good. Bless us as a family, and give each one of us a personal blessing. Fold us in the arms of Your love, while we sleep, and let no evil befall us. Shelter all our loved ones, and hear their prayers. Bring us all home at last, through Your love, to the sinless world, with Yourself, for Jesus' sake. Amen.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
FOURTH WEEK
SUNDAY MORNING
Our hearts are glad this morning, our Father, as we greet this new Sunday. All that is within us rejoices and praises You. May our lives rise from their prisons of death — into beauty and blessedness.
We thank You for all that the resurrection of Jesus means to us: that He could not be held by death; that He lives now to intercede for us in Heaven, and also to be our Friend and Companion in this world. May the gifts of His grace be poured out upon us. May the Holy Spirit fill our hearts and enrich our lives.
Prepare us for the work and worship of this day. Bless to us the words we have read from Your holy word. May they become in us divine inspirations, kindling in our hearts holy thoughts, pure desires, aspirations after holiness, and that love which shall make our lives like altars of incense before You.
Bless us in our home life on this day of rest. May we be drawn together into closer fellowship as a family. May our love become deeper, tenderer, and more unselfish, as we mingle in Your worship. May Your blessing rest upon those who shall preach Your word, and upon all who shall assemble for worship. We pray especially for those who shall carry Your word to the perishing. May they have Your power and may their ministries be blessed.
We now give ourselves to You for this day. We desire to make it a day unstained by sinful thought or word, a day for receiving new measures of the Holy Spirit, a day for coming very close to Jesus, a day for giving out blessings to others. Forgive us all our sins. Cleanse and purify our lives. We ask all this in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
SUNDAY EVENING
This quiet Sunday evening, our Father, we come to You with glad hearts. We thank You for the Sunday that comes after the six days of toil, bringing us the opportunity for rest and renewal of strength. If we had been compelled to go on forever, without rest — we could not have endured the burden. Sunday speaks to us of Your love for us, in providing little sanctuaries for us among the days.
We thank You for Sunday, because it keeps ever in our minds the remembrance of our Savior's victory over death. It tells us that we have now a living Savior, living to be our Friend, Companion, and Guide!
We thank You, too, for what the Sundays have been to us through the years that we have lived. We thank You for this Sunday, now closing, and for all that it has brought to us of grace, and comfort, and renewed strength. We have looked into Your face, and have received blessing in Christian fellowship. We have read and heard Your word, and its truths linger in our hearts. We have sung Your praise, and have called upon You in prayer.
May all this day's impressions stay in our lives as part of our permanent character henceforth. May the strength we have received, make us stronger in body, mind, and spirit — for what we shall have to do in the week before us. May the songs of this day keep singing in our hearts for many days to come.
So may this day be indeed a blessing to us, leaving enrichment of character, new visions of beauty, higher ideals to be reached.
Draw us near You now for a blessing; then fold us away in Your bosom for the night. We ask all this through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
MONDAY MORNING
Our Father in Heaven, hallowed be Your name. May Your kingdom come. May Your will be done on earth as it is in Heaven. This is our prayer this morning. We would have Your kingdom come into our own hearts so fully, that everything in us shall submit to Your sway. We would indeed have You as the King of our lives, seated on our heart's throne, and ruling over our affections, feelings, and desires! So we pray that Your kingdom may come in our own lives. May everything in us that opposes You, be brought to submit to You. May our ways that are not right, be changed to conform to Your holy ways.
Sometimes we chafe and fret when we do not find things to our liking, when our work is hard for us, when we are not prospered in our plans as we had hoped. Father, You forgive all this discontent and rebellion. We know You are training us, and that we are in Your school all the time. We know that when we complain and annoy ourselves about our circumstances, we not only grieve You — but also mar Your work in us. Help us, therefore, to humbly submit to all Your ways, and learn well the lesson of submission and trust in Your sovereign plan for us. We want to be truly able always to say, "May Your will be done." Give us grace to say it every day and every hour. Help us to look up into Your face . . .
when the path is rough,
when the tasks are hard,
when it hurts us to go on —
and to say with love, "Not my will — but may Your will be done."We now commit ourselves to You for the day. It may not bring us all sunshine, gladness, and ease. It may have clouds, and pain, and hardship. But, Father, we want to make it a sweet, beautiful day — whether it shall be bright or dark. Give us much of Your Spirit, and may we live near You all day. We ask all in Jesus' precious name. Amen.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
MONDAY EVENING
Lord, we come to You; may You give ear to our voice when we call upon You. Let our prayer be set forth before You as incense; and the lifting up of our hands, as the evening sacrifice. Give us Your divine peace. In the quiet evening time, may Your blessing rest upon our home. Forgive the sins and failures of this day. If we did not live together in all ways affectionately as a family, if we were impatient the one toward the other, or lacking in Christly kindness — we beg Your forgiveness. If any of us have hurt the heart of another by a sharp word or unkind act — may You heal the wounds by Your own grace. May we forgive one another, even as You forgive us; and pour out Your love in return for the things that grieve You.
Our hearts long tonight to enter more deeply into the experiences of Your wonderful love. Help us to know more and more of it. Pour it into our souls, filling us with its tenderness and grace. May we bathe in the ocean of Your love, as one bathes in the sea. May its blessedness flow about us like the air in which we move. Teach us more and more by Your Spirit, the deep meaning, the infinite riches, of Your love. May we be so filled with Your love, that we shall love others, just as You love us.
We are not afraid of the darkness — since You are with us. The darkness and the light are both alike to You. You are present in the gloom of night, as truly as in the brightness of noonday. So we are not afraid in the darkness, with You by us. We will lie down on our beds in peace, because You will be our keeper.
Remember our neighbors tonight. Comfort the dying and console the sorrowing. We ask all this in the name of our Redeemer. Amen.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
TUESDAY MORNING
Almighty God, our heavenly Father, grant us access to You in our prayer, for we come in the name of Your beloved Son, Jesus Christ. You have invited us to come to You, and we come boldly to Your throne of grace to find mercy and to obtain help in time of our need. Grant us Your peace. Accept us graciously. We are sorry for our sins which have grieved You. We offer no excuse, nor would we try to make our sins seem less heinous than they are. We simply confess them — and ask You to forgive us.
We have our burdens to carry. Some of them are heavy, and it seems to us that we cannot bear them. But we remember Your promise, that if we cast our burden upon You, that You will sustain us. So we would cast these burdens of ours upon You. We do not ask that You should take them away from us, for it may be that we should continue to bear these burdens. So we ask for grace to keep our burdens, and we plead Your promise for strength to sustain us as we walk beneath them in faith and confidence. Let us not faint and sink down under the load; but may we be enabled to walk erect, helped by Your sustaining grace.
Teach us to do Your will. Your will is always the best thing for us, the only good thing we can do. To go against Your will, is to grieve You, and hurt our own life. Show us what Your will is, day by day, step by step — what You would have us to do. Then teach us to DO Your will. Incline our hearts unto Your commandments. Then help us to obey Your precepts. It is not easy for us to do this, with our evil hearts — but may You help us all this day to do only the things that will please You. We ask this in Jesus' precious name. Amen.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
TUESDAY EVENING
We lift up our hearts to You, O God, at this evening hour. We are grateful to You for the mercies and favors of the day. You have kept us from harm. You have provided for our needs, giving us our daily bread and supplying our necessities. You have prospered us in our work, and helped us in our tasks.
We have not had our own way in all matters. Some of the things we desired, we did not receive. Some of our plans, we were not permitted to carry out. Some of the hopes that were in our hearts in the morning, were not realized. We had to take up our cross at times, and deny ourselves. But we believe that these painful things were as really parts of Your loving plan for us — as were the things that were agreeable and pleasant. All Your ways are mercy and truth. In whatever guise Your will is made known to us — we know that it is goodness and love. So we accept the unpleasant things that came to us today, with the same confidence and trust that we take the pleasant things. Help us to say cheerfully and with unquestioning faith, "May Your will be done," and may we get the blessing that You put into the painful things.
We leave the day now with You. We shall never see it again until we meet it when the books are opened before Your great white throne. We can change nothing we have done. We can unsay no unkind word we have spoken. We can correct no mistakes, recall no unkindnesses, withdraw no evil influence we have let loose in this world. We can only leave the day with You. You are merciful and gracious. Have compassion upon us. Deal leniently with the day which is gone out of our hands, for Jesus' sake. Amen.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
WEDNESDAY MORNING
It is a great comfort, our Father, to be able always to come to You with our needs. It is a comfort to know that You are really our Father. We know something of what fatherhood means to a child, and it is sweet to know that You are our divine Father, not merely in name — but that all any father can be to a child You are to us, and far more, as divinity is greater than humanity. Help us to know You as our Father, to trust in Your Father-love for us, in Your Father-care.
May you grant us the child-spirit, the spirit of adoption, that we may look up to You and say, "Abba, Father!" May we be obedient children, doing all that You bid us to do. May we honor You as children are taught to honor their parents. May our consecration and our conduct be worthy of You. Let us never do anything that would dishonor You. May your image be printed on our lives so clearly, so brightly — that all who see us shall see Your divine fatherly features shining in us.
Today we ask that as we go out into the world we may go indeed as Your children. We shall need protection. The world is full of dangers, subtle enemies, insidious influences, and crafty evils. We cannot take care of ourselves — so we beg You to take care of us. Hide us away in the secret of Your presence, from the strife of tongues.
We shall need to receive sustaining grace for every step of the way — more grace, grace upon grace. As the flowers cannot live without Heaven's dew, rain, and sunshine — so neither can we live without Your love and strength. Fill us with Your Spirit. Shed abroad Your love in our hearts. Then we shall be able to live lives worthy of Your children. We ask all this in Jesus' precious name. Amen.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
WEDNESDAY EVENING
O God, our Father, breathe an evening blessing upon us. There is much in us that needs cleansing. Look upon us as friends of Your Son. He has died for us. We have no merit of our own. We dare not lift our hands in Your sight, except as we are His redeemed people. He loved us and gave Himself for us. He was wounded for our transgressions. He bore our sins in His own body on the tree. We do not mention our own names before You, for we have sinned and come short of Your glory. Our best things, are stained with sin. Our purest thoughts, have evil in them. Our gentlest deeds, are not altogether white. Wrong motives, selfish desires, and unholy feelings spoil all that we do! But Jesus Christ is our hope and trust. We hide behind His cross. We would be seen by You, only in Him. For His sake, then, look upon us graciously and love us freely.
We thank You for the favors of this day. Bless to us all of this day's experiences. Teach us the lessons You have set for us. Bless all our efforts to help others. May the things we have tried to do to give comfort, help, and cheer, to make burdens lighter and paths smoother — be owned by You and used to advance Your work in the lives of those whom we have sought to help.
If we have done wrong to others today, whether in some impatience or selfishness, or without intent, in carelessness and thoughtlessness — we beg Your forgiveness, and we ask also that You will help us to undo the wrong, if this is possible. Teach us how to overcome evil with good. Give us the gentle, healing touch, which will cure the hurts we have made. Give us more and more love, that we may always bless, never injure others. We ask all these mercies in the name of Jesus. Amen.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
THURSDAY MORNING
O God, our Father, we Your children come to You for a blessing. As the earth needs the sun and the rain from Heaven — so do our lives need Your grace and love and life. We cannot live without You. Without blessings from You — our souls would die. Pour upon us Your grace and love, as we bow at Your feet.
We have our duties for the day; we need wisdom that we may do them well. May You bestow upon us the grace that will prepare us for whatever You have in Your plan for us. We beseech You to help us to live together as a family, in a way that will honor You. Deepen our love for each other, and help us to be patient and kindly in all of our associations. Help us to make our love like Yours. Put Your love into our hearts — and then we shall love truly. Destroy all selfishness in us, and give us the mind that was in Christ Jesus. Help us to bear one another's burdens, and to be patient one with another. Make our home more and more like Heaven. May we do Your will here — as it is done in Heaven. May our love be like Heaven's love in . . .
its purity,
its tenderness,
its sincerity,
and its fellowship.Give us grace to be helpers of each other's spiritual good — to make each other holier, to provoke each other to love and good works. May we be means of grace to each other. We desire this morning to open our hearts to the Holy Spirit, that we may receive a new baptism of love as we go out for the day. Keep us from falling along the difficult way. Let no hurt come to us. Shield us from temptation — or strengthen us to resist temptation. Bring us all home at nightfall, when the day is done. We ask all this in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
THURSDAY EVENING
Lord, at this evening hour we come to You. It is a solemn hour. The day is done. We cannot get it back to undo anything in it which ought not to have been done — or to do anything we ought to have done and did not do. All must stand until the judgment hour. It is solemn, too, because we are passing into the night, when no man can work. We ask for Your special peace. We beseech You to forgive all that has been wrong in our day. Then we commit ourselves into Your care for the night. Guard us and bless us tonight.
Our thoughts go out toward others at this quiet evening hour. Some are sick and some are sad, and some have never loved You, and some have lost the love they had. Some have found that this world is vain — yet from the world they will not break free. We pray for these, that they may turn their hearts to You, and throw off the world's chains. Some have friends who give them pain, yet have not sought a friend in You. Have mercy upon these, and may they find in You the Friend who sticks closer than a brother.
We turn to You, O Savior, Jesus, in our pain and our solicitude, because of all these human needs. You, too, are man — You have been troubled, tempted, tried, and You understand all these woes and sorrows. Your kind but searching glance, can scan the very wounds that shame would hide. Have pity, O Jesus, and in Your love send blessing. Your touch has still its ancient power; lay it on the spiritually sick and the diseased who lie around Your feet. No word from You can fall fruitless; speak the healing words, and let their power be felt. Hear our prayer in this solemn evening hour, and in Your mercy heal us all. We ask all in Your precious name. Amen.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
FRIDAY MORNING
O You who dwell in the heavens, we lift our eyes to You. The morning calls us again to worship You, and we gladly come to Your feet with our homage. It is fitting that we should bring You our hearts' praise. We have been called from death, as it were, for in our sleep we were as if dead. Our waking is a new beginning of life. We would give ourselves to You for another day. We would consecrate the day to You, and would make it altogether Yours. We would make it a holy day, without spot. We would not do anything to stain its white page. We would write upon this little page of ours, only beautiful things — a record of worthy deeds, of faithfulness, of kindness, of unselfishness.
But we know well that we can make this day white and worthy, only through Your help. We are naturally selfish — but may You so fill us with Your love, that we shall do only loving things today. Preserve us from impatience, from outbreaks of temper, from quarrelsomeness, from all harsh and bitter speech. Help us as a family, to live together affectionately, bearing with one another, restraining anger and unkind feelings — and manifesting only thoughtfulness, gentleness, and sweetness of spirit. Help us to make our home indeed a place of love, where no sharp or unkind words shall be heard, where each shall think only of the others' happiness. Make our home one in which Jesus Himself would consent to be a constant guest.
Then may our home today be a center of holy influences which shall flow out to give light, warmth, and cheer to other homes. There are households without Your love — without the blessing of Your love revealed and understood. May the influence of our home, go out to help to make these homes truer. We ask in Jesus' precious name. Amen.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
FRIDAY EVENING
The shadows have deepened around us, O God, and we creep near to You. As birds fly to their nest when night comes, as little children run to their home — so would we flee to You. Receive us and shelter us in Your divine love. We thank You that we have access to You; that though we have sinned, Jesus Christ died for sinners, and the way is open to us. We have no right to come to You, but through the mediation of Your Son. In His name we come, pleading for forgiveness and for access.
May Your blessing be upon all the work of our hands today. It has been faulty. But may You take it and build it into Your kingdom. You are using the weak things, the base things, and things that are nothing — and You can use even the poor broken fragments of this day's efforts.
We ask for a special blessing on our home tonight. Bless our home-life. May each one of us know well his part in making the home beautiful and blessed — and then may we all do what we know we should do, to bring the fullness of Jesus' peace into our home. May our fellowship as a family become more and more tender and affectionate. Save us from all bitterness and impatience, and all irritability, and from being easily provoked. May our home-love be strengthened, and may we learn to live together sweetly.
We would remember our neighbors. You have commanded us to love our neighbor as ourselves. We desire to obey You, and we ask You to teach us this divine love. If we have failed today, forgive us. Grant us more and more of Your love — and then we can love aright.
Hear us, O God, in our prayer, and grant us Your holy peace. We ask all in the name of Christ Jesus. Amen.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
SATURDAY MORNING
We come to Your feet, our Father, to receive Your blessing as we go out into the world. We want to make this a beautiful day. Help us to be diligent. Cover us with Your wings of love. Let us not lean to our own understanding, nor follow the devices and desires of our own deceitful hearts. May we live today in You and for You — honoring You in all that we do and say.
We humbly seek Your favor upon the work of our hands. Help us to do it well. Save us from all negligence, and from laziness. We would honor You in the commonest tasks of this day. May we do them all as under Your eye, and for Your inspection. Save us from being satisfied with low ideals and attainments. Help us to do our best, even in the smallest things.
Sanctify our influence — so that we may be a blessing to all whose lives we touch. Let us not be hinderers of the good or the joy of any other. Let us not be discouragers of those who are struggling with hardship or trial or temptation — but may we rather be encouragers of all whom we meet. May we carry cheer in our faces — and be inspirers of cheer in others. Keep the door of our lips, that we may speak no uncharitable words. May our conversation be such as will help others.
We pray for our friends. Some of them are carrying heavy burdens. Some of them are sick. We pray that You will heal and comfort the sick, and strengthen those whose loads are too great for them to bear. We beseech You to care for the poor and all who are in any trouble. Send to us any in need whom You would have us to befriend or relieve, or send us to them with some blessing.
Hear us in our prayers and bless us, we ask in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
SATURDAY EVENING
We must keep ourselves in Your hands, our Father, for if we should fall out of those blessed hands — it would be into eternal damnation. In You, we live and move and have our being. We acknowledge this dependence, and come to You tonight, to surrender ourselves to You. Into Your hands we commit our spirits, O Lord God of truth, for You have redeemed us. Wherein we have failed to live and act as Yours, Your redeemed ones — may You forgive us. Bless what we have done. Sanctify our influence upon others. May the day's experiences be enriching to ourselves, and through them may we be prepared for holier, more abundant life.
Father, we want to learn the lessons You have set for us. We are not in this world just to make a living — but are here at Your school. You are giving us new lessons to learn each day. You would teach us to be patient, to be submissive to Your will, to trust You when the way is dark, to be true and faithful in all duty. We are not always good scholars. Sometimes we do not accept Your teaching. We do not submit ourselves to Your will. We do not trust — when we cannot see the way. Forgive our dullness and slowness in learning, and help us to take all our lessons more sweetly in the future. Teach us . . .
to do Your will,
to walk in Your ways,
to please You in all things, and
to grow into all spiritual beauty.We ask now for personal blessings on the members of our family. You know each one's particular needs. Grant to us that which will be the best blessing and favor. If any of us are careless, make us more careful. If any of us are in special danger of falling into temptation, or of making a mistake in a friendship — deliver us and bless us. We ask in Jesus' precious name. Amen.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
FIFTH WEEK
SUNDAY MORNING
O God, we thank You for this holy Sunday. It is Your own day. It was honored and hallowed by You at the beginning. It was made doubly sacred by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. It is full, too, of holy hopes, as it typifies to us the eternal Heavenly rest. We thank You for all that the day means to us in our personal lives, and for the blessings it has brought to our home. We thank You for its quiet rest, that we can cease from our week-day toil, and spend the day with You.
May You make this a day of real blessing to us. May Heaven's windows be opened, and may holy blessings be sent down upon us. Bless our home life today. May we get closer together as a family. May our affection be sweetened. Fill our hearts with Your own love — and then we shall love each other as we ought. Bless our home conversation. May it be profitable to us, ministering grace to our hearts. May it be worthy of the day. Help us to shut out of our lives whatever is worldly or unworthy of You. May Your Spirit brood over our home, filling it with gentle, enriching influences.
Bless our worship in Your house. Go with us and help us in the public services to honor You. Open our eyes, that we may see wonderful things in Your word. Sanctify to us the worship and the instruction of the sanctuary. May we be so blessed in our hearts by waiting upon You that we shall be ready for good service all the week.
Help us also to be blessings to others today. Fill us so with Your Spirit, that every life which touches ours may receive blessing and good from us.
We ask all these Sunday blessings at Your hand, humbly, believingly, and joyously, in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
SUNDAY EVENING
May Your peace be upon us, our Father, this sweet Sunday evening. The day has been to us like a quiet oasis in the world's wilderness. We have enjoyed its restfulness. We have sat under Your shadow with great delight. We have drunk from the springs of water that flow from under Your throne. May You bless to us all Sunday's enjoyments and privileges. May we be better able for work, because of the strength we have received while waiting only upon You.
Give us now our evening blessing. We long for more familiar acquaintance with You. Somehow we do not get to know You, as we desire to. We cannot see You with our mortal eyes, nor feel the touch of Your hand upon us, nor hear Your voice speaking to us, and we do not realize Your closeness to us. Help us to know You better. Reveal Yourself to us in Your word as we read it. May Your Spirit make You known to us. Make us more conscious of Your love for us. May we receive more spiritual life into our souls. Give us a deeper measure of Your joy, of Your peace, of Your love. May Jesus be in us, and may we be filled with all Your fullness.
We wait at Your feet this evening, to have our lives saturated, as it were, with Your grace. We desire to be like You, Lord Jesus, and we can become like You only by the transforming of our lives through Your indwelling. We hunger and thirst after righteousness, to have our characters made holy and good, like Yourself. You have promised to satisfy those who have this longing. Fill us, and satisfy our cravings. May we go into the new week, full of Jesus, and thus prepared to be a blessing to many. We wait now for your blessing. We ask it in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
MONDAY MORNING
Our Father, bless to us Your word which we have read together this morning. We thank You that it brings to us the very counsels of Your own will. May it stay in our hearts all the day. May it be a lamp to our feet and a light to our path, as we go forth, and wherever we go. May its truth shine within us to show us Your will, what Your thoughts concerning us are, and what You would have us to do. We thank You for this heavenly light which You have given us. Without it we never could find the way home through the tangled paths. Without it we could not know that You love us or think upon us. Help us to receive Your words always in meekness and humility. Help us to walk in the way which You have made so plain to us.
We ask You to fill us with Your love this morning, as we begin the day, that wherever we go, our faces may shine with something of the light of Your face. We have no light of our own. Our lamps are empty, unless You fill them. We beseech You to give us of Your grace, to fill our little lamps, that they may burn ever brightly. We do not want to be in darkness in this world — but desire to be lights, and we will so shine if we have Your grace in us. Fill us with Your own holy light.
We yearn to be blessings today to each other, and to all whom we meet. Give us something to carry to others — something of Your love and grace. Lay Your hand upon us and give us each a Father's blessing, first for ourselves and then to bear to our neighbors and friends.
Keep us all from evil. Let us not sin willfully against You this day. Bring us all together in the evening, when our work is done, if it be Your will. We ask all these favors in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
MONDAY EVENING
To whom, Lord, shall we go, but to You? You have the words of eternal life! You alone know our needs — and You alone can supply them. You alone can give us guidance, wisdom, help, comfort in sorrow, forgiveness for sin, and eternal life. We bow at Your feet tonight, knowing that we have no need of any kind which You cannot supply. You can make provision for our bodily needs. You can furnish all that we need for our mental and spiritual life.
This has been a profitable day for us, because You have blessed us. We have received new mercies at Your hand. We have had food and clothing, and many of life's good things. For these common mercies we thank You. We thank You for all the good that has come to us through our human friends — their sympathy and kindness. We thank You for home love and trust — for all that our home means to us. It is a shelter from the storms. We can turn away from the world's insincerity, self-interest, envy and rancor, and find always within our own door — love that is true, deep, unselfish, enriching, and comforting. Here we are sure of each other's love. We do not need to be so on our guard, as when we are outside. So we thank You for the blessing of our home, for its companionship, its joy, its comfort, the healing of its love.
Help us to make our home holier, more loving, more true and pure, more full of inspiration — the best place in the world to grow up in. Now while we kneel together as a family, around the family altar, in our evening prayer, we plead for Your blessing. Abide with us. Be our guest tonight. Give us blessings in sleep. Prepare us for a new day, and give us new blessings when it opens. We ask all in the name of our Redeemer. Amen.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
TUESDAY MORNING
We bow at Your feet, O God, this morning to ask of You the help we shall need for our day. We cannot tell what we shall meet, what burdens may be laid upon us, through what conflicts we may have to pass. But You know all that this day holds for us. Your eye sees every step of its path. Like little children, therefore, we put our hands in Yours, asking that You will lead us in the way in which we should go. We wish it to be a day that shall honor You. We desire to live sweetly, patiently, and unselfishly. But in ourselves, we shall not be able to live up to our own ideals — to do the things we want to do. We cast our weakness on Your strength, asking You for the help we shall need at every step.
We desire that this shall be a day of usefulness. We would do all our tasks well, leaving nothing undone that we ought to do. Help us to be honest, true, skillful, alert, and to do all things faithfully; not for human eyes — but for Your eye. We desire also to be helpful to others during this day. Give us much of the spirit of kindness, thoughtfulness, and helpfulness — so that every life which ours touches, may receive some blessing. May our words be encouraging words, making life easier for others, or making them stronger to meet it.
If there are sick people, or troubled and tempted ones, whom You would have us help today — may You lead us to them and put into our heart the right thought of kindness, into our lips the right words to speak, into our hands the touch which may strengthen and heal.
Thanking You for the goodness of the last night, and asking You for the forgiveness of all our sins, we now give ourselves to You, to be used by You today as You will. In Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
TUESDAY EVENING
Father, as we creep to Your feet, at the close of the day, we beseech You to bless us. The day has not been made white with obedience, as we meant to make it when we set out in the morning. We wanted . . .
to do only Your will,
to be gentle and kindly in all our thought, feeling, and speech,
to keep a sweet temper,
and to live unselfishly.We fell far below our intention. We were asleep, when we ought to have been waking and watching. Forgive us all this weakness, for You know how frail we are. Have mercy upon us and bless us, as we bow now at Your feet, and grant us Your peace at the ending of the day.
Father, there are many we would pray for. Remember each one of our own household. We cannot tell You the deepest needs of each. Indeed we do not know ourselves, what our realest needs are. Ofttimes the things we want and think we need — would only do us hurt if we had them. What seems to us a loaf of bread — is only a stone, and would not feed us if we had it. Ofttimes the things we would like to have taken out of our life, thinking that they are hindering us — are just the things we need to bless us. We know not what we should pray for. Hence we ask simply that You will bless us. Take each one of us into Your tender care, and do with us whatever will be the best for us.
Hide us away now under Your sheltering wings during the darkness. You have promised to give blessings to Your beloved in their sleep. May we arise in the morning strong for the new day.
We ask for these favors, with hearts grateful for past mercies and full of hope and confidence for the future, in the name of Jesus. Amen.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
WEDNESDAY MORNING
Gracious Father, we come to You at the opening of the day to crave Your blessing. We thank You for the rest of the night. We laid us down and slept; we awaked; for You sustained us. We will not be afraid of ten thousands who might set themselves against us round about. You are our refuge and strength, a very present help in times of trouble.
Now, our Father, send us out into the new day, on new errands. We want to take our orders from You. Incline our hearts to keep Your commandments. Cleanse us from secret faults and sins; keep us back also from presumptuous sins. You are able to keep us from falling — and we commit our souls to Your holy guardianship. Deliver us from the Evil One. We have no power to stand against his crafty assaults, and can only entrust the keeping of our souls to You, as to a faithful Creator and Friend. Save us from the Tempter.
We ask that You will make us strong for duty. We have many things to do, which will require wisdom and persistence. Give us the strength which comes out of victoriousness in struggle. Fit us for doing good at home — one to another. May our home receive rich blessings from You. Let nothing embitter our affection, or mar our fellowship. Make our love for each other more sincere, more patient, thoughtful, and kind. May we learn the lessons of love better and better.
May the light shine out from the windows of our home, to show others outside how to live more sweetly. May Your grace be upon us in proportion to our need, filling heart and life, and preparing us for every experience we may have. We ask all in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
WEDNESDAY EVENING
O God, who has taught us in Your holy word to be anxious for nothing — but in everything, by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, to make known our requests unto You — hear us this evening as we come to You with our supplications. There are many things in our lives which might cause us to be anxious, were it not for the promises of Your love. There have been things in the life of this day which naturally would make us worry. There have been discouragements — not all our expectations have been realized. It would be easy for us to be anxious — if we would yield to our feelings.
But we remember our Savior's earnest teachings against worrying — that we ought to take no anxious thought, because our Heavenly Father knows what things we need, and that we ought to seek first the kingdom of Heaven — and we want to obey His counsel. Help us to learn this beautiful lesson. It is not easy to learn it. We are prone to fret, complain, and worry. Help us to overcome this disposition, and never to yield to its sway.
Help us to learn the lesson Your servant Paul tells us that he had learned — in whatever state we are, therein to be content. May the love of Jesus in us be so strong, that we shall not mind the little trials along the way. May Your peace in our hearts be so deep, so tranquil, so controlling — that all frets and discontents shall be swallowed up in its blessed fullness. Help us to follow so intently the one essential thing of Christian life — the doing of Your will — that no hardness of the way, no cross bearing, no difficulties, no discouragements — shall have any power to divert our hearts and thoughts from our supreme purpose. We ask for grace to learn this lesson, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
THURSDAY MORNING
Our Father, bless to us Your word which we have read together this morning. We thank You that it brings to us the very counsels of Your own will. May it be a lamp to our feet and a light to our path, as we go forth, and wherever we go. May its truth shine within us to show us Your will, what Your thoughts concerning us are, and what You would have us to do. We thank You for this heavenly light which You have given us. Without it, we could never find our way home through the tangled paths. Without it, we could never know that You love us or think upon us, that You are indeed our Father. Help us to receive Your word always in meekness and humility. Help us to walk in the way which You have made so plain to us.
We ask You to fill us with Your love as we begin the day — that wherever we go we may carry something of the light of Your face. We have no light of our own. We beseech You to give us Your grace, to fill our little lamps that they may burn all this day. We do not want to be darkness in this world — but desire to shine as lights, and we will so shine if we have Your grace in us. Fill us with Your own blessed light.
We yearn to be blessings to each other today, and to all whom we meet. Give us something to carry to others — something of Your love and grace. Lay Your hand upon us, and give us each a Father's blessing, first for ourselves, and then to take to our neighbors and friends.
Keep us all from evil. Let us not willfully sin against You this day. Help us to be faithful in all our ways. Bring us all together in the evening, when our work is done, if it be Your will. We ask these favors in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
THURSDAY EVENING
O Lord, You have taught us to cast our burden upon You, with the assurance that You will sustain us; and we beseech You to hear us tonight as we come with our burdens. Life is too hard for us. Duty is too great for us. We have no power of our own to do the things that it is our duty to do. We cannot meet our responsibilities. We have obligations to each other in our home. We owe duties to Your church, to society, to the state, to our friends, to the whole world. We are debtor to everyone, even to the heathen in dark lands. Who is sufficient for these things? We cannot carry the burden of our personal responsibility.
Then we have our burdens of duty. Temptation puts burdens upon us. The world's sorrow lays a heavy load upon our hearts. There are burdens, too, which belong to our condition, or our circumstances. It is hard for us to be holy. It is hard for us to go on, day after day, year after year, in the dreary rounds of our task-work. It is hard for us to endure life's frictions and irritations — and always keep sweet. It is hard for us to be patient with all kinds of people, in all sorts of trying experiences — never losing temper, never yielding to exasperating things.
We have our burdens which are hard to carry, our daily crosses which it is hard to take up and bear. We never could do it — but for the privilege of casting them upon You. We do not ask to have the burdens taken off, for it may be that we need to bear them, for the world's good, or our own; but we ask that You will sustain us, and that we may walk beneath our load quietly and confidently, leaning upon You. Help us, O God, and then we shall be able to bear our burdens without fainting, through Jesus Christ. Amen.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
FRIDAY MORNING
O most merciful Father, who loves all Your redeemed children — we confess our manifold sins and shortcomings, and beseech You to show us Your mercy and favor. We are not worthy to be called Your children. We have gone astray from Your commandments, wandering like lost sheep, walking in paths of our own choosing. We have known Your ways — and have not walked in them. We make humble confession of all our transgressions, and implore Your forgiveness.
We desire to enter more deeply into the experience of Your love. Help us to believe in the love You have for us, and to understand something of the greatness of Your love. We are like little children over whom mothers bend with holy affection — but who are unconscious of it. We do not know the divine love that yearns over us. If we knew it, we would never doubt nor be afraid. We long to realize this love that never fails nor forgets.
We desire to be conscious all this day of Your divine care and affection. Then nothing shall disturb us, nor quench our ardor, nor break our peace. We shall not then be vexed by cares. Temptation will have no power over us. Dangers will not alarm us. Then our very faces shall shine with the luster of indwelling grace.
We ask for help in all our duties, that we do our work faithfully; not carelessly nor negligently — but everything diligently. We pray for our friends, that they may all be kept near You in the shelter of Your love. Let a blessing be on those who are sick, upon any who are near to death — that they may be ready to depart when You call them; upon all who are in trouble; upon the poor, the bereft, the sorrowing, and the sinning. We ask all these things in Jesus' precious name. Amen.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
FRIDAY EVENING
O Lord, open our lips — and our mouth shall show forth Your praise. We thank You for all Your bountiful goodness. This has been a day of faithfulness and mercy. The heavens over our heads have dropped down their gentle influences upon us, filling our lives with the dews of grace. The earth beneath our feet has been filled with the fruits of Your love and thoughtfulness. We give you hearty thanks — for every good gift and every perfect blessing is from You.
We thank You for our home, and all that it contains of comfort and blessing. We thank You for home's friendships and for all the blessings they bring to us. We thank You for the blessings which we do not recognize — which do not seem to be blessings, but trials. We know that in every one of them, is wrapped up some gift of divine love. Help us always to find the blessing and the good, even in the rough husk. We desire never to miss any token of love You may send, though it comes in form of pain or sorrow.
We would worship You as our God. Let no voice of our soul be silent to You — but may every power of our being utter thanksgiving to You, the gracious God. We entrust ourselves to Your keeping for the night. Watch over us and let no evil touch our lives. Purify our hearts. Fill us with Your truth. Let your Spirit enter into us and make us like Yourself. Consecrate us to Your own service and use.
Lay not to our charge our manifold sins against You — but grant to us full remission and cleansing, and give us such a measure of Your grace that we shall henceforth live to Your honor and glory. We ask it in the name of Jesus Christ our Redeemer. Amen.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
SATURDAY MORNING
The day is Yours, O God; so also is the night. We have come out of the night, where we were with You, for darkness and light are both alike to You. Now we are entering again upon another day, and You are here too, in the light. We would spend the day with You, as we have spent the night. Light has its dangers, as has darkness. The pestilence walks at noonday. Evil wears the garb of an angel of light. Temptation comes in our busy hours. Sin is always about us and within us. We need You in the day, as well as in the night. Let not our feet stumble. Let no iniquity have dominion over us. Keep us back from presumptuous sins.
May we indeed live as children of the light. May we wear light as a garment. Clothe us with righteousness — Your righteousness. May we all stand before You clad in the garments which Jesus Christ has provided for us, the garments of redemption and salvation. Then before the world may we appear also, robed in the righteousness which grace provides. May we put off the spotted and filthy rags of the old sinful nature. Then may we put on the new man who is created in righteousness and true holiness. May we put on whatever things are pure, whatever things are true, whatever things are lovely. May our light so shine, that men seeing our good works may glorify You, our Father in Heaven.
We ask, therefore, for the fullness of Your holy Spirit. Only when You live in us, can we be clad in the garments of light. May we be all glorious within, through the renewing of our nature; then may our dress be robes of golden beauty. Breathe upon us, this morning, and give us Your Spirit as we go forth. We ask in Jesus' precious name. Amen.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
SATURDAY EVENING
Our Father, the closing of another week reminds us that we are now nearer home than ever we have been before — nearer our Father's house where the many mansions are; nearer the great white throne; nearer the crystal sea; nearer the end of life where we shall lay our burdens down. Beyond death's shadows, is Heaven.
Help us to believe in the invisible things of our Christian faith, and let us not dread any night that leads to glory's day. It may be that we are nearer home than we think. Father, perfect our trust. Let our spirits feel, when the hour of death comes, that our feet are firmly set on the rock of a living faith.
We ask You to accept our week and bless it. If it is for any of us the last week we shall live in this world — we leave it now with You, asking You graciously to forgive whatever has been wrong in our conduct, in our words, in our disposition. We cast our lives on Your mercy. We live no day, without sinning many times. Our hope is always in Your grace. Take our week and cleanse it. May all its experiences work for good. May its lessons be well learned and never be forgotten. May all of its work be blessed.
May we have sweet, refreshing sleep, and be made ready for a quiet and good Sunday of love and grace. We ask all in the name of Jesus Christ, our Redeemer. Amen.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
SIXTH WEEK
SUNDAY MORNING
O God, our Father, as we begin this Sunday, we look up to You for a blessing. As the earth opens its eyes on the sun, whose beams pour down in brightness upon field and forest — so do we open our eyes upon You this morning. May the gracious beams of Your love stream upon us. Then our hearts shall rejoice. If we have Your favor, we shall indeed live.
Fill us with Your Spirit, and may all our thoughts, feelings, and desires be sweetened. Sanctify to us all the privileges we shall enjoy today. May our rest be unbroken by any worldly incident which might mar its quietness. As we wait upon You, may we renew our strength. May Your word to which we shall listen, be richly blessed to us. May its teachings be made plain, and may we receive them into the soil of good and honest hearts, in which they may bring forth fruit.
Let a blessing be upon all those who today will minister in the churches, conducting the worship and preaching to the people. May they be in the Spirit, and may their words be filled with the Spirit. Make them holy men, having clean hands and pure hearts. Give them the right motives, as they minister in Your name.
Let a blessing be upon all the congregation that shall assemble today for worship. May all hearts be open to the influences of the Holy Spirit. Enter every open heart, and by Your loving persuasion, win the way into the hearts that thus far have been closed to You. So may Your kingdom come, and Your will be done on earth as it is in Heaven. We ask for Jesus' sake. Amen.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
SUNDAY EVENING
O Jesus, our Lord and Master, we come to You at the quiet eventide. We remember how, when Your disciples were assembled together after the resurrection, the doors being shut, You appeared in their midst. You looked upon them in love and spoke the word of holy salutation, "Peace be unto you." Then You showed them Your hands bearing the nail-prints, and Your side with the spear-wound in it. Then You breathed on them and said unto them, "Receive the Holy Spirit."
Again it is holy evening, O Jesus, and we are here, Your disciples, bowing at Your feet. Our lives are empty, needing a new filling of love from Your heart. Come into our midst and speak to us Your blessing of peace. Our minds are distracted by the things of this world. We are afraid of life's vicissitudes, its disappointments, its burdens, its losses. We need Your sweet peace. You who spoke to the winds and the waves, saying, "Peace, be still" — speak to our hearts tonight and command peace in them.
As you showed Your hands and side to Your disciples, thus proving to them that You were indeed risen from the dead — show us Your hands and side tonight. As we look at these wounds may we remember that You indeed died on the cross for our redemption. We remember also that You are risen from the dead, and are alive to be our Savior and Friend, our Intercessor in Heaven.
As You breathed upon Your disciples and gave them the Holy Spirit — may You also breathe upon us as we bow at Your feet. We ask all in Your name. Amen.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
MONDAY MORNING
O God, we are thankful that we are Your children. We are not merely Your creatures. You have made the stars, the birds, and the flowers — but the stars, the birds, and the flowers are not Your children as we are. You have made us in Your own image. You have given us immortal souls. We thank You for the place we occupy in the scale of creation. May You help us to be worthy of our nobility, as the children of God, and live as Your children should live.
You have made us for a purpose. You have a plan for each of our lives — something You intend us to be and to do. We desire to fulfill Your purpose for us. Help us to accept Your will, and do what You would have us to do. Help us now, this morning, as we go out into the world, to go in the way You have marked out for us. We desire to serve our own generation. May You show us what You would have us to do — and enable us to do it.
Put Your love in our hearts, so that we shall feel toward the world as You do feel toward it. May we look upon sinners as You look upon them. May we have Your patience, Your compassion, Your spirit of helpfulness, Your pitying love. It seems little that we can do for our generation — the world is so large, and we are so small. Yet You have taught us that no true work done for You shall fail. Help us to make our little spot of the world holier, brighter, sweeter, happier. Help us to live out Your life in the place to which You have assigned us, serving those who are close about us. Thus we shall at least be a blessing to one small corner of Your great world.
Give us a profitable day, our Father — full of Your love and grace. We ask in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
MONDAY EVENING
We thank You, Father, for another day. One by one, You give the days to us. They are given to us to be used for You. They are not ours to waste and squander in idleness; much less are they ours to fill with selfishness, or to blacken and stain with sin. They are ours to employ in holy obedience, in loving service.
The day comes to us as a white page on which to write words of beauty which others may read; and which will be read at last, when the books are opened in the final judgment. They come as ships which we are to fill with good things, to be borne away to bless others.
We bring You now another day. If we have written anything on the page which is not uplifting and beautiful — may You blot it out. If there are stains upon it — may You remove them. If we have given the day any messages for the judgment day which can only shame us then — may You expunge them.
If we have put selfishness into this day, instead of deeds of love for it to bear to others — we ask also for forgiveness. We cannot have it back again to correct, and so we ask You to change its evil into good, as You made the sin of Joseph's brothers against him, to work out good in the end. As we turn from our day, never to see it again until we meet it in the judgment — we entrust it to You.
You are merciful and gracious. Bless our home tonight. You who slumber not, have us in Your holy keeping and let no evil come near unto us. Bless us as a family, and grant us Your peace. Prepare us for tomorrow, and when the day comes, grant to us Your presence and new grace for the new day. We ask all in the name of our Savior and Redeemer. Amen.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
TUESDAY MORNING
O Jesus, we thank You that You have lived this human life of ours, and know all about it. You, too, are man. You were tempted in all points like as we are — and know all about temptation. You are able to sympathize with us, when we are struggling with the tempter. It is a comfort for us, to know that You understand all about our conflicts — and that we can cast ourselves upon Your sympathy. Help us today, O Jesus, to overcome in every temptation. Stand by us. Let us not sink away into the darkness of eternal death, in any hour of temptation.
We are glad, too, that You know all about sorrow. You have touched every depth of human experience. There is no sorrow that is not known to You, and which You can not understand. Life has sorrows for us. Sometimes they are very keen. No human friend can quite understand them. Our loved ones want to help us — but cannot assuage our grief, nor can they give us true comfort. Earth has no sufficient consolation for us.
So we turn to You, O Jesus, and ask You to help us in our sorrows. We want to bear them sweetly, without murmuring or complaining. We want to get the blessing which we know comes in every pain or suffering — but which so often Your children miss. We ask You to teach us how to suffer according to Your will. Give us the true comfort, which will enable us to endure quietly, whatever pain or trial we shall be called to endure. Help us to get the blessing in our sorrow. May we grow stronger and sweeter in every affliction. So may Your sympathy bless us, and may we be lifted up more and more fully into fellowship with You. We ask all in Your precious name, Jesus our Savior. Amen.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
TUESDAY EVENING
Almighty God, our most holy and eternal Father, who is of purer eyes than to behold evil — let Your gracious Spirit descend upon us this evening. Grant that no impure thoughts may pollute the souls which You have set apart for Yourself; that no unclean words may defile the lips which You have consecrated to be organs of Your praise; that no unholy acts may desecrate the hearts which You have chosen for Your temples. Grant that our souls may be kept pure for You; that our lips may be used only in speaking for You; and that the temples of our hearts may ever be worthy of Your indwelling.
We pray for the spirit of watchfulness, for all about us are evils — insidious, subtle, and intent on entering into us, to hurt us and lead us to sin. We cannot keep ourselves. We cannot guard our own hearts against these perils. Have mercy upon us, strong Son of God, who knows all about these powers of sin. Have mercy upon us; lead us not into temptation — but deliver us from the evil. Keep us, and grant that we may so live in this present world as not to fail of the glories of the world to come, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Bring us at last safely home to Your heavenly glory.
O Lord, most mighty and most merciful, we commend ourselves unto You, and to the word of Your grace, which is able to build us up and to give us an inheritance among all those who are sanctified. We beseech You to keep our souls from sin, our eyes from tears, and our feet from falling — that we may walk before You in the land of the living, and at the glorious appearing of Your Son, our Lord, may we be presented faultless before the presence of Your glory, with exceeding joy, through the same Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
WEDNESDAY MORNING
O God, giver of all good, fountain of all mercy — we thank You for Your grace and for all the manifold tokens of Your thought and care for us. Your faithfulness never fails. Your mercies are new every morning, fresh every moment — more than we can remember. What shall we render unto You, for all Your goodness unto us? We have nothing to give — nothing but the poor love of our hearts; we give that to You. Grant us more and more of the spirit of praise and thanksgiving. Teach us to sing even when tears choke our songs. Give us songs in the night. Teach us how to rejoice, even in care and sorrow.
We praise You for our home and all it means to us. You have given us countless blessings, in the love that unites as a family. Our home is a little of Your love, poured into human hearts. We thank You for the shelter our home is to us, for the gentle affections that bind us so close together. May our home be sweeter to us as the days pass. Make our home life more congenial, more patient, more kindly. May our love be less selfish, and may it have more of the tenderness of Jesus in it.
We ask for special blessings for this day. We shall be exposed to dangers, when we know it not. Protect us from these. We are liable to accidents wherever we go; may You defend us from these, and grant us grace to pass through the moral contagion around us, unhurt by it. Give Your angels charge over us to keep us in all Your ways. Lead us Yourself wherever we go, that we may not stumble. Make us strong for holy service. Let Your protection be over us all the days; and give us strength for every duty. We ask all in Jesus' precious name. Amen.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
WEDNESDAY EVENING
Our waiting eyes are unto You, O Lord, this evening. The close of each day, puts upon us new obligations of gratitude for new mercies and favors. We are not worthy of the least of all Your goodnesses and loving kindnesses — for we have sinned against You. Yet we hope in Your mercy, and cast ourselves upon Your grace.
We thank You for the guardianship which You have exercised over us this day. We have gone out and come in — and You have kept us. You have blessed us in our home life, keeping us from harm, providing for our needs, fitting us for duty, strengthening us for toil and care. You have blessed us in our business, giving us a measure of prosperity, and enabling us to continue in our place and do our work.
We thank You for the grace which You have bestowed upon us, strengthening us to resist temptation, to take up and bear our daily crosses, to witness for You among our fellow-men.
Great Shepherd of all Your redeemed people, take each member of our family into Your special care, we beseech You. We cannot defend ourselves from the dangers of the darkness — so we simply entrust our lives to Your gracious keeping. May Your holy angels set their camp about our home. May You who do not slumber, watch over us.
We pray for all our friends and our neighbors. They have various needs. We cannot tell You what they each need — but You know. Grant to each one, that which will be the truest blessing to each. Lead them in right paths. Let none of them be eternally lost. Remember Your church, and give to it spiritual enrichment. And to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, be glory forever. Amen.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
THURSDAY MORNING
O God, who has redeemed us by the precious blood of the Lamb — help us, we beseech You, to live unto Your praise and to Your glory in all that we do. Since Jesus Christ has died for us and we are not our own — we desire to live worthy of Your holiness. We confess and renounce all our manifold transgressions. Teach us to hate all sin, and may we have grace to live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present evil world, to the glory of Your holy name.
We ask You to reveal Yourself to us this morning as we go forth, and to give us the assurance of Your presence. You have promised that as our days — so shall our strength be; that Your grace shall always be sufficient for us. We plead these promises as we go into a new day, whose experiences we cannot foresee. We know not . . .
what dangers we shall meet,
what cross may be laid at our feet,
what temptation shall whisper the enticing word in our ear,
what pitfalls shall lie in our pathway,
what insidious influence shall imperil the purity of our souls.So we hide away in You and trust ourselves to You for keeping all the day.
We desire to be useful and helpful to others. Save us from selfishness and self-seeking. Teach us the great lesson of serving. May the mind be in us, which was also in Christ Jesus, who came to this world not to be ministered unto, but to minister. May we in love, serve one another. May we live to help others and to do good.
Help us to see the needs which we can relieve, to perceive the ways in which we can serve — and then give us the true spirit of ministry, that we may do the things which will bless our fellow-men. Fill us with Your Spirit that we may be like You. We ask all in the name of our Savior. Amen.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
THURSDAY EVENING
O Lord, we bow before You in loving reverence. From You come all our mercies — and we would praise You. We are sinful — and You are holy. We are not worthy to approach You. Yet you have made a way of access to You, so that we can draw near to You with boldness — as children to a father. Lord, make clean our hearts as we come to You. Fill us with Your Spirit, so that, being renewed in the temper and spirit of our minds, we may exhibit in our daily walk, all the virtues and graces of the Christian life.
We need washing tonight after the day's journey in the sin-soiled world.
Our feet have been soiled in the dust as we have walked on earth's roads,
our hands have been stained with the evil that is in the world,
our lips have been defiled with the words we have spoken which we ought not to have spoken, and
our hearts have been made unclean by the wrong thoughts, feelings, and imaginations which they have cherished.
May You cleanse us tonight. Wash us — and we shall be whiter than snow!We have cares and worries which distract us at the close of the day. Help us to lay them all in Your hands — and leave them there. Give us Your peace. Help us to cast our burden upon You, and to leave it there. Make all things work together for our good.
Have pity tonight, O God, upon the sorrowing, sinning world. Remember the poor, and open the hearts of those who have plenty that they may help those who lack. Look down in compassion upon the sick, and give them relief or patience to endure their pain. Give comfort to those who are in sorrow. Hear us in these our evening prayers, we ask through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
FRIDAY MORNING
O God, who makes the outgoings of the morning and the evening to rejoice — we thank You that we have gladness this morning. You have not made our night one of anguish and sorrow — but one of peace and comfort. It is because You kept us, that we have been so richly blessed. We lift our hearts to You this morning with thanksgiving, for the light and joy of a new day. Bless us as we go forth to our work. Bless our labors. Help us to be diligent. Let us not tire of the drudgeries which belong to our daily rounds. Help us to do all our tasks cheerfully.
Teach us how to do our common work for You. It will be easier for us if we can do it all for You. The burdens will not be so hard to bear, if we are bearing them for You. The drudgeries will be no more dreary, if we do them for You. Teach us to live all our life for You. Then we shall truly honor You.
Give us grace to make us kind and helpful to all we meet today. Sometimes we grow impatient, or fail to be courteous, or become irritable — in the vexing experiences of life. Other people are not always agreeable. Sometimes we must endure rudeness. O God, keep us loving and gentle, whatever the experiences are which we must endure. Enable us always to keep sweet in our spirits. We desire to honor You in our every act and word and disposition this day. Bless us with Your love. Fill us with Your Spirit. Then we shall be like Jesus, whatever others may be to us.
Make us true blessings wherever we go. Keep us from stumbling. Grant Your grace to all whom we love. And to Father, Son, and Holy Spirit — we will give glory. Amen.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
FRIDAY EVENING
You alone, O Lord, make us to dwell in safety. We lie down at night under the shadow of Your wings, and our sleep is sweet — because You sustain us. We ask You now for another night of rest and comfort. As the sun has gone down, leaving darkness over us, we are reminded of our need of You. We have no power to keep or to care for ourselves. Be our protection this night. Let no evil assail us, let no plague come near our dwelling, let nothing alarm us.
As the stars have come out at the going down of the sun — we are reminded of the promises of Your grace, which come out when the sun of prosperity or of human gladness sets above us. We would never see the stars, but for night — and we thank You for the many uplifting, comforting words in the Scripture, which we would never have seen, but for our trouble and sorrow. We have gotten many a precious meaning in Scripture, in time of trial, which we never saw before. Make Your word more and more a treasure house of reserved goodness, which You will give to us as we have need.
Grant to us an evening blessing. Sanctify our home life. May our love for each other grow more tender every day. Help us to find the best in each other. Help us each to give to the other the best that is in us. Preserve us from impatience, from lack of sweet courtesy — and give us grace to be kind the one to the other. May we learn from Jesus Christ, how to love at home. Enable us to be helpful to each other, making each other better, richer in life, braver, stronger.
In Your great mercy, O God, forgive us all our sins, and bring us at last into Your heavenly kingdom, through Jesus Christ, our Lord and Redeemer. Amen.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
SATURDAY MORNING
O Lord, You created us in Your own image, that we might be Your true children; we come to You this morning seeking for favor. Whatever hinders our enjoying the full revealing of Your love — will You take away. As the rising sun has driven away the darkness — so may Your love dispel the shadows from our souls. As the light of the morning floods fields and valleys — so may Your grace flow about us. Illumine us with Your holy love.
We have sinned and come short of Your glory. We have dishonored You in our living. We desire to make this the best day we have ever lived. May You give us special grace, a special measure of Your Spirit, that we may keep near to You. Help us to do our common work better, more skillfully, more neatly, more swiftly than ever before. Help us to keep You more in our thoughts as we hurry here and there on our errands of duty. Give us more of the mind of Jesus, that we may be sweet-spirited, and kindly-affectioned. May Your love shine in our faces, so that we shall witness for You in all our walk and conversation. Sanctify our influence with others.
There are many friends who need Your help and blessing this day. There are some to whom duty will be hard because of discouragement. Life is not going smoothly with them. They have had reverses and losses. Remember such and bless them in their disheartenment. Keep them from being too much cast down. Give them courage and hope, and sustain them by Your grace. There are homes in distress because loved ones are sick. Tenderly bless such homes. Spare useful lives if it be Your will. We ask these mercies, sure of Your sympathy, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
SATURDAY EVENING
O God, our Father in Heaven, who has kept us through another week, we wait for an evening blessing. For all that the week has been to us, we thank You. Goodness and mercy have followed us all the days and nights. We have been fed daily from Your hand, as really as were Your people in the wilderness when manna was rained upon them morning by morning. You have blessed us with health, with friends, with the comforts of home, with the many good things of providence which the week has brought to us.
But our part has not been so faithful. We have been forgetful and careless. We have not done all our duty to each other and to our neighbors. We have left undone, many things we ought to have done. Forgive us, and enable us to profit by the experience of our failure in the past and to live holier another week.
We leave all our work in Your hands. We look toward Sunday with hope and longing, for we desire to go again to Your sanctuary. Our souls thirst for You as a dry waterless land thirsts for rain. May we be prepared for Sunday, that when it comes we may be ready for rich blessing.
Keep us through the night. Protect us from all harm. Preserve our bodies from disease and from accident, and our souls from evil of every kind. May we rest in sweet peace and be refreshed by sleep. May our home have special protection from fire and every danger. We would not forget our friends. Give them a Saturday evening blessing.
Hear us in these our evening prayers, bless us, comfort, strengthen, and keep us. We ask all for the sake of Jesus Christ our Redeemer. Amen.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
SEVENTH WEEK
SUNDAY MORNING
Almighty God, our heavenly Father, who has graciously opened for us sinners a way into the holiest — we come to You, grateful for Your favor and mercy. We thank You for all the gifts of Your love — but especially for Your unspeakable gift Jesus Christ. On this Sunday may we have such a revealing of Your love as shall flood our hearts. Unveil the cross to us, and may we see Your heart, with its marvelous love for a lost world.
May Your word have new meaning for us today as we read it or listen to it. May our minds be opened to understand it, and may Your Spirit guide us into the truth. May this be to us a day for the strengthening of our faith, for the deepening of our love.
May it be a day also for much blessing in our own souls. Bless us by showing us our faults, our secret sins, the things in us that are not beautiful and holy. We desire to find them. Search us, O God, and know our hearts; try us and know our thoughts; and see if there is any wicked way in us — and then lead us in the everlasting way. We want to part with our sins and faults; we do not want to keep them. Have mercy upon us, and may this Sunday be a day for finding and putting away evil things out of our hearts.
We ask You to point us to whatever ministry to others You would have us perform today. Fill us with Your love, that wherever we go, we may carry healing for sick souls or for wounded hearts. Help us to be comforters of those who are in sorrow, and encouragers of those who are disheartened. Give us, Lord, a good Sunday, full of Your revealings of love and grace, full of holy inspirations. We ask in the name of Jesus. Amen.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
SUNDAY EVENING
Bend down Your ear to us, O God, we beseech You, and hear the confession, the supplication, and the praise of Your children, which we bring to You, through Jesus Christ our Lord. We have erred and strayed from Your ways, like lost sheep. We have too much followed the devices and desires of our own hearts. We have offended against Your holy laws. We have left undone those things we ought to have done — and have done those things we ought not to have done; and there is no soundness in us. But You, O Lord, have mercy upon us miserable offenders, and for Jesus' sake, grant us grace to shun every evil way, and to live in all things unto the glory of Your holy name.
What shall we render unto You, O You giver of all good things, for Your kindness to us as a family? We thank You for the comforts of our home, for the opportunities of education we have, for health and happiness, for prosperity and all the blessings of Your providence, for the love that unites us as a household.
Help us, O our Father, to make some worthy return for all Your favors and gracious kindnesses. Enable us to live as those should live, who receive so much from You.
May our hearts be loving and grateful.
May our lips express Your praise.
May our lives be true interpreters of the gratitude which we feel.
Sanctify to us all this day's blessings. Bless to us the preaching of Your word and all the services of Your house in which we have been engaged. May a blessing follow all the work of Your people today in all churches and Sunday schools. Give us now secure and refreshing rest, and may Sunday's influences follow us through all the new week. We ask in Jesus Christ. Amen.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
MONDAY MORNING
Our Father in Heaven, hallowed be Your name. May Your kingdom come. May Your will be done on earth, as it is in Heaven. May Your kingdom come indeed in our hearts, in our home. May we learn to do Your will as it is done by the holy ones who are above Your throne. Too often we want our own way and are not content to take Your way. Give us of Your grace, so that whatever it is that You would have us to do or to suffer — we may cheerfully accept it.
We made promises yesterday, when we were worshiping You, that we would live faithfully, that we would walk in the way of Your commandments. Help us to keep our vows today when we go back into the world. Let not sin have dominion over us. Let us not fall under the power of temptation. Let us not be influenced by evil companions, or by the spirit of the world. May we be kept under the sway of Your Spirit.
We ask You to give us more grace. We desire abundant spiritual life, that we may bring forth abundant fruit. May we be branches in the vine which will honor You. May the fruits of the Spirit abound in us — love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faithfulness, meekness, self-control. May others who turn to us for sympathy, comfort, friendship, strength, or help — find in us that which will feed their soul-hunger.
We ask now for personal blessings on all the members of our family. Sweeten our home life. Bind us together in tender love. May we be helpers of each other's life in all ways. May we be enabled to strengthen each other in all ways. Be the helper of each of us, and may we in turn help many others. We ask in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
MONDAY EVENING
We are little children, our Father, in this great world — and cannot take care of ourselves. But we are so glad that we are Your little children, that we have You for our Father. We are sure of Your eternal keeping. You will never allow us to fall out of Your love and care. We creep near to You tonight, as the darkness comes again over us. We hide ourselves in the secret place of Your love and protection.
We beseech You to forgive all the sins we have committed against You this day. Renew our hearts more and more deeply and thoroughly, that we may keep Your laws and walk in the way of Your commandments, that our thoughts and feelings, as well as our outward life, may be in harmony with Your will.
This evening, our Father, we remember Your other children who are about us. Some of them are happy; in their happiness may they not forget You. Sanctify all pure gladness, and let a blessing rest on all young lives that are bright with human joy. Bless all true and pure friendship, and may they lead to closer friendship with You. Some of Your children around us, are in care and trial. Some are poor, having difficulty in obtaining daily bread. Some have sickness in their homes. Some have loved ones who are not living as they should live, who do not love You nor walk in Your ways — and their hearts are burdened on account of these. Some have sorrows. They have lost dear friends, and their hearts are in sore grief. For all of these our neighbors, we make our prayer tonight. Bless them all. Give them the grace they need. Send relief and comfort in Your own best way. And give us grace to do our part in helping them in Your name, through Jesus Christ. Amen.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
TUESDAY MORNING
Days come and go, our Father, with their change and decay — but You remain ever the same, and Your years have no end. A thousand ages are in Your sight, as but one day. With You there is no yesterday and no tomorrow — but all time is present to You. But in our little lives, we need daily blessing. Our yesterdays cast their shadows upon our todays. We go sadly because of the memories of our past griefs. Then even our tomorrows cast back on our path, the shadows of fear and care.
We are glad that You see and know all, what is gone and what is to come, and that we can so safely leave all in Your hands. Help us to live holily in just this little day that is ours, leaving with You what is past and what is future, and not fretting ourselves. So we ask for quietness and confidence, that we may be true and faithful in all our duties. May Your peace which passes all understanding, keep our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.
We beseech You, O Lord, to give us strength and wisdom for all this day's responsibilities and for all its experiences. Let nothing surprise us or dismay us. Hold our hand at all times, and at all places. Give us wisdom to answer every question and to make every decision in the way that will please You. Make us strong to resist all temptation, however insidiously it may steal upon us. Give us an increasing measure of Your love, to make us . . .
patient toward all people we meet,
sympathetic toward those who are sorrowing,
cheerful toward the discouraged,
helpful toward the weak.Send us out on Your errands, so that all we do this day shall be work for You. Breathe upon us as we wait here at Your feet and give us a Father's morning blessing. We beseech You to hear us for Jesus' sake. Amen.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
TUESDAY EVENING
We come with grateful hearts to You, O God our Father. We will sing praises unto You as long as we live. We call upon our souls and all that is within us — to bless Your holy name, and never to forget Your benefits. For You forgive all our iniquities. You heal all our diseases. You redeem our lives from destruction. You crown us with loving kindnesses and tender mercies. You satisfy our mouth with good things, so that our youth is renewed like an eagle.
You, Lord, are merciful and gracious, slow to anger and plenteous in mercy. You will not always chide us, neither will You keep Your anger forever. You have not dealt with us according to our sins, nor rewarded us according to our iniquities. For as Heaven is high above the earth — so is Your mercy toward those who fear You. As far as the east is from the west — so far have You removed our transgressions from us. Like as a father pities his children, so do You pity those who fear You. For You know our frame; You remember that we are dust.
Our days are as grass; as a flower of the field, so do we flourish. The wind passes over it, and it is gone; and the place thereof shall know it no more. But Your mercy, O Lord, is from everlasting to everlasting. We rejoice in Your eternity. We can rest on it and know that our trust shall never be disturbed. The mountains shall depart and the hills be removed — but Your kindness shall never depart from us, nor the covenant of Your peace be removed.
Grant us now Your peace, our Father, and keep us in the secret place of Your presence, from all harm during the night. Bless us with Your tenderest love, we ask through Jesus Christ, our Lord and Redeemer. Amen.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
WEDNESDAY MORNING
O Lord, who by the example of Your apostle, has taught us to forget those things which are behind, and to reach forth unto those things which are ahead — give us grace to leave all that is past, and to press toward the mark for the prize of our high calling. Help us to lay aside every weight, and the sins which do so easily beset us — and to run with patience the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith.
This world draws upon us and holds us back from heavenward aspirings. May we have grace to resist these earthward drawings, and may the heavenly life win us ever toward its blessedness. May we be enabled to live more and more for the things that are unseen and eternal. Earthly things, sweet and beautiful as they are, are but for a little while. They are like the flowers which are so fragrant and lovely today — and tomorrow are faded and worthless. May these earthly blessings, which pass away, ever reveal You to us, and turn our thoughts to You. As these earthly blessings are but for a day, let us not rest in them, nor build our hopes on them — but teach us rather to rest in You and to build our hopes on the enduring rock of Your eternity. Then, come what may of earthly disaster or loss — we shall be safe and secure in You, our changeless God.
Fill our hearts with thoughts of Your love and grace, as we go forth into the world. Go before us and lead us, and help us to follow You wherever You may lead. Give us wisdom to answer all questions in the right way. Give us courage to meet difficulties and to overcome hindrances and obstacles. Give us gentle hearts that we may be a blessing to other lives. We ask all in the name of Jesus. Amen.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
WEDNESDAY EVENING
Father, Your favor is life, Your love is eternal life. We still live, because upheld by Your grace. For the many mercies of this day, we thank You. We have enjoyed health, and provision for our needs. We have been protected from harm, from disease, from accident. Our evening is quiet and peaceful, because Your blessings have been about us. We thank You for the shelter we have in our home. We thank You for the love that makes our home mean so much to us. We thank You for the friends who are about us on every side, and who do so much for us. We thank You for Christian books and for the great thoughts which we find in them, which do so much to inspire us to beautiful, noble, and worthy living. We thank You, most of all, for the Bible and the divine words it brings to us.
Help us to profit by all these blessings. May we have grace to improve all these manifold privileges, so that we shall be able to render account to You for them, without shame.
We have many burdens on our hearts tonight. We pray for all schools and colleges, and all institutions of learning. Make them all fountains of good and holy influence, so that the children and youth of the land may be brought up in the fear of God, as well as trained for usefulness. Bless all teachers, and may their lives be pure and clean, and their teaching and example worthy of the lives which are placed in their hands. We pray for all homes. Make them Christlike. May mothers and fathers be made holier in heart and life, so that they may be prepared to give a wise direction to the young lives entrusted to their guidance. We ask these favors in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
THURSDAY MORNING
O God, we have nothing to bring to You but our needs, and such poor return of gratitude as our evil hearts can bring. But we are glad to know that You are pleased to have us come to You even with our needs and sins. Reveal Your love to us so clearly, that our love shall be kindled, and that we may learn to love You more.
The morning calls us to praise and thanksgiving. We have slept and awaked, and You have preserved us and refreshed us. Our life has been renewed in sleep. The sun shines again about us, and in its beams we rejoice. Give us a Father's morning blessing as we step out to take up the new day's new duties. Purify our hearts — that our thoughts and feelings may be pure. Give us diligence, honesty, truthfulness, and the spirit of service — that we may do our common tasks in a way that will honor the name we bear.
May we learn better and better how to live with Jesus in the common days, the week-days — so that they may all be made bright with Your grace. Preserve us from foolishness, from idle words, from trifling, from all that would make our life profane, or mar the impressions made on others by our conduct and example. May our daily walk be a daily gospel. May we be a blessing to everyone whom we meet. May we be kept from being discouragers of others. Save us from all that would make it harder for others to live. May we so live, that all who know us will find it easier to be true, holy, and happy.
Give us now a Father's morning blessing. Then we shall be stronger all the day. Then we shall be safe amid temptation. Help us to live sweetly and for You, through Jesus Christ. Amen.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
THURSDAY EVENING
O God, who has taught us in Your holy word to cast our burdens upon You, promising that we shall be sustained — we come to You this evening with our burdens. You have given them to us; they are Your gifts. We know, therefore, that there must be a blessing wrapped up in every one of them, something good sent from You to us. Help us to accept our burdens, and to get Your gifts from them. Let us not repine nor murmur under them, and thus miss the blessing that You have sent to us.
You have not promised to take our burdens away from us, for this would be depriving us of blessings which You have specially prepared for us in Your love. But You have promised to sustain us, to give us strength to bear the burden. Our prayer, then, is that You would give us grace to accept whatever burdens You have laid upon us, to take up whatever crosses You put upon our shoulders, and to bear them after our Savior, with quiet trust.
We bring You at the close of the day, our sincere gratitude and praise for Your goodness.
Your love never wearies,
Your patience is never exhausted,
Your grace never fails.We grieve You by our many sins and by our unbelief and murmuring. Have mercy upon us, and forgive us, for Jesus' sake.
Let us have an evening blessing from Your hand. Give us Your peace; strengthen us with Your might, that we may be ready for any duty, any struggle. Beat down Satan under our feet. You have overcome the world, O Jesus, and because of Your victoriousness, You are able to be our defense and our refuge. So we hide in You, as in the shadow of a great rock in a weary land. Bless us for Your own name's sake. Amen.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
FRIDAY MORNING
O God, the fountain of all truth and grace, who has called us out of darkness into Your marvelous light — grant to us Your blessing at the opening of this new day. We beseech You to give us of Your grace, that we may walk worthy of our gracious high calling, with all lowliness and meekness, all faith and hope. May we be enabled to let our light so shine before men, that they may see our good works and glorify You.
We ask You for grace . . .
to perform our allotted tasks with diligence;
to guide our affairs with discretion;
to do all things, whatever we do, in the name of the Lord Jesus;
and in all our ways to acknowledge You.Order our steps in Your word — and let not any iniquity have dominion over us.
Give us this day our daily bread. Feed us with food needful for us. Grant to us health of body and soundness of mind, that we may be prepared for the duties that this day will bring to us. Prosper our undertakings, so far as they are in accordance with Your holy will. If any of our plans are not included in Your plan for our life, we desire to have them set aside, for we would not go against You, nor do anything that You will not approve or bless. Restrain us . . .
from all excess, of whatever kind,
from all extravagance of speech,
from all foolish vanity,
from inordinate affection and emotion.
Make us thoughtful, serious, solemn, watchful, and prayerful.O God, You allowed Your only Son to be tempted of the Evil One — that He might be able to support them that are tempted; we beseech You to deliver us from those snares and temptations by which we are always beset, and to strengthen us by Your Spirit, that in all things, we may be more than conquerors through Him who loved us. Amen.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
FRIDAY EVENING
O God, who alone can give the hearing ear and the understanding heart — open our minds that we may understand Your word which we have read. Make the truth plain and clear to us. Save us from handling Your word selfishly — from wresting it from its true meaning to serve any purpose of our own. Help us to find in it, always what Your Spirit meant us to find. Grant us grace to search the Scriptures diligently, and to find in them . . .
Your holy will,
the revealing of Your truth,
the unveiling of Jesus,
Your precepts for the guidance of our lives.May Your word be a lamp to our feet, and a light to our path. May it show us the shoe-prints of our Master who has gone before us, that we may walk in His steps. We thank You for all that the Bible is to us, for its words which assure us of Your love for us, and which mark out for us the only way to our heavenly home. We thank You for the wonderful promises in the Bible, covering every moment of life, every possible need, every condition of peril or trial. We thank You for the comforts of Your word, that in our sorrow we can always find consolation.
We ask You to teach us Your ways, to take away the veil, that we may understand Your word. May the Bible, as its truths enter into our souls, transform and transfigure our lives, and make them shine with something of Your own holiness. May the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us.
Bless Your word to the world. Wherever it is taught or preached, may its divine light break forth and help to brighten the world. Help us to do something to diffuse Your truth among men. And to the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit — be all honor, and glory, world without end. Amen.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
SATURDAY MORNING
O God, who has taught us to make supplications, prayers, and intercessions for all men — we beseech You to hear us, and to receive these our prayers which we humbly offer to Your divine Majesty, in the name of Jesus Christ.
Remember in Your mercy all men whom You have made to dwell upon all the face of the earth. Deliver them from the manifold evils and miseries by which so many of them are oppressed. Deliver them especially from idolatry, from ignorance and superstition, from error and unbelief, and from the chains of sin. Send abroad Your gospel, until every nation under Heaven shall hear its joyful proclamation. Bless all missionaries and all societies whose purpose it is to promote the gospel. Hasten the coming of Your kingdom among the nations, and bring all Your lost sheep into the fold of the Good Shepherd.
Remember also, all Your people in Christian lands. You have purchased Your church with Your own blood. We beseech You to bless all who own Your name and call upon You in prayer. Give to Your church more of Your life and of Your Spirit. Endue Your ministering servants with all spiritual gifts and graces.
Remember all who are in any trouble. Help the weak, and make them strong in spirit. Lift up all who have fallen. Confirm those who are faltering, ready to sink down in discouragement. Let a special blessing be upon Your children. They never can find the way home themselves; You must show them the way. Grant that the whole company of Your people may ever keep the unity of the Spirit, in the bonds of peace, to the glory of Your holy name. Amen.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
SATURDAY EVENING
O God, who by the teaching and example of Your dear Son, has warned us that we should work Your works while it is day, before the night comes — give us the spirit of earnestness and diligence, that we may do with faithfulness the work that You have given us to do. Save us from indolence and sloth. Help us to realize the true meaning of life. Enable us by Your grace to do all that comes to us to do; and to do with all our might, whatever our hand finds to do.
We beseech You to forgive us tonight, wherein we have failed to do the duties allotted to us. Give us grace and wisdom to use every talent entrusted to us — so that it may yield its fitting return of blessing and good in the world, and honor and glory to Your name. May we be faithful in every relation in life. In our home, may we so discharge all our duties that no part of our household life shall suffer. Help us to be faithful in all our business relations, in our social relations, in the church, in the state, in the world.
We ask You also that You will teach us how to make all our work Christian work — business for Jesus. Teach us how to do all things to Your glory. Let not our worldly business steal away our hearts from our heavenly Master. Let us not grow worldly while busily engaged in the things which we must do to get bread for our bodies. Make all our work a means of grace to us. May we learn how to do everything for Jesus. Then we shall find a blessing in every task and every duty. Grant now that in all things we may honor and glorify You, forgetting self. We ask in the name of our Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
EIGHTH WEEK
SUNDAY MORNING
Most gracious God, who in Your good providence has permitted us to see the light of another Sunday — draw near to us in mercy. May the Sun of righteousness arise upon us, with healing in His wings. May our fellowship this day be with You, the Father, and with Your Son, Jesus Christ. May all unworthy thoughts be repressed, and may our hearts be filled with holy desires. Be a guest in our home today. Abide with us and sanctify all our home life.
We beseech You to bless all the assemblies of Your people who shall gather for Your worship today in any part of the world. May Your Spirit be given to all who preach and teach in the name of Jesus, and to all who love You. May Your word have great power. May lost sinners be convicted and led to repentance. May Christians be strengthened and edified. May sorrowing ones be comforted. May the children and the young receive holy and heavenly impulses and be blessed. May this be a day of the power of the Most High, and may its influence be deep and abiding.
We beseech You, O God, to give us a good Sunday in our own home. Help us to remember the day, and to keep it in such a way as to please You and receive blessing in our lives. May our love for each other be quickened as we worship together. May Your love be shed abroad in our hearts more richly. May we stay near to Your heart all the day. We ask this through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
SUNDAY EVENING
O Lord, You are our Shepherd; we shall not lack. You make us to lie down in green pastures, and lead us beside the still waters. You have been our Shepherd today. We have been in Your pastures, as we have read Your word and worshiped with Your people.
We bow at Your throne with grateful hearts at the closing of the day. We would gather up the fragments remaining of the precious things of this day, and carry them with us to feed upon in the days of the week before us. You have kept . . .
our feet from falling,
our eyes from tears, and
our souls from death.We have walked with Jesus, and our hearts have burned within us as He talked with us by the way.
We beseech You to fix deep in our hearts all good impressions, all lessons learned, all influences which have touched our lives. Too often we make fair resolves and promises, while our hearts are glowing with love — and then forget them tomorrow. Fix this Sunday's teachings so deeply in our minds, that we shall never lose them. May we be . . .
stronger in faith,
more earnest in purpose,
more holy in thought and feeling —
because of our communion with You this day.Ever-living God, who neither slumbers nor sleeps — take charge of our bodies and our souls during the dark hours of the night. Give us refreshing rest and sleep. Let tomorrow be a day made sweet and holy by the blessing of Sunday overflowing into it. May we carry the fragrance of this day into the world's life. And unto Him who is able to keep us from falling, and to present us faultless before the presence of His glory, with exceeding joy, to the only wise God, our Savior — be glory forever and ever. Amen.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
MONDAY MORNING
Almighty God, the Father of us all, in whom we live, and move, and have our being — we worship You, and give thanks unto Your great and holy name. Our hearts are full of memories of Sunday. May we be like those who have walked amid fragrant flowers, and may we bear the perfume on our very garments. May we be more joyful, more trustful, more holy, more loving, more prayerful — because of the holy influences which yesterday saturated our lives.
You are the God of the evening and of the morning. Every day is a new footprint, showing where You have walked in love. We thank You for the day which is shining now for us. We need Your presence with us through all the hours, for we do not know what is veiled in them for us:
what duties,
what problems that must be solved,
what decisions that must be made,
what responsibilities that must be met,
what surprises of joy or of sorrow,
what temptations,
what conflicts,
what dangers.We know not — but You know, and we are not afraid to leave all with You. Bless us with peace, and with wisdom and strength for what is before us. Take our hands and guide us.
We consecrate ourselves to You this day, O God, for life and service. We are Yours, and we must present ourselves a living sacrifice unto You. We would live only for You. Help us to renounce all claim on ourselves, and to be Yours indeed. If we shall be called to any hard duty, task, or service — give us grace to accept Your will cheerfully and do what will please You. Work in us deeply by Your Spirit, continuing the renewal of our nature, and building us up in holiness and righteousness, through Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
MONDAY EVENING
O almighty and most merciful Lord, fulfill to us, we do beseech You — Your gracious promise to be present with Your people always.
As in the ancient days the pillar of fire that hung over the hosts of Your people was light to them — so may this night be made light to us. May its brightness shine about us. As the stars fill the sky, so may Your promises pour upon us their beams of divine light and love. May we rest under Your protection, as sweetly as a little child sleeps in the bosom of a loving mother.
Look down upon our neighborhood and behold every home. Some are darkened by affliction. In sick rooms the lamp will burn all night and loving watchers will sit in silence, ministering to their dear ones. Be in those homes and sit with the watchers, whispering the word of cheer and hope.
Other homes there are, where there is an empty chair at the table, and in the circle that gathers about the family altar. Send Your comfort. Make so real the truth of immortality, that death shall not appear as death at all, that the departed shall not seem gone — but near in Jesus.
Still other homes there are where anxious mothers and fathers sit with breaking hearts, grieving over children gone astray. Hear the sobbing supplications which rise from these saddest of all homes. Find the wandering ones and save them. Then there are homes which are very happy with love, with blessings, and mercies, with unbroken circles. Give these Your joy and peace, for Jesus' sake. Amen.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
TUESDAY MORNING
O light of the hearts that trust You, life of the souls that love You, and strength of all who seek Your face — grant us Your grace as we go out this morning. We thank You for the mercies of the night. You have brought us back from the seeming death of sleep. We put our hands in Yours and we ask You to guide us all the day.
Be our good Shepherd. Lead us in paths of righteousness for Your name's sake. Be You our refuge and strength, a very present help in times of trouble. Teach us to do Your will. Incline our hearts to walk in Your ways. Make us love Your commandments. Renew our hearts more and more, so that we shall love to do the things that are right — and hate whatever is wrong.
We shall need divine wisdom all the day. Enable us to conduct our affairs in a way that will please You. May all our business be the Father's business. May our home work be done without worry. May we be helped to bear the trials and endure the frictions of life, as our blessed Master passed through the hard and uncongenial things in His life on the earth, without fretting, without complaining, victoriously and sweetly. Give us patience, forbearance, meekness, and joyousness — and may all our day be holy and beautiful, as we stay near You, and live by Your help and grace.
Allow no temptation to imperil our souls — but with every temptation make for us a way to escape, that we may not fall away into eternal death. Let us not yield to unholy influences — but may we be in all things more than conquerors through him who loved us. These mercies we ask, humbly confessing our sins, through Jesus our Redeemer. Amen.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
TUESDAY EVENING
O God, the Author of our being, and the Preserver of our lives — we come to Your throne of grace this evening to put ourselves into Your care for the night. Bless us and give us Your special peace. Make clean our hearts before You, and take not Your Holy Spirit from us. Lift upon us the light of Your countenance, and grant to us Your salvation .
The evening is here; come, O Jesus, and abide with us. Do not allow us to fall out of Your keeping. Strengthen our faith that it will not fail. May we ever keep our eyes upon You, setting You always before us, so that we shall not lose the way. We are too prone to trust our own desires, and to choose our own ways. Help us always to do the things You approve, so that we shall not sin against You. Keep us from being discouraged and cast down. May we learn to leave all the affairs of our lives in Your hands, and ask You to bring out of all things, what is best for us and for Your glory. Teach us how to commit our way unto You, that You may bring forth our righteousness.
We bring You, one by one, the members of our household. You know each one of us and all our needs. You know the temptations which beset each one of us. They are not the same temptations, though we dwell under the same roof. Suit Your grace to our danger and our need. Reveal Yourself to us always as the Friend we need — with the help we need.
Sanctify all the experiences of the day to us. May our disappointments prove to be Your appointments, and may the way You have led us be indeed the right way. In Your great mercy forgive all our sins, and bring us unto Your heavenly kingdom, through Jesus Christ. Amen.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
WEDNESDAY MORNING
O God, You alone make us to dwell in safety. We lie down at night under the shadow of Your wings; we awake in the morning under the blessing of Your love, because You have sustained us. Again we owe You thanks for care and protection, and for sleep. We renew our consecration to You this morning, asking You for permission to live another day for You and with You, doing Your will.
Make the way plain to us, and let us not wander from the paths of your commandments. In our worldly affairs, may we have wisdom and grace. May it please You to prosper us in our daily occupations. May Your Holy Spirit preside over our household. Preserve us from harm of every kind. Let us not be careless in our duty, nor neglectful in our tasks of this day.
Let us not waste a moment of precious time. It is Your day, not ours; ours to use for You. May we be able to spend it so that not a moment shall be left without something to bear as a record of good. In our conversation may we speak only words that shall minister grace — kind words, true words. Keep us from all complaining and grumbling. Teach us the lesson of contentment, that we may never murmur nor repine.
May it please You to preserve us, too, from all speech that would be disheartening to others. May we ever speak cheering and heartening words, which will make it easier for others to live. Forbid that we should speak any sentence which will make any one's burden heavier, or any one's path rougher. So may we live ever for You, serving You faithfully, and at the last may You receive us unto Your heavenly glory, through Jesus Christ our Redeemer. Amen.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
WEDNESDAY EVENING
Almighty God, who has ordered our lot and appointed the place of our habitation — grant us grace to accept cheerfully and to occupy contentedly the station in life which, in Your providence, You have assigned to us. Help us to realize its sacredness, because it is Your fatherly choice for us, and Your gift to us.
Surely the place You have prepared for us, and in which You have set us — must be the best place for us, the place in which we can best grow as Christians, whose atmosphere is the most healthful for us, whose experiences are suited to the development of our character. It must be the place, too, in which we can do the best service for You. Help us to accept it with confidence, and to live in it without discontent.
Sometimes we are disposed to murmur. We think others are more highly favored, have easier positions, have less care and toil, have more ease and comfort. We imagine that if we could change places with some others we know — that we could live more sweetly and make more of our life.
Forgive us this sin of discontentment with our place in life. You know what is best for us. You know where we can be of the most use to You and to others, where the work lies which You have for us to do.
So we pray earnestly, our Father, for the spirit of cheerful acquiescence in Your plan, and Your way for us. Help us to accept Your guidance and to do the things that come to us day by day from Your hand. Then at the end we can rejoice in the blessing of those who have done Your will, and served our own generation. We ask all through Jesus Christ. Amen.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
THURSDAY MORNING
Our heavenly Father, You have told us that You love us and care for us. We gather about our family altar again to accept the assurance of Your love, and to accept Your care. We are Yours — not our own. You have made us — You have redeemed us. Your marks are upon us — the marks of the Lord Jesus. We are confident of Your keeping, and so we put our lives into Your care.
Help us to be good children. Let us not grieve You by our sins, nor by unbelief, nor by leaving the way of Your commandments. May we be . . .
faithful in all our duty,
diligent in all our task-work,
constant in our devotion to You,
and helpful among Your children.May it please You to make our home more and more happy and loving. Preserve us from all those bickerings and strifes which mar the sweetness of so many homes. May we learn to live together as a family in patience and kindliness. May we bear with one another's faults and foibles. May we be thoughtful toward each other's weaknesses, and not be aggravating in our words and conduct. Thus may we each contribute toward the happiness of our home, and the good and edification of the others.
Make our home more and more the center of holy influences. May its light stream out so as to brighten other homes — and make other lives safer, stronger, and truer. Help us in all ways to be . . .
sweeteners of the world's bitterness,
comforters of its sorrow,
strength for its weakness,
and life for its death.We make confession of our sins. We look to You for protection and guidance. May You walk with us through all the day's path and keep us from stumbling. Get us safely home at last. We ask through Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
THURSDAY EVENING
O blessed Jesus, whom not having seen we love, in whom, though we see You not, yet believing, we rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory — we come to You at the ending of another day. Abide with us, for it is toward evening and the day is far spent. The night will be turned into day if You are with us, for it is never dark where You are.
We bring to You the happiness of the day. It all came from You. Every fragment of beauty we have enjoyed, is from Your hand. You have made the blue skies, the green fields, the lovely flowers, the birds with their sweet songs, and all the beautiful things of this fair world. You have made the children whose voices are such music in earth's homes. The sunshine is Yours, the stars are from Your hand. It is wonderful what a beautiful world You have made, just to be our home. Our hearts are full of praise as we think of all these things which tell of Your loving thought for us.
We lay our burdens down at Your feet. What we have done today, we bring to You for Your blessing, for no work is finished until it has the touch of Your hand upon it and Your blessing.
Finish what we have begun.
Cleanse what our soiled hands have stained.
Correct what our clumsiness has marred.
If we have neglected any duty, may You forgive us and show us what it is that we may even yet try to do it. Teach us more and more to be thoughtful, watchful, and alert — that we may do the things we ought to do, that we may hear the cries of human need which come from weary hearts about us, calling us to love's ministries. May we live ever nearer to Jesus, and then we shall know what we ought to do. Bless us, Father, for Jesus' sake. Amen.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
FRIDAY MORNING
O God, You are our Rock, our Fortress, our Deliverer, the horn of our salvation and our Redeemer. You are a tried Savior, and we know we can trust in You. We have put our confidence in You in the past, and You have never once failed us.
We render You hearty thanks this morning, for all the blessings of the night. We thank You most of all for the revelation of Yourself to us in Jesus Christ our Savior, in whom we see the express image of Your person. We thank You that in Him we have learned of Your fatherhood and of Your grace and mercy. May the Holy Spirit teach us more and more of the blessedness and preciousness of this divine revealing — opening our eyes to see it, and our hearts to receive it.
We beseech You, O God, to draw us near to You this morning, and to hold us close to You all the day. We would run the race that is set before us without faltering. May we be enabled to lay aside every weight that would hinder us, and every sin that would easily beset us, and looking to Jesus as the goal — run with patience and alertness. We desire to live as Christians should live. Let us not be drawn away by the world's fascinations.
Help us to do our daily business righteously. Teach us how to do the commonest duties for the sake of Jesus, for the eye of Jesus. Help us to be honest and truthful . . .
in our business,
in our social life,
in our conversation,
in all our life.May the fruits of the Spirit abound in our lives. May we abound also in good works. Send us all the help we need for the day's demands. Bless our beloved ones, whatever their circumstances, and all for whom our prayers should be made to You. We ask all in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
FRIDAY EVENING
We thank You, our Father in Heaven, for the love which always shines about us from Your face. We thank You for the quietness and peace which are about us at this evening hour. May the deep peace of Heaven be in our hearts. Teach us the lesson of quietness and confidence, and help us to abide in the restfulness of Your own love.
Our hearts go out in compassion for the world. Lives are degraded and debased. The whole creation groans and travails in pain together. We long to do something to help this sinning world, and to lift it out of its bondage. Show us what we can do. Give us true pity for the lost. May we have something of Jesus' compassion, who gave His life to redeem the lost.
We think also of the world's sorrow. On every hand we find grief. Hearts are breaking. Homes are in mourning. Teach us to sympathize with the sorrowing everywhere, and help us to do something to lighten the burdens of affliction, and to comfort those who are in grief.
Accept what we have done today for You. What we have wrought, seems very small to human eyes — but to You, nothing is small which is done in the name of Jesus. Take our little things, our gentle deeds, our touches of sympathy — and use them to make the world holier and sweeter. May they start influences which shall go on forever, repeating themselves from heart to heart.
Keep us safely through the hours of unconsciousness. Let no accident befall our home. May our first waking thought in the morning be of You. Bless us and prepare us for the duties and experiences of the new day, We ask all these favors in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
SATURDAY MORNING
We come into Your presence, O great and glorious God, to begin the day at Your feet. Without Your blessing, we dare not go out into the twisting paths of the world. We desire to do good work today. Keep us from being satisfied with commonplace doing of duty; may we do even the least things finely, so as to please You.
We desire to live well in our family life. We sometimes fail to do our best in our own home. We grow careless. We do not speak as affectionately as we should do. We are less courteous and kindly than we might be. We do not always give the sweetest things of love to those who are nearest. Teach us, Father, to love at home — and to show our love. Preserve us from all impatience, fretfulness, and irritability in our association as a household, and give us the spirit of love.
We desire also to manifest love in all our relations with the world. Give us large charity towards our neighbors. Help us to be like Jesus, who when reviled, reviled not again — who bore injury and insult with meekness and gentleness. May we have the same patient love which He had. If we suffer wrong from others — may we suffer in quietness, without resentment, returning good for evil, kindness for unkindness.
May we have the spirit of helpfulness toward all our neighbors. May we be like the good Samaritan to any we find in distress or need. May we be enabled to carry something of the love of Jesus to every life that touches ours. Make us good interpreters of Jesus' divine love and kindness. May our neighbors see in us, the holiness of Jesus. So may our day be one of beauty and grace, full of Jesus and full of good to others. We ask it in the blessed name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
SATURDAY EVENING
What shall we say to You, O God, tonight, to express our gratitude for all this day's goodness? We can only bring You our hearts' poor worship — and ask You to accept it. A week's work we lay upon the altar. What is wrong in it — may You cleanse. What is right — may You accept and use.
Our thanks are due to You for all that You have been to us this week. You have been our Shepherd, leading us into green pastures and beside still waters. You have been our refuge and strength, a very present help in times of trouble. You have been our fortress, into which we have run in time of danger, finding deliverance. You have been our companion along the way, our guide, our guardian, our friend, our deliverer, our helper.
May You impress Yourself on our lives. Saturate our very being with Your own life, so that we shall be transformed into Your own character!
We pray tonight for the world outside. Much of it is without You and without hope. Remember the homes around us which are godless and prayerless. Find some way, O God, to get within these homes, that the children at least may be saved. We pray also for those who have sorrow in their homes, and cry out for comfort. Wipe away tears, by revealing the truths which give true consolation.
We commit our own home to Your protection for the night. You who never slumber — may You be our keeper. Let no danger find us. May Your peace abide upon our home. Prepare us for the duties of Sunday. May it please You to spare us, and bless us in all best ways. We ask in the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Redeemer. Amen.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
NINTH WEEK
SUNDAY MORNING
Father, while we turn aside to rest this day with You — the great feverish world goes throbbing, throbbing on. May something of Your blessed Sunday peace go out into this restless world and quiet it. Make it a true blessing to all Your people, and may influences go out from it which will make its power great over all the world.
We beseech You to let Your grace be given, so that all who worship You may receive blessing. Let Your blessing be upon all assemblies that meet for worship and upon all Sunday schools. May there be divine power in the preaching of the word. May homes in which the day's quiet prevails, receive rich blessing from the observance. May our home be thus blessed and enriched. May there come down from the heavens much of the very life of God which shall make all the land holier, purer, and sweeter.
O God, Your cause on the earth sometimes seems to languish. Your church does not appear to be earnest. The world is earnest. Every energy of evil is active. Wicked men are busy in their wickedness. But the followers of Jesus appear to be asleep! Your kingdom does not seem to be advancing among the nations. We pray again, "May Your kingdom come." Pour out of the Spirit upon all who bear the name of Jesus. Kindle revival fires in all parts of the church. We pray for ourselves, that we may be quickened in our spiritual life.
Let a blessing be upon Your whole church, and may Your cause receive an impulse from on high which shall be felt over all the world. Revive Your work among Your people. Hear us in our prayers and give us blessing, through Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
SUNDAY EVENING
We come back this evening, our Father, to continue our prayer for the coming of Your kingdom. The day is past and the work of Your servants is done. Thousands of ministers have preached Your word, tens of thousands of teachers have taught the children, and in millions of Christian homes there have been supplications and prayers. Let not all this work be lost. May Your Spirit gather up all that has been done for You, and give it Your divine blessing, without which nothing can result from it.
Revive Your work in this land and in the world, through this Sunday's ministrations. May many of Your children carry new earnestness and zeal into their living and their work tomorrow. May the seeds sown in the furrows, take root and grow. Let not the birds gather up and devour what has been sown. Let not the thorns spring up and choke it. Let not the heat of trial waste the tender growths. May the good seed grow wherever it has been sown, and may abundant harvests wave on thousands of fields. Prosper You Your own work on the earth.
May Your peace rest upon our home tonight. May the gentle Dove descend and spread his white wings over us, sheltering us while we sleep. May holy influences rest upon us from Sunday, and may its teachings and impressions abide upon us all the week. May each one of us be kept from the world's unhallowed power. Hold us all near Your heart, in the warmth of Your love, in the strong security of Your grace. May the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us. May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God our Father, and the comfort of the Holy Spirit be upon us forever. Amen.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
MONDAY MORNING
O God, most merciful — bless us this morning. Lay Your hand upon us, in a Father's blessing. May the grace of the Lord Jesus be upon us and in us all the day. Let Your word abide in our hearts richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing us. May it be so hidden in us, that it shall keep us from sin. May the power of Your Spirit rest upon us through all this day — cleansing and purifying our thoughts and feelings and all our inner life, and impelling us to holiness in our walk and conversation.
May it please You, O God, to guide us today and keep us in all our experiences. Keep us from carelessness. Let us not drift away from the holy truths we have been taught, nor from Jesus Christ our Savior. Let us not become entangled in the affairs of this world in such a way that we shall lose any of the sanctity of our lives. Though in the world — let us not be of it. Help us to maintain a godly life in the midst of all that is ungodly. May our citizenship always be manifestly in Heaven, even though for the time we are dwelling on this earth. May we be true pilgrims, looking for a city which has foundations, whose maker and builder is God. Let us not love this world — as if we would always stay in it.
Let a personal blessing be upon each one in our family. Our needs are different. Tenderly care for those of us who are weak. Shelter any of us who will be exposed to temptation today, and let us not fall. If any unforeseen trouble or sorrow lies in our path, prepare us for it, that we be not surprised by it into sinning. May we each carry out into the world a power of love and grace which shall bless the world. We ask all for Jesus' sake. Amen.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
MONDAY EVENING
Breathe upon us with Your breath of grace and love, our Father — and give us an evening blessing. Let our prayers rise before You as fragrant incense. Let Your peace be upon us. The shadows have deepened over us — but You are in the shadows — and we are safe. Darkness has no peril, when You are keeping us. Night is as day, when . . .
Your eye keeps watch on us,
and Your hand protects us,
and Your arm embraces us.We would go to our rest without fear or anxiety — for You are keeping us. Human arms are not strong, though their clasp is very dear. They cannot always enfold us. The strongest of them must drop in the powerlessness of death. But Yours are everlasting arms. Nothing can ever tear away their clasp. Nothing in the universe can separate us from Your love. No one can snatch us out of the hand of our Savior. We bless You for Your love, and for our security in it, and for the eternity of Your grace. Your promises are sure forever. We are as safe as if we were in Heaven — for You are our God and Father and we are Your redeemed children.
Whatever sins we have committed today, may You forgive. If we have done harm to one of Your little ones — may You show us in what way we have done it, and we will seek to undo it. If we have lost temper and have spoken unadvisedly, impatiently, unkindly, or in uncharitableness, of or to any other — we ask forgiveness. Take not Your Holy Spirit from us. Restore unto us the joy of Your salvation. Grant to us grace and teach us the better way, the more excellent way, the way of love. We would show forth Your praise in all our life. Bless us and enable us to manifest Jesus wherever we go. We ask all in the name of Jesus our Redeemer. Amen.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
TUESDAY MORNING
We lift up our eyes unto the mountains. From whence shall our help come? Our help comes from the Lord, who made Heaven and earth. You will not allow our foot to be moved. You who keep us, will never slumber. You are our keeper. You are our shade upon our right hand. The sun shall not smite us by day, nor the moon by night. You will keep us from all evil. You will keep our going out and our coming in, from this time forth and for evermore.
We lift up our eyes unto You who dwells in the heavens. As the eyes of servants look unto the hand of their masters, and as the eyes of a maiden unto the hand of her mistress — so do our eyes look unto You, O Lord our God, until You have mercy upon us.
Teach us Your will for this day. We earnestly desire to live out the plan of life, which You have for us in Your thought. We know it is a beautiful plan and a worthy one. Reveal it to us as we go on day by day. Show us now this day's section of it, and help us to yield ourselves utterly to Your guidance. Let us not mar our own life, by taking any smallest fragment out of Your hands into our own. Show us Your way, and make us willing to follow in it — even if it is not the way we ourselves would choose.
May we have a day of goodness and mercy. Let us not grieve You, nor turn away from Your commandments. Help us to live profitably — unselfishly and purely. Show us our faults — and then help us to overcome them and put them away. Give us grace to make restitution if we have taken anything from another which was not ours; may we be enabled this very day to pay it back. Let us never lie, nor steal, nor defraud in any way. May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be upon us. Amen.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
TUESDAY EVENING
Father in Heaven, we, Your children, pray to You at this holy evening hour. Your blessings have followed us every day, and have sheltered us every night. We are weak, mere infants in this great world — but Your strength has ever enfolded us and Your love has ever warmed our hearts. This evening we seek new blessing. May Your holy love enter into our hearts and fill them, and may the beauty of the Lord Jesus be upon us.
We have met many people today. May our words spoken to one and another, as we hurried on — not be lost, nor be in vain. May they be as good seeds, and may they grow in the path, making beauty wherever we have gone. If we have spoken wrong words — may You forgive them, and grant to us an opportunity in some way to say some good word which may counteract the evil influence. May You bless to each of us, the touches and influences which other lives have left upon us. Let no marring be upon our character, because of any wrong that may have been done to us or in us today.
We ask You to bless and sanctify our friendships. Preserve us from any friendships which would do us harm, which would entangle us in unholy or hurtful relations, which would be injurious to our character. We would have for our personal friends, only those who are holy, whose influence over us will be helpful and inspiring. Choose our friends for us — and help us to be true and faithful as friends. Help us to cultivate our home affections and all our friendships, so that they may become more true, deep, and holy. Then may we always have You for our best and closest Friend, for Your love is everlasting. We ask all this in the name of our precious Savior. Amen.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
WEDNESDAY MORNING
May You teach us the lesson of cheerfulness, O God. We are too easily irritated and cast down. We let little troubles and difficulties discourage us. Our joy is too easily overclouded. Our song of gladness, too easily turns into a dirge. We fret ourselves needlessly, and fail to rejoice always. Sorrows come over us like a flood, and bury us away beneath their dark waves. Our gladness is too easily turned to sadness, as life's cares and trials come upon us.
We hear You bidding us be of good cheer, because You have overcome the world — telling us that though we have tribulations we may have peace in You. But the lesson is not easy. It is hard for us to keep the song always in our heart, and the sunshine always in our face — when there are so many cares.
We come to You, pleading that You will teach us how always to be cheerful. Help us to such a strong, quiet, firm faith in Jesus — that no matter what may come into our life, we may ever rejoice. Rescue us from disheartenment, no matter how great its cause may appear to be. Help us to cast every burden on You — sure that You will sustain us in carrying it. Help us to learn to rejoice even in disappointments, knowing that if we could see all as You see — we would find beauty and good in everything which seems to us painful and dark.
We desire to be ministers of cheer to others. Forbid that we should go out with sadness in our faces, which shall cast a shadow on other lives. May we be sunshine to others. May we show to all the world what grace can do in making us messengers of gladness. We ask this in the name of Him who overcame the world and can give us peace. Amen.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
WEDNESDAY EVENING
We asked You this morning for grace to be cheerful, and messengers of good cheer to others. We thank You for whatever we were enabled to do in learning this lesson. Bless to others every cheerful word we spoke, and may the influence of our lives be a blessing to many. Wherein we failed to practice the lesson — may You forgive us. We ask that You will continue to teach us, and may we grow in this grace of cheerfulness until our daily lives shall be daily blessings.
We have tried to carry comfort and strength to others. There are some of those about us in trouble, in which we cannot do much to help them. The trouble is beyond our reach. May You be their comforter. If it is not Your will to take away the trial — may You give them grace to endure it with patience, and may You cause it to work for their good, so that they shall grow in grace and be brought nearer to You.
We make special prayer, O God, tonight, for the children. We thank You for childhood and for all it means to homes and to this world. We thank You for children's voices which put so much music into life. We thank You for the simplicity and the humility of the children. Bless the children to this world. May they be means of grace in every home where their voices ring. May You bless homes to the children. May all parents be so like Jesus to the little ones who cluster about them, that the young and tender lives shall be beautiful and blessed, and that they may grow up into strong men and women, fearing You, loving and living the truth, and making the world holier. And to Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, we will give praise, honor, and worship, for evermore. Amen.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
THURSDAY MORNING
O God, who is everywhere present, who is surely here with us now while we bow before You — may You make Your presence indeed real to us, so that we shall be conscious of it. We cannot see You, and it is hard for us to know that You are truly with us. Give us faith in Your promise that You will never leave us nor forsake us, that You will be with us always, even unto the end of the world.
So may Your presence make us strong, and keep us always at peace. May it inspire us always to do our best, since the Master's eye is ever upon us. May it keep us from being ever discouraged and cast down, since You are always a very present help in times of trouble. Then may it make us most watchful over all our life and conversation — that we may do nothing and say nothing which would grieve You.
We desire, our Father, to be diligent today in all duty, and we ask You for help and guidance. Show us what You will have us to do — and then give us wisdom and grace to do all our duty. Help us to do it beautifully, so as to please You. Let us not live well, merely because we must — but may we love to do the things that are right, and do them with cheerfulness and glad-heartedness. May we glorify Your name in the midst of Your enemies, honoring You in our every word and act.
We commit to Your keeping, all of our household as we separate and go our several ways. Let no accident befall any of us. May we be kept from sickness and trial, if You will; or if any trouble comes to us, then may we be kept from sinning. Give us Your help. Uphold us by Your right hand. We ask all, with the forgiveness of our sins, in Jesus' precious name. Amen.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
THURSDAY EVENING
Father, though dark about us — it is always light with You. We come at nightfall to thank You for the day's mercies, and to confess our sins. Blot out every transgression. Wash us — and we shall be whiter than snow. Accept what we bring to You tonight, and let Your blessing be upon it all.
We ask You for Your special peace. We remember Your promise to keep in perfect peace, him whose mind is stayed on You. We would stay our minds on You. You are an everlasting rock. You are the same yesterday, and today, and forever. You are the everlasting Father. Nothing ever disturbs Your security. We would lean . . .
our weakness on Your strength,
our ignorance on Your wisdom,
our trembling insecurity on Your unchangeableness.We would stay ourselves upon You. Help us to rest in You, as birds in their nest in the great rock, and not be afraid.
Save us from all fear. We are only little children in this world of danger — but we are safe in You. Help us therefore to trust and never be afraid. Cover us with Your sheltering wings. Hold us in the clasp of Your hand — in the embrace of Your everlasting arms. Preserve us from . . .
the fascinations of the world,
the assaults of the tempter, and
the insidious wickedness of our own hearts.May You bless our mutual influence as a household. We love each other; may our love grow more tender. Sometimes we fail to show our love, even appearing cold and indifferent and ungracious. Help us to be kindly-affectioned in manner, as well as loving in heart.
We pray for our neighbors and friends. May Your grace be upon them.
Comfort the sorrowing,
relieve the distressed,
have mercy upon the sinning.We ask all in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
FRIDAY MORNING
O Jesus, our Savior, You alone can give us life. You came into this world that we might have life, abundant life. Fill us with life as we go out for this new day. We shall have need of it at every step. We shall have . . .
burdens to carry,
and battles to fight,
and trials to endure,
and duties to perform.Give us life, abundant life, to prepare us for all these experiences, that we fail not today.
We must represent You in the world. You have said that as the Father sent You into the world — so You have sent us. We can do nothing, but as we receive life and wisdom from You. We wait at Your feet this morning, praying You to put rich grace into our souls. May we be like trees planted by the rivers of water, bearing fruit in their season. May the fruits of righteousness be in our lives. May the fruits of the Spirit abound in us. May we be to the world like rich trees, planted and nourished by You, from whose branches there shall fall much fruit to feed men's hungers.
We cannot know what the day will have for us. We do not ask to know. We would rather walk in the dark with You — than go alone, choosing our own way. We would rather walk with You by faith — than go alone by sight. So we put ourselves into Your hand for guidance and safe keeping. You will make no mistake in leading us. No path into which You will take us, can be a wrong path. Lead us, O Jesus, for You know the way through this bewildering world. You have traversed the paths Yourself, O Jesus, and You found the way home. Lead us home, too, dear Master, to be with You forever. We ask in Your own name. Amen.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
FRIDAY EVENING
O God, our Father, we hunger for more life. We have gone through this day longing for life, and yet how little life we have had! Our souls have seemed empty of You. Our hearts have been crying out for more and more life. Reveal Yourself to us. Bring us into closer and closer personal friendship with Jesus. This is what we crave — friendship with Jesus. It is not enough for us to know Jesus as our Savior and as our Lord; we long to come into deeper and yet deeper personal friendship with Him.
Show us how to have more of Jesus in us. Whatever hinders our admitting Him into our hearts, help us to find and cast out, that Jesus may receive glad welcome to our deepest affection.
Bless to us the experiences of this day. May they all work for our good. Some things have not gone according to our mind. We hoped for things we did not get. Help us to know that Your way is better than ours, and help us to give up our way for Your, cheerfully. If we are not altogether submissive, forgive us, and teach us how good it is to take our Father's way.
We pray for Your church. It is in many fragments; we pray that soon Your people may be one. Bring Christians nearer together in love, and faith, and life. While there is separation, may You overrule all divisions for good. May hearts be drawn together, and thus may Your people become one in spirit and effort. Save Your true disciples everywhere from sectarianism and from all that fosters differences. May Your Holy Spirit be given in such measure, that all denominational lines may melt away. Hear us in our prayer tonight, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
SATURDAY MORNING
Almighty and most merciful Father, we have erred and strayed from Your ways like lost sheep. We have followed too much the devices and desires of our own hearts. We have offended against Your holy laws. We have left undone those things which we ought to have done — and we have done those things which we ought not to have done, and there is no soundness in us. O Lord, have mercy upon us, miserable offenders. Spare those, O God, who confess their faults. Restore those who are penitent, according to Your promises declared in Christ Jesus our Lord. And grant, O merciful Father, for Your sake, that we may hereafter live a godly, righteous, and sober life, to the glory of Your holy name.
We bless Your name, O God, our Father, that we can come thus to You with our confessions, assured that You will, for the sake of Jesus Christ, forgive us all our manifold transgressions. May we this day have Your divine peace in our souls. May the love of Jesus also be in us, warming our hearts and making us like Yourself.
Help us in all our work and duty. Let us not falter. Preserve us from indolence and carelessness. Make us diligent in business. Strengthen us for all burden-bearing and cross-bearing, for all struggle and conflict. Let us not faint nor fail. Enable us to do every task so as to please You.
We ask also for wisdom that we may not make mistakes. Bless our influence on others; may it be always good and helpful. Give us the true spirit of neighborliness. May the mind that was in Christ Jesus, be in us making us lowly and helpful. Grant these mercies and favors in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
SATURDAY EVENING
Our Father, what shall we render unto You for all the mercies and kindnesses of this week received from Your hand? We have walked all the days with You and You have kept us and blessed us. We have not walked at all times worthily. We have grieved You many a time. We thank You for the mercy that never fails for the multitude of our transgressions.
May you use our week's work and bless it. We have met many people, some of them only for a moment, in passing, and some of them many times. Bless to each of them our passing word or our friendship. We have sought to be kind to those who were in need or trouble; may You bless all our giving of alms, all our visits to the sick or poor, all our efforts to help others in any way. Forgive our omissions of love's duty, when we passed by on the other side.
We remember this evening, the many people around us in various conditions and circumstances. Some are Your own children; let a blessing rest upon them. Make them more and more worthy, true-hearted, whole-hearted Christians. Some of them are careless, drifting away from Jesus. Have mercy upon these, and save them from the perils of their course. Some of them are far from You, do not know You. We beseech You to send Your Spirit to convict them and bring them to repentance.
We remember . . .
the poor in their poverty,
the sick in their suffering and pain,
and the sorrowing in their distress.Let a blessing rest upon the little children for whom no prayer rises in their own homes. Turn the hearts of all prayerless parents to their children, that they may plead with You for them. Fold us now in Your almighty arms, for Jesus' sake. Amen.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
TENTH WEEK
SUNDAY MORNING
Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world, we beseech You to take away our sin. O God, the Father of all mercies, who did not spare Your only begotten Son — but delivered Him up for us all — for His sake give us all things needful for our comfort, our strength, and our salvation. May we be ever submissive and obedient to Your holy will. May we live to You, giving to You in consecrated service, all that You give to us so richly out of Your hand. Make us truly like Yourself.
We ask You that You will give us grace for this day's life. Set a watch before the door of our lips, that we may speak only such words as shall honor You. Keep our hearts in Your own holy keeping, for we cannot keep them for You — and may we think only reverent, loving, true, pure, and worthy thoughts. Prepare us for Your worship, in our own home, and in Your sanctuary. May we be truly in the Spirit on this Lord's day.
Bless our home-life today. May it be holy and happy. May Your love sweeten ours. May we live together as a family, patiently, affectionately, with mutual thoughtfulness and kindliness. Bless us in all our relations with others.
We beseech You to pour out Your Spirit to all who will preach the gospel, to all who will teach in Sunday schools, to all missionaries. May Your kingdom come, and Your will be done on earth as it is in Heaven. Prepare the world for Jesus' coming again. Bless us and keep us. We ask in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
SUNDAY EVENING
O God of love, we render You hearty thanks for all Your mercies — but especially for Your unspeakable gift, Jesus Christ, Your Son, in whom all gifts and blessings are included. We thank You that You loved us in our sin, not waiting for us to come to You with our love, to win Your love — but that You commend Your love to us in that while we were yet sinners, Jesus died for us. We humbly adore this wonderful love, without which we would have perished forever in our sins.
O may our hearts respond to Your love. Our love is so small in comparison with Yours — so unworthy, so fickle and uncertain, that we are ashamed to present it to You. Have mercy upon us, O God, and grant to us more of Your grace and of Your Holy Spirit, that our love may be deepened and strengthened.
May this Sunday be blessed to us. Fix in our hearts, all good things heard and learned. Sanctify to us all our worship, the instruction we have received, the holy impressions made upon us. Accept what we have tried to do to help and bless others.
Bless us again as a family as we bow at Your feet. Give us many rich blessings out of Your own grace. Bless our mingling together this day. May our home friendships become more and more deep and tender. Teach us how to love each other better. Preserve us from those miserable little faults that mar the life of love in so many homes — criticism, impatience, discourtesy, thoughtlessness, lack of gentleness. May love so abound in each heart, that our home life may be sweet and full of blessing.
We creep beneath the shadow of Your wings as we go to our rest. Keep us, enrich us with all goodness and mercy, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
MONDAY MORNING
O God, who grants mercy and truth to Your people, from generation to generation — we come with confidence to You. You have never allowed any who came to You, to be turned away. Not one word of Yours has ever failed of fulfillment. Your promises have always been kept with those who have accepted them and leaned upon them. Your name has been a strong tower to everyone who has run into it for safety. You are . . .
an everlasting rock,
an eternal refuge,
a very present help in times of trouble, to all who have turned to You.We come as Your children to You at the beginning of a new day. Your mercies are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness. We beseech You to show us Your face before we go out into the day. If we have Your blessing, we shall not fear any experiences that we may have to meet. In the light of Your countenance may we walk all the hours — and then we shall be safe. Put into our hearts holy thoughts and heavenly aspirations. We desire to live the heavenly life in this world, and we can do it only if You will put Your thoughts into our minds.
We are going out into a world that is full of evil, with unholy influences on every side. We have no power of our own to move through all this evil world — to keep ourselves unspotted. We come to You for grace to help us. May You keep us from the evil. Keep our hearts, that only holy feelings and desires may spring up in them. Preserve us from the power of evil in others around us. Let us . . .
not listen to wicked suggestions,
nor be swayed by wrong examples,
nor yield to unholy motives.
Let not passion or appetite rule us.We commit ourselves to Your safe keeping, in Jesus Christ. Amen.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
MONDAY EVENING
Heavenly Father, whose favor is life, whose loving kindness is better than life — we thank You for all the favors You have shown to us. Through another day You have led us. Goodness and mercy have followed us all the way. We enter now into the quiet and rest of the eventide, and Your banner over us is love. We hide in the shadow of Your wings.
We remember before You this evening, all the interests of our household. We thank You for all that home means to us of love and shelter. Bless us in our family life, making it more and more like the heavenly life. Lord, You have been our dwelling-place in all generations. Before the mountains were brought forth, or You had formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, You are God. A thousand years in Your sight, are but as yesterday, when it is past, and as a watch in the night.
We are but creatures of a moment, dying and passing away. We are like the grass which in the morning flourishes and grows up, and in the evening is cut down and withers. We spend our years as a tale that is told. You have set our iniquities before You, our secret sins in the light of Your countenance.
So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom. Oh, satisfy us early with Your mercy, that we may rejoice and be glad all our days. Let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us, and establish the work of our hands upon us. We ask all these things in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
TUESDAY MORNING
O Lord, open our lips — and our mouth shall show forth Your praise. We praise You for all You are in Yourself — the glory of Your being, the excellency of Your power and goodness, Your faithfulness and loving kindness. We praise You, that all You are and have is ours, that You are our own God, that we can say, "The Lord is my Shepherd," "God is our refuge and strength." You have given Yourself to us. You are our Father — and we are Your children. All the blessings of our Father's house are ours.
Graciously pardon all our iniquities, and help us to make sincere confession, assured that if we confess our sins, You are faithful and just to forgive us. Save us, O God, from trying to hide or cover our sins from You, and help us to confess them.
Let a blessing rest upon us today in all the affairs of our life. Give us this day our daily bread. We ask not for luxuries, lest we forget our dependence upon You. Preserve us from poverty and want — lest we be tempted to sin. Give us only our daily bread, and give us contentment therewith. Let us not murmur nor complain. Give us trust and peace.
We beseech You to use us in whatever ways we can best serve You. We consecrate our lives to You. Let us not live for ourselves — but may we so employ all our talents and possessions that our lives shall be blessings to others.
Deal gently, Lord, with the sick and the dying. Show Your favor to the needy and the outcast. Be the friend of the friendless. Guide the young, and lead all men to trust in You. Cover us now with the shadow of Your wings. We ask in Jesus' precious name. Amen.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
TUESDAY EVENING
O Lord, we humbly beseech You to accept this, our evening sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving. Mercifully grant to us, through the merits of Jesus Christ, Your Son, the remission of our sins, and all the blessings of eternal life. Fill our hearts, we ask You, with Your Spirit. Simply to your cross we cling, O Jesus, our Savior and Redeemer.
The night is now before us. We do not know what perils are veiled in the darkness. We know only that we are safe in You, by night as by day — for the darkness and the light are both alike to You. Your eye sees in the night — as clearly as at noonday. So, while we sleep, You will watch over us, and we shall be as safe as if it were day above us. Be our shelter, our keeper — protecting us from all danger.
We may not all live throughout the night. If any of us shall end our life here and go away before the morning — may it be unto You that we shall go. We ask that You will shed abroad your love in our hearts. May Your will be done here in our home — as it is done in Heaven. We ask for special individual blessings. We have different needs. Some of us are strong, and others are weak. As our day is — so may our strength be. Let none of us ever be overwhelmed by this world's evil.
We ask for refreshing rest in sleep. May nothing disturb our repose until the morning. Give us in sleep, the blessings of Your love. May we be stronger for the night's rest. Fit us for whatever is before us. Watch over us and bring us to the morning light in peace and in health. Guide us in safe and good paths, and help us to be useful to many others. We ask it in the blessed name of Jesus. Amen.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
WEDNESDAY MORNING
We would come into Your presence, O God, this morning, with a song. We do not praise You as we ought — and as You deserve. We come to You with our requests, our supplications, our pleadings — and then when our prayers are answered, we fail too often to thank You for the blessings we receive. We take Your gifts from the unseen hand — and do not think of the Giver, from whom all our favors come. We get discouraged too easily when shadows creep over us, or when fragments of cloud come into our sky, and our hearts fill with fear. We confess all this little faith and all this ingratitude — and we ask You for the grace of thankfulness, that we may suitably remember Your love. Having eyes — may we see Your love in all the manifold blessings that come to us in so many forms and ways.
Teach all of us how to sing praise to You. There always are countless reasons for praise. In the darkest day, there is far more light than darkness. Our troubles are always infinitesimally small — in comparison with our mercies and blessings. Give us eyes to see the bright things, and hearts to number our comforts. Teach us not to mind the cares and worries — but to sing through them all. Teach us to rejoice always, even though we are suffering or enduring discomfort.
We thank You for all the mercies we now enjoy. We thank You for the good things of Your providence, and the better things of Your grace — for home and friends, and health and books, and schools and churches, and all Your favors. Give us the spirit of praise. Help us to make this a day of rejoicing in Jesus Christ our Lord. And may the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be on us forever. Amen.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
WEDNESDAY EVENING
We thank You, our Father, for the privilege of trusting You, and abiding in Your love. We thank You that in this great world of peril, You are accessible everywhere, that wherever we are, we can find You — and, finding You, be safe. You are a very present help in times of trouble. You are our refuge and our rock, our high tower, our deliverer and our shield. We are glad that we are Your redeemed children, and that You care for us with infinite tenderness. We rejoice in the privilege of having You for our hearts' home.
We are Yours, O God, for You have made and redeemed us. We would confess ourselves Yours, and would consecrate ourselves to You. We have tried to serve You today, and to be faithful to You. Wherein we have failed — may You forgive us. We bring the broken things of our obedience and service now to Your feet — we have nothing but broken things to bring. Accept them in Jesus' precious name, and use them in Your service.
We have many interests that are dear to our hearts on which we would ask Your blessing at the close of the day. Bless our common task-work. It is not easy. Much of it is wearisome — the same rounds day after day. May the very routine do us good, teaching us to be patient and diligent, to be prompt and energetic, and to be earnest and faithful. May these tasks all be part of the Father's business, and may we do all of them in the name of Jesus, and thus find joy and delight in them.
We pray also for all our spiritual interests, the things that concern our souls. Let nothing harm us. May all things work together for good to us. Receive us now to rest in Your care, we ask in Jesus' precious name. Amen.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
THURSDAY MORNING
Our Father in Heaven, we, Your earthly children, worship You. We thank You for Your word, which we can read at the opening of the day, taking it for a lamp to our feet and a light to our path. May it be to us indeed a light this day, shining for us and showing us the way of holiness. We always need a divine lamp, for earth is dark. Sin has made it perilous to travel on these treacherous ways without a lamp. No human friend can guide us infallibly. We cannot guide ourselves. We would never find the way home, were it not for the light of truth which You have given, which makes every smallest part of the path through this world clear and plain if we will walk in the light.
Let us not try to walk in the light of our own understanding, and stumble and fall. We put our hands in Yours this morning, and we would be led by You all the day. We do not know where our paths will take us. It may be that darkness lies before us — or hard and rough ways, that we must enter some Gethsemane. Lead us, O Jesus, where You will — and give us grace to follow submissively.
We seek Your blessing upon all the work of this day. Show us what You will have us to do. May we find the tasks You have in Your plan and purpose for us, and then do them faithfully. Let us never resist Your gracious leading. Enable us always to do Your will, as it is done in Heaven. Bless us . . .
in our home life,
in our friendships,
in our social life,
in our play and our work,
in our praying and our serving,
in our toil and our struggle,
in our joy and in our sorrow.We ask all in the name of Jesus our Savior. Amen.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
THURSDAY EVENING
O Lord, give Your blessing to us this evening. Let Your face shine upon us, and be gracious unto us. Lift up the light of Your countenance upon us, and give us peace. May our sins be forgiven. May our errors be corrected. May the work of our hands be blessed. May the influence of our lives upon others be sanctified.
We can never have this day again to amend anything in it, to recall that which is evil, or to add that which is lacking. So we leave it with You, asking for Your blessing upon it.
We remember the community around us, asking that You would send Your blessing upon all its homes. Remember all the children, and keep them in their tender years; carry all these in Your bosom, Good Shepherd. Remember all the young people amid the world's temptations and attractions. Keep them, and may they become noble men and women. Remember the sick, the old, the sorrowing, and the poor, and have pity upon the unsaved.
We pray for our country. Remember those who rule over us, and give them wisdom to rule in Your fear, and for You. Bless all our institutions. May Your grace more and more rule in them, making them influences for good in the world. Keep Your protection around those who go upon the seas and those who work amid dangers.
We pray for Your church. Bless its ministers, and may they be faithful and earnest. Bless all its members, and may they be true in all their life before men. May their light so shine, that all who see them shall be led to believe in the power of Jesus. Hear us, bless us, and keep us through the night. We ask in Jesus' precious name. Amen.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
FRIDAY MORNING
O Jesus, You have called us with a holy calling. We desire to be worthy of the honor which You have put upon us. You have redeemed us by Your blood. You have taken us into fellowship with Yourself. You are not ashamed to call us brethren. You have made us heirs of God, joint heirs with You. You have given us eternal life!
Make us indeed worthy of this exalted honor. Cleanse and purify us, that we may be like You in spirit, in disposition, in character. Give us the same desires that are in Your heart — that we may hate what You hate, and love what You love. May we be partakers in Your work for the upbuilding of Your cause and the extending of Your kingdom.
Give us this day, the same mind that was in You. You left Your heavenly glory and became man, that You might be our Redeemer. You lived to serve — giving out Your life in unsparing service, even dying in love for Your people. We desire to have the same spirit. Save us from all selfishness, which would lead us to withhold ourselves from serving others with the best that is in us. Save us from all pride, which would lead us to think of ourselves more highly than we ought to think, and may we ever be clothed with humility. Lead us into Your ways of service.
Lord Jesus, help us to live this day, as You would live if You were here in our place. May we be holy, harmless, undefiled, and separate from sinners. May we be kindly in all our relations as a family, and with those outside. Help us to be diligent in all our business. May we live unspotted from the world. Bless us in all ways in Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
FRIDAY EVENING
We hear Your voice this evening inviting us to come to You for rest. We need rest, and we thank You for Your ordinance of night, when we can cease our labors and find renewal of strength in the quiet of the evening. We thank You for sleep, which refills nature's exhausted fountains, and renews the life which has been used in the day's experiences. May You give us blessing in sleep tonight.
We thank You also for the spiritual rest which You give to those who come to You. You alone can give us this rest. You alone can take away sin and the consciousness of guilt, and deliver us from sin's penalty and power. You alone can give us rest in the assurance of Your love, and in Your power to make all things work together for our good. Give us Your own peace. We ask not for the taking away all care out of our life — but for so much of the power of Your own life in us that, come what may, our souls shall be quiet in You. As we learn of You, may we find rest to our souls.
In the darkness, may You hide us and shelter us. Let no harm befall us. Keep our dwelling from danger. Preserve us all in good health. Sanctify to us all the experiences of this day. Bless all that we have done, and use the words that we have spoken. Forgive our mistakes, follies, and all our sins.
We ask for blessings on all our friends. Bless our friendships and make them more and more tender, constant, and true. May we all be Your friends — faithful, true, and constant. Help us to receive Your friendship into our hearts, and may its blessing enrich our lives. Forgive us, and grant us Your protecting care this night. We ask in Jesus' precious name. Amen.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
SATURDAY MORNING
O God, as the morning has risen upon us, may the Sun of righteousness also rise upon us. Chase away the shadows of darkness from us, and may we be light in the Lord. Enable us to put off all the works of darkness, whatever belongs to the old evil nature, and to put on the garments of light, doing the works of the day and not of the night. May our light shine before men, that seeing us, they may glorify You.
We desire to grow in grace. As the deer pants after the water-brooks, so our souls long after You. Our souls thirst for God, for the living God. Nothing else will satisfy them. This world has in it nothing to meet the needs of our immortal spiritual natures. Let us not try to feed ourselves on that which is not bread — but may we learn to bring all our needs to You who alone can satisfy them.
We come to You to begin the day — that we may have Your blessing upon it. Nothing is complete without You. As the flowers need the dew and the sunshine to make them fragrant — so do our lives need Your blessing to make them truly happy. Lay Your hand upon our heads as we bow before You. Direct our feet in all the day's paths. We want to carry out Your plan, not our own. Order our steps in Your word. Give us our work as we go on. Help us to be truthful, honest, and diligent in all our words and conduct. Prosper us in all our undertakings, unless they are wrong. Defeat whatever we undertake that is not agreeable to Your will.
We go out now in our Savior's name, and we ask You to take us and use us to do Your will and to bless others. We ask all for Jesus' sake. Amen.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
SATURDAY EVENING
We will praise You, O God, with our whole heart. We will worship toward Your holy temple, and praise Your name for Your loving kindness and for Your truth — for You have magnified Your word above all Your name.
In the day when we cried to You, and You answered us. We thank You for Your love, which never fails; and for Your grace, which is given for every moment of need. Though You are high — yet You have respect unto the lowly. Your eyes see even the least of Your redeemed children. The youngest child is watched over by You. You hear the cry of the birds in their hunger. We rejoice to think of the care You have for every child of Your own, and how secure we are in the keeping of Your love. You have been, and You are, our dwelling-place.
Though we walk in the midst of trouble, You will protect us. You will stretch forth Your hand against the wrath of the Evil One, who seeks our destruction. Forsake not the work of Your own hands. Allow us not to fall away into darkness, and into the pains of eternal death — but deliver us, we beseech You, from all sin, and save us to eternal life.
May this evening be one of preparation for the coming Sunday. Grant us rest that we may be ready for the day's duties and worship. Then turn our thoughts and affections toward Sunday worship, that we may be in the Spirit on the Lord's day. Give holy thoughts to all who are preparing to speak the words of life to Your people. Warm their hearts with Your love, and hold them near to You, that they may come from the very secret of Your presence to stand and speak for You before men. We ask all in the name of our Redeemer. Amen.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
ELEVENTH WEEK
SUNDAY MORNING
Blessed are You, O God, our strength, who teaches our hands to war, and our fingers to fight. Teach us to war against all wickedness. You are our goodness and our fortress and our high tower, our deliverer, our shield, and the God in whom we trust. You are our refuge and our strength, our keeper in the midst of trouble, and our deliverer.
Lord, what is man, that You take knowledge of him. Man is like to vanity; his days are as a shadow that passes away. Yet we rejoice in Your love and thought for Your redeemed children. Though we are so frail, like a flower, like the reed, bruised and broken — still You do indeed make account of us. You have put Your image upon us. You have put Your Spirit within us. You have made us Your own children. We are dearer to You than all other things in the universe, because we are Your own children and You are our Father, and because You have redeemed us at the price of the blood of Your own Son. In the person of Your Son, we are as dear to You as He is. Help us to realize our nearness and dearness to You.
We would rejoice as a family in Your goodness and Your grace. Rid us and deliver us from the hand of evil men, whose mouth speaks vanity and whose right hands are right hands of falsehood. May our sons be as plants grown up in their youth. May our daughters be as corner-stones polished after the similitude of a palace. May our garners be full, that we may feed the hungry. May we all honor You by holy and beautiful lives.
Fill our home today with Your love, and may all of us receive from You grace, mercy, and truth, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
SUNDAY EVENING
Our heavenly Father, help us to draw near to You this evening. Our thoughts wander away so easily that it is hard for us to bring them into a reverent attitude. Our lives gravitate earthward. The old nature in us is strong. The influences around us are worldly. When we would do good — evil is present with us. We cannot even pray without Your help. Help us, O God. Have mercy upon us, and draw us by Your Spirit to Yourself. Enable us to commune with You. Put into our hearts holy thoughts, and may we breathe them back to You in prayers. Fill us with Your love — and then we shall be loving as You are.
We beseech You, our Father, to make this Sunday truly a day of blessing and good in our lives. Our minds have been turned to holy things; may we be holier through all the week because of this. May our minds carry the sacred memories of the day, and may they be like sweet songs singing in us wherever we go. May invisible spiritual things be more real to us, because of these Sunday hours. May the hold of the world upon us be loosened, and may its power over us be lessened through this day's holy influences. So may abiding blessing be ours, as we leave another Sunday behind us, and may our lives attest the reality of our union with You.
We thank You for the hope of the eternal rest of which this earthly day is a token and a pledge. Prepare us for that rest which remains for Your people. May the influence of this heavenly hope, draw upon us mightily while we journey through this world. May its holiness keep us from sinning. May we get nearer in heart and life to You each day, as we draw nearer each day to Your glory. We ask in Jesus' precious name. Amen.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
MONDAY MORNING
Father, it is not a holy world into which we must now go forth. It is full of sin. We must meet many temptations. Then it is not an easy life into which we have to go. It has its tasks, its duties, its responsibilities, and its conflicts. We shall have our burdens to carry, and our duties to do.
Yet we would not refuse to go forth into the world. It is Your voice that calls us forth — and wherever Your voice calls us we would go without hesitation. We have no strength or wisdom of our own to make us equal to all the work and struggle of the day — but we know that when You send us forth, You will give us all the strength and wisdom we shall need. You have promised that as our days — so shall our strength be.
Fill us with Your grace, that we may be able to move through this evil world without faltering in our faithfulness. We are not of the world — but belong to Heaven, are citizens of the kingdom of Jesus. Help us to live out here on earth, our true life, the life of Jesus, the life of Heaven. May we be enabled to keep ourselves unspotted from the world. May we live so purely, so earnestly, with such abundant life, that our influence shall be a real force for Jesus.
We ask for grace to make our common week-day work holy and beautiful, with the beauty of Christlikeness. May we be as Jesus to everyone we meet. In our social life, our business, our household cares, in all our friendships, in our very play — may we show the sweetness of the love of Jesus. May You keep us, each and all, in all our goings and comings. Bless us — and use us to bless the world. Bring us together in the evening. We ask all these favors for Jesus' sake. Amen.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
MONDAY EVENING
Bless to us, our Father, the words we have just read from the holy book. We thank You for the Bible, in which we may learn Your will, where You have told us so clearly what pleases You in conduct and character, and have warned us so plainly against the things which are sinful, which displease You, and which will bring harm and curse to those who do them. We thank You, too, for the promises and comforts of Your word. You have filled the sacred pages with them. They shine like stars in our night. In the time of our darkness, of sorrow or trial, they give us light.
We pray for grace to understand Your word better and better. Incline us to love it. Its holiness makes our hearts disinclined to turn to it. Teach us to love it more, to receive it more cheerfully, to make it the guide of our life. May it become indeed a lamp to our feet, and a light to our path. May it be rod and staff to us. We would hide it in our heart, so that it shall transform our life, keeping us from sin, and leading and impelling us to all holiness.
We pray for our home and for all our friends. But we would pray for all men. We pray for all who love the Lord Jesus Christ, wherever they may be. We pray for all sorts and conditions of men — for the evil and the good, for the poor, the sick, the tempted, the sinning. We pray especially for any who are our enemies. If we have done anything to make them enemies, help us to remove the evil, that the enmity may be destroyed. We pray for grace to live peacefully with all men, as far as it depends on us, and to be gentle, meek, unselfish, and patient. Forgive our many sins, and grant to us Your favor. We ask in Jesus' precious name. Amen.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
TUESDAY MORNING
Our Father, You have given us many invitations to come to You. You have invited us . . .
to come with our sins,
to come with our troubles,
to come with our mistakes,
to come with our cares,
to come with our sorrows.You have told us to come at all times, that we shall . . .
never be unwelcome,
never be turned away, and
never find You too busy to hear us.You have promised us . . .
mercy for our sins,
comfort for our sorrows,
strength for our duties,
wisdom for our ignorance,
when we come to You. We thank You for all these precious invitations and assurances.What would we do, O God, if we might not thus come to You? To whom else could we go? There is no other in all the universe who could help us — as we must be helped. Our hearts are full of praise and rejoicing, that we may thus come to You. There is nothing we cannot bring to You — nothing too small to bring — and nothing too large. We thank You that we are so blessed, that we have all Your divine love and grace to help us in our times of need. We need no other help, but Yours. We come this morning with all our burdens.
We have sins. These are our worst burdens. They will sink us to eternal despair unless we find help. We thank You that the Lord Jesus bore our sins, and bore them away. In His name, depending upon His atonement, we come with our sins.
We have other needs.
We are not strong enough for duty.
We cannot stand against the world and the power of Satan.
We have no wisdom for life's problems, its duties, its responsibilities.
We need strength,
we need wisdom,
we need grace —
for every moment!So we come to You, our Father, as Your redeemed children. Receive us, bless us, keep us, help us. We ask through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
TUESDAY EVENING
We want to learn the lesson of trust, our Father. We ought never to be afraid, when we have You for our Father. You have assured us of Your love — a love as tender as a mother's, and more constant and sure. You have assured us of Your care. You care for the birds, feeding them — and You will more surely feed Your redeemed children. You clothe the flowers in all their wondrous beauty, and You will more surely clothe us, for whom Jesus has died, and who shall live forever — while the flowers, though so lovely, perish in a day. You know what things we need, before we ask You for them, for You are ever mindful of us.
You have given us countless proofs of Your love and watchful care. Every moment we are in Your thought. Always Your eye is upon us. You have given Your Son to die to redeem us; much more, being redeemed — You will keep us from being harmed by any power of evil. We are sure, therefore, of Your care and keeping, and that we need never fear to trust You.
Yet we do not always trust You. Again and again, little things worry and vex us. We are fearful in the presence of our needs. We become afraid of the changes that are passing over us and about us — forgetting that Your providence is on all, and over all. We are afraid of sickness, of sorrows, of temptations.
Father, it is not right that we should be so easily disturbed in our confidence. We want to learn to trust You at all times. Teach us how to do it. Teach us how to make known all our concerns to You, and to leave them in Your hand. Lord, give us Your peace, Your deep and holy peace, which nothing can break, and may it abide with us forever. Amen.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
WEDNESDAY MORNING
Father, You have told us that we ought to learn to live by the day. You taught this lesson to Your people long ago by giving them manna, not in supplies to last for years — but day by day, enough only each day for the day. You taught us the same lesson by the lips of Your Son, our great Teacher, who commanded us to pray for our daily bread.
May You teach us how to live day by day. It is hard for us to learn the lesson. We grow anxious when we cannot see how tomorrow is to be provided for. We worry about tomorrow's bread and guidance and help. Teach us, Father, to trust You as little children. You have promised to take care of us. You are our Shepherd, and we shall not lack. You are our God, and will supply all all our needs, according to the riches of Your glory in Christ Jesus.
You who spared not even Your only begotten Son, who delivered Him up for us all — will surely with Him give us all needful things. You who have made us with so many needs of body and soul, will surely meet all these needs, if we will trust You and wait for You. You have promised that we shall not lack any good thing, if only we are faithful to You. Forgive us our feverish ways, and give us the spirit of trust.
Help us now to live this one little day without anxiety. Give us grace to do the one day's work well, and to trust You with all its care. Give us physical strength for our duties. Give us wisdom to make the right decisions and choices. Give us our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation — but deliver us from evil. For Yours is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
WEDNESDAY EVENING
Our Father are in Heaven, hallowed be Your name. May Your kingdom come. May Your will be done on earth, as it is in Heaven. The day is gone, and we cannot recall it . . .
to amend its doings,
to correct its mistakes,
to blot out its sins,
to undo the things we ought not to have done,
to do the things we ought to have done, but left undone,
to unsay the words we ought not to have said,
to speak the words we ought to have spoken.The day is gone from us — and is with You. We leave it in Your hands. Whatever we have done that was not according to Your will — may You graciously forgive. The things that pleased You — may You bless. May good come out of the day for us. Our disappointments, we accept as Your appointments for us — better than our own way would have been. Teach us the lesson You would have us learn from the day's experiences. May we be wiser for having lived through these experiences. May . . .
our faith be stronger,
our love deeper,
our earnestness more intense,
and our zeal more intense.We pray continually for our home. We thank You . . .
for the love that binds us together as a family,
for the privileges and favors we enjoy,
for the health and comfort we have,
for the measure of prosperity that attends our work.Sweeten our household life more and more. Help us to be more and more to each other. Teach us patience and forbearance. Help us to restrain all bitter and unloving words, and to speak all kindly words. Bless us as individuals, older and younger. Give us now Your blessing as we go to our rest. Keep us in safety through the night. And may grace, mercy, and peace from the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, be upon us evermore. Amen.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
THURSDAY MORNING
O God, we would be strong for this new day, and we wait upon You to renew our strength. You have given us renewal in sleep — and we thank You for this. You give Your beloved sleep — and You give them blessings while sleeping. For the goodness of the night, we give You hearty thanks.
We need also spiritual strength for the day that is before us.
We shall meet temptations.
We shall have duties to perform.
We shall have burdens to carry.
We shall have conflicts with the evil that is in the world.
We need strength for all these experiences. You only can give us what we need. You are our refuge and our strength — a very present help in times of trouble. You have promised to be with us, and to strengthen us. You have said that as our days are — so shall our strength be, and that Your grace is sufficient for us. We accept these assurances, believing that we shall obtain help from You for every duty and every struggle.
We desire that this shall be a profitable day. Lord, give us faith that we may not fail of Your help at any point. Let us not faint nor grow weary in our work. We go to our different duties and tasks in Jesus' precious name, and we desire to live for You all the day.
Bless our home life. Bless our work and business. Bless our association with neighbors and friends. Fill us with Your love, that we may live worthily all the day, affectionately as a family, bearing one another's burdens, in peace with all men as much as lies in us; and compassionately toward the trouble, the sorrowing, and the sinning. Keep us from accidents and injuries as we go about. Give us good health. Make us wise unto salvation. And to Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, we will give praise forever and ever. Amen.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
THURSDAY EVENING
Our Father, we beseech You to hear us tonight, and to bless us. We have few requests to make. We would rather leave You to bless us in whatever way Your divine wisdom may choose. We do not know what is best for us. We know not what we should pray for as we ought. We often wish for things which would not be real blessings to us. We cannot tell what would be the effect of our having them. Oft-times denial of our requests is a better blessing — than the granting of them would be. So we put ourselves into Your hand and ask for Your blessing — whatever will bless us the most really and the most deeply.
We beseech You for spiritual good, rather than for temporal favors. The things of this earth are but for a day — and then they are gone. May you give us hunger and desire for things that will last forever. We ask for wisdom, for holiness, for truth, for Christlikeness. You have promised that those who hunger and thirst after righteousness shall be filled. Give us hunger for righteousness — and thirst for divine grace. Then we shall be satisfied, and what we receive we shall keep forever.
While the night is over us, keep us from all harm and danger. We cannot keep ourselves. We are weak and foolish — and the enemies about us are strong and cunning. We cast ourselves upon You, sure that You will shelter us. Let no plague come near our dwelling. May Your angels encamp around our home. May the night bring us rich blessing — sleep and renewal, calmness and quietness. Spread over us Your wings of love. And may grace, mercy, and peace, from God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, be with us all forever. Amen.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
FRIDAY MORNING
Almighty God, our heavenly Father, we worship You with the beginning of this new day. Life can be beautiful and good, only as it has Your blessing on it. We give this day to You and we give ourselves to You. We are indeed Yours. You created us and You also redeemed us. We are not our own, for we are bought with a very high price. Help us to glorify You in all that we do.
Accept our hearty thanks for the rest and all the goodness of the past night. We have slept and awakened, for You have sustained us. We thank You for our home and all its blessings and mercies. We thank You . . .
for the morning's light and for its health,
for our opportunities and privileges,
for the goodness and mercy that follow us always.We confess our sins. We have erred and strayed from Your ways like lost sheep. We have done those things which we ought not to have done. We have left undone those things which we ought to have done, and there is no soundness in us. You have promised that if we confess our sins, You are faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Grant us Your forgiveness and Your peace.
As we go out today we know not what lies before us. The paths are all hidden from our eyes. We know not what dangers, what surprises of temptation or of sorrow may await us. But we are not afraid to go into the day, for You know all that is before us. So we put our hands in Yours, and we ask You to lead us forth. We shall be safe with You, no matter what may come. Lead us where You will and provide for us wherever we go. We ask in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
FRIDAY EVENING
Holy Father, let us, Your children, draw near to You, since we come in the name of Your Son our Savior, who gave Himself for us. Through Him we have access to You. We come to thank You for all Your mercies, for the blessings of this day, and for all its privileges and enjoyments.
Let Your blessing rest upon the work of this day. If we have been faithful in our duties and tasks, may You accept what we have done. Nothing is finished until it has received Your blessing.
We thank You that we have the privilege of making prayers and supplications and intercessions for others. We pray for all our friends. Some of them are growing old. Gently keep the aged people near Yourself. In their feebleness, may You protect them. You have promised to bear and to carry the aged. Fulfill Your promises. Make them useful in their lives as long as they live. Then when their work is done, may You receive them home to Heaven.
Bless any of our friends who are in trouble. Some of them are sick. Comfort the sick. Give them patience and cheerfulness. May they so acquiesce in Your wise providence, that the burden will not be too heavy for them. Sanctify to them their suffering and pain. We pray not merely for their recovery — but that they may come from their sick-rooms with the work of grace wrought in them which You have designed their illness to produce.
Some of our friends are in sorrow. Give them true consolation, and may they be enriched in all grace and in all the elements of a holy Christian character through their affliction. Give us now a night's blessing, in Jesus Christ our Redeemer. Amen.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
SATURDAY MORNING
Shed upon us this morning the light of Your love, and give us strength and grace. As we leave the night behind us, so may we leave the sins and shadows of our lives behind us, and go forth in newness of spirit. We desire that all our days shall be steps toward holier things. We would not live any two of them on the same level. We would grow in grace. As each day passed through brings us nearer to eternity — we would have each one bring us nearer to the full beauty of the likeness of Jesus. We would have each day lift our feet one step higher in the ladder of life which reaches at last to Your feet in the heavenly glory!
So our prayer is that this day may be for us a day of growth in all godliness — in whatever things are true, whatever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely. While we do our common tasks, may we be growing stronger in all the qualities of true life. May our association as a family enrich our lives in all the graces of true character, and make us more gentle, more thoughtful, more patient, more kindly, more unselfish. May even our temptations and our conflicts make us stronger, and bring out in us qualities of beauty which have not been developed in times of ease. Thus may the day be one of growth and progress for each of us.
We need Your help at every step. Unless You will be with us, nothing good can come out of our experiences. Forgive us our sins and our many failures and mistakes. Cleanse us from secret, hidden faults. Keep us from presumptuous sins. Let no iniquity obtain dominion over us. Let the words of our mouths and the meditations of our hearts, be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, our strength and our Redeemer. Amen.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
SATURDAY EVENING
Lord, abide with us, for it is evening, and the night is upon us. Give us Your protection in and through the darkness. Our eyes cannot see in the night — but Your eyes see, as in the day. The darkness and the light are both alike to You. You can watch over us, for You neither slumber nor sleep. So we put ourselves into Your loving care for the night. We shall sleep without fear, for You are our keeper.
We ask You for Your divine peace. Earth's peace is easily broken by alarms and by troubles which spring up continually. We are startled evermore by sudden fears and dangers. But Your peace is eternal. Not as the world gives — do You give unto us. You give Your own peace to Your redeemed children. It is that peace that we seek tonight. You have promised to keep in perfect peace, those whose minds are stayed on You. May we rest in You. May we nestle in Your love, as little children nestle in the mother's bosom. May we hide in You as in an everlasting rock, so that our peace may never be disturbed, even in the wildest storms of earth.
Through this night may we be kept, and may Your best blessing be upon us. May no accident befall our home while we are sleeping. May we be preserved until the morning and then receive a Sunday's blessing to prepare us for our duties. We remember other homes around us, praying that Your grace may be upon them. Bless Your ministers tonight who are preparing to speak to Your people tomorrow. Hold them near Your own heart and give them the messages, the words of life, which You would have them speak. Fold us all now in Your everlasting arms, and may the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be upon us. Amen.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
TWELFTH WEEK
SUNDAY MORNING
We would sing of Your mercies, O Lord. We would make known Your faithfulness. You are the same yesterday, and today, yes, and forever. You never change. Your word is settled forever. Not a jot or a tittle of it can ever fail. The mountains shall depart and the hills be removed — but Your kindness shall not depart from us, nor the covenant of Your peace be removed forever.
O Lord God Almighty, who is a strong Lord like unto You! Your faithfulness surrounds You. You rule the raging of the sea. When the waves thereof arise — You still them. The heavens are Yours, the earth also is Yours; as for the world with the fullness thereof — You have founded it. You have a mighty arm; strong is Your hand, and high is Your right hand. Justice and judgment are the foundation of Your throne; mercy and truth shall go before You.
We thank You, O God, that on this holy day we can rest so confidently on Your eternal faithfulness. May the gospel wherever preached today, reveal to needy hearts Your love and truth. May Your servants sent forth with the messages of Your love, be faithful in representing You. Let a blessing rest on our pastor, as he preaches Your word, and leads us in Your worship. May he be full of the Holy Spirit. May he come from Your very presence, and may the light shine in his face as it shone on the face of Moses when he had been with You for forty days in the mount. Prepare us and all Your people for the worship of the sanctuary. Bless all Sunday schools and all meetings of whatever kind held today for Your worship. May this be a day full of Jesus and of power. And may the grace of Jesus be upon us all forever. Amen.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
SUNDAY EVENING
Lord, You have been gracious to us. You have blessed us. This evening we mingle our voices in praise to You for Your goodness. Your love is everlasting. Your grace is never-failing. Your faithfulness is eternal. You never weary in blessing us.
We thank You for all the privileges of this holy day. Sanctify to us, the worship in which we have engaged, at home, and with Your people in the sanctuary. May our meditation on Your word enrich us and build up in us the beautiful things of Your grace. May the prayers we have offered, be answered in Your loving fullness. May the glimpses of Your love and glory we have had today, be inspirations in our souls in the days to come, making us long for the things that are heavenly. May the songs of the day, sing in our hearts all the week.
May we have grace to follow the instructions we have received from Your word, so that our lives may be holier. Help us to put away the faults which have been disclosed in us as we have looked into Your word and have thought seriously of ourselves. Help us to put on the beautiful things which have been pointed out to us. So may Sunday be blessed to us, and may its lessons be wrought out in our lives.
May Your Spirit follow all the work of Your church this day, blessing all the preaching and teaching of Your word, and all efforts put forth by missionaries everywhere to make known the name of Jesus Christ. May Your kingdom come. May its power in men's hearts and lives, become more and more complete. Grant us now a blessing as we go to our beds for the night. Spread over us Your shelter of love. And may grace, mercy, and peace be upon us forever. Amen.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
MONDAY MORNING
O God, our Father, we praise Your name; we extol You; we worship You! You are great, and greatly to be praised; Your greatness is unsearchable! One generation shall praise Your works to another, and shall declare Your mighty acts. We would speak of the glorious honor of Your majesty, and of Your wondrous works. We would make known Your mercy.
You, Lord, are gracious, and full of compassion — slow to anger and of great mercy. You are good to all — Your tender mercies are over all Your works. All Your works shall praise You, and Your saints shall bless You. Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and Your dominion endures throughout all generations. You uphold Your children who fall, and raise up all those who are bowed down. The eyes of all wait upon You, and You give them their food in due season. You open Your hand and satisfy the desire of every living thing. You are near unto all who call upon You — to all that call upon You in truth. You will fulfill the desire of those who fear You; You also will hear their cry and will save them. You preserve all those who love You.
We thank You that we may have such assured confidence in You. May we have grace to live before the world, so as to prove our sincerity. Help us to keep the vows we made on Sunday when we went to Your sanctuary. May our week-day life be as good as our Sunday promises. The spirit is willing — we desire to live worthily; but the flesh is weak. The things that we desire to do — we do not. Strengthen all good purposes in our hearts, and may we be enabled to live righteously in the world. We ask all, with the forgiveness of our sins, in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
MONDAY EVENING
O Lamb of God, have mercy upon us. You who sit at the right hand of God, and will come in glory to judge the world — have mercy upon us and forgive our sins. We praise You, O Jesus, for Your wonderful condescension, for the priceless sacrifice made by You in accomplishing our redemption, and for the blessed salvation which You have obtained for us. May all that is within us be aroused to praise You.
We bow before Your cross, and we remember again what our redemption cost You. We remember Your years of patient humiliation, when You walked this earth, homeless and a wayfarer, with nowhere to lay Your head — that we might have a home in Heaven. We remember Your sufferings at the hands of enemies — that we might have the friendship of God. We remember Your agony in Gethsemane, Your bloody sweat — that we might have quiet peace when we come to die. We remember Your cross, with the unutterable sufferings endured there — that our sins might be forgiven and that we might have eternal redemption through Your blood. We remember Your burial and Your resting in the dark grave — that the grave might no longer have its terrors for us, because You have lain in it.
We remember, too, Your glorious resurrection — that we might have a living Savior, and that we too might have the hope of resurrection and eternal life. We remember Your ascension to the right hand of God, that we might have a Friend in Heaven to intercede for us and plan for our lives. May these blessed truths be very real to us, and we will praise You forever. Amen.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
TUESDAY MORNING
Graciously come to us this morning, O God, and bless us. We deserve no favor at Your hand — but You are a God of mercy. Out of the depths, we have cried unto You. Lord, hear our cry, and let Your ear be attentive to the voice of our supplication. If You should mark iniquities against us — we could not stand before You, for we have sinned in manifold ways. But there is forgiveness with You — that You may be feared. We wait for Your mercy, for with You there is redemption.
You have a purpose for each one of our lives today, something You would have us to do. May You make it plain to each of us as we go out, and go through the hours, what it is You have in Your plan for us. We would do Your will and not our own all the day. Show us what You will have us to do. Teach us to do Your commandments. Let us not follow the foolish counsels and devices of our own hearts. Let us not lean unto our own understanding. Incline our hearts to follow You, and to walk in the way of Your commandments. So may we please You and glorify Your name.
We desire to be blessings in the world, and we ask You for grace to show to all who see us, Your beauty in our own lives. Fill us with Your Spirit and then Your life shall shine in us. May the joy of Jesus be in our hearts. Help us to be comforters to those who are in sorrow. May we be enabled to help others with the burdens that are too heavy for them. Teach us how to sympathize with those who are suffering. Help us to be winners of souls. Bless our home, and keep us while absent one from the other, bringing us all together in the evening. And may the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with us. Amen.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
TUESDAY EVENING
Father, let Your face shine upon our home tonight. We thank You for it. May it be . . .
a shelter to us from the world's storms,
a nest of love,
a school where we may learn love's lessons, and
where we may grow into the beauty of Christlikeness.We pray continually that our home may become more and more like Heaven. Teach all of us how to live, so as to add to its sweetness.
Come and be a guest in our home. Then its love will become sweeter and more and more holy. For Your presence gives light, blessing, and joy. Make our home, Your home. Dwell with us. Then we shall be happy. Then we shall live beautifully.
Bless the children. We thank You for childhood, with its simplicity, and its glad joyousness. Let Your grace be upon all our children, and give them Your sweet love, to keep their hearts unspoiled. Bless all mothers into whose hands little children come first to be taught and trained. May their own lives be pure with the purity of Jesus. Let no mother's heart be impure, or her hands defiled — while she is training her children for You. Bless all teachers of little children, giving them skill to do their work faithfully, so that they shall not be ashamed when they meet them at the judgment bar.
Let a blessing rest upon schools where children are trained for life. Make the teachers wise and faithful. Bless all academies, colleges, and schools of every grade. Give to teachers power to teach well. Bless all books, papers, and literature prepared for the children and young people. So may the children of the world be saved. We ask all this in the name of Jesus Christ, the children's Friend. Amen.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
WEDNESDAY MORNING
Almighty God, our heavenly Father, look upon us graciously as we wait at Your feet. Receive our thanks for the goodness of another night, and accept this consecration of our lives to You for another day. We are Your own children, and we will trust You for all that our lives need. We will strive to obey You. We shall need Your grace in order to do Your will — and we ask You to give us grace that we may be faithful and dutiful children.
Enable us to do our simplest tasks for You as carefully as if they were the largest and most sacred ministries that mortal is ever set to do. May we find our Father's business . . .
in our household work,
in our school duties,
in our play and recreation,
in the affairs of our common occupations.May we learn to do all in the name of the Lord Jesus and for Him.
All around us are those who need kindnesses which we can render. May You give us so much of the Spirit of Jesus, that we shall go about doing good all the day. Even while engaged at our ordinary work, may we be so filled with divine love, that we shall give help and cheer to all we meet by our cheerful manner, by our encouraging words, and by our thoughtful kindnesses. May our wayside ministry, as we move along at our work, be a ministry of continual blessing.
Draw us now near to You, and give us the touch of Your hand before we go out. If we should never all come together again as a family, if death should call any of us home before the nightfall, let us not be separated in the heavenly home. Let us not fall by the way, into any sin. Mercifully preserve us from all evil. And may grace, mercy, and peace be with us all forever. Amen.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
WEDNESDAY EVENING
Our Father in Heaven, hallowed be Your name. May Your kingdom come. May Your will be done on earth, as it is in Heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us.
You have told us by the lips of Him who spoke as never any man spoke, that if we forgive men their trespasses — then You will also forgive us; but that if we forgive not men their trespasses — then neither will You forgive us our trespasses. It is not easy for us to forgive those who have done us hurt. We ofttimes cherish bitter feelings and are not willing to put them out of our hearts. Yet, our Father, we want to be like You, and we are not like You if we are unforgiving. You forgive us not once only — but endlessly. You forgive altogether, putting our sins behind Your back, remembering them no more forever, receiving Your pardoned children back into favor, as if they never had sinned, and restoring them to all that they have lost by their wandering.
Father, teach us the lesson of forgiveness. If others have trespassed against us — help us to forgive them. If they have trespassed against us seven times — help us to forgive seven times, seventy times seven times. Help us to forgive as You do — fully, freely, taking the offending friend back to our heart again, loving unto the uttermost. We desire to obey this teaching. You know how hard it is to do it. Help us, gracious Lord. Soften our spirits and humble us, until we can say from our hearts, "Forgive us our trespasses — as we forgive those who trespass against us." For Yours is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
THURSDAY MORNING
Our Father who are in Heaven, hallowed be Your name. Teach us how to hallow Your name. Show us how holy it is, and how sacred. Even the angels in Heaven speak it in reverent breath. It shines like the sun in its glory. All Your attributes are manifested in Your name. All that You are, is in Your name. All the glory of the universe which You have made — is less glorious than is Your name, for You are greater than all Your works.
Hallowed be Your name. Help us to hallow it in our own souls, to hold it as sacred. Teach us to reverence You. Give us a glimpse of Your holy glory, that we may know how to adore Your name in our hearts. Then teach us how to hallow Your name in all our life. May we hallow it in our speech. Let us never speak Your name without love and reverence. May its every mention fill our hearts with holy thoughts of You. We are Your children and we bear Your name. Teach us how to live, so that we shall hallow Your name in ourselves. Let us never dishonor You, by living in any way unworthy of You. May we be holy, as You are holy. May we in our speech, in our conduct, in You whose name we bear. May our light so shine before men, that they may see our good works and glorify You, our Father in Heaven.
Then may we have grace to do much in the world to bring honor and glory to Your name. Help us to win others to You, so that in their lives Your name may be hallowed. We are little in Your sight and cannot do much; but may we be enabled, in our own place and manner, to honor You, and to help to bring all the world to say, "Hallowed be Your name." We ask in Jesus Christ. Amen.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
THURSDAY EVENING
In the quiet of the eventide, we come to You, our Father, for Your blessing. We are weary, tonight, after the day's toils and cares, and come to You for rest. You have promised rest to those who come to You. Things have not all gone today as we had hoped they would. We intended to be very good and faithful — but while the spirit was willing, the flesh was weak — and we failed many times. Father, forgive us for these failures, and save us from repeating them.
Many of our expectations were not realized. We had our disappointments. Some of our plans failed. We leave these broken things with You. It was Your will that they should be broken, because they were not Your plans. Our ways were not Your ways — but Your ways are wiser and better than ours. So we leave all with You, praying that Your plan for us may go on in all our broken plans, and that all things may indeed work together for our good.
We pray again for this dear home of ours — we must always pray for it. It needs Your grace afresh every day, that it may be kept heaven-like in this world of sin. Purify all our home affections. May all things serve to bring us nearer together and to bind us closer to each other. May our common toils and cares and sorrows — become new bands of love to hold us heart to heart in mutual love. May we never fail in patience, nor in unselfishness, nor in thoughtfulness. Give us the spirit of self-effacement, if we are called to make personal sacrifices in order that our home may be blessed. Pour into our hearts the spirit of love and grace, that we may be mutually helpful, and then our home shall be happy. We ask in the name of Jesus. Amen.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
FRIDAY MORNING
O Jesus, the source and fountain of all life — we come to You this morning for new life, new supplies of life, to prepare us for living another day. Our lamps are going out, and need to be refilled by You from Your fullness, that they may burn and shine in this dark world. Our hearts' love is exhausted by the continual drafts upon it in living our life, and it needs renewal from Your heart. Our strength is used up through toil and struggle, and we need new supplies.
We come to You, O Jesus, for You are the Life, and we have the promise that of Your fullness we shall receive, and grace upon grace. May You give us life. You came into the world that we might have life, and might have it abundantly. Your own heart was broken on the cross and its life was emptied upon the earth, that it might become our life and throb in our hearts. Jesus Christ, our Savior, fill us with Your own life — and then we shall live indeed.
We ask for all the life we need to enable us to be Your true children, and faithful followers of You. We have no life of our own. May You live in us, and then we shall indeed show the world a revealing of You. Then Your joy shall be in our hearts — Your peace, Your rest, Your very life. Then shall we be indeed branches of the vine, bearing fruit, bending low with abundance of fruit. Then we shall be like You, that wherever we are, men may see You in us, and may glorify You. Give us, therefore, of the fullness of Your life, and then we can give to all we meet. We ask these favors in Your name, O Lamb of God. Amen.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
FRIDAY EVENING
We thank You, Father, for the revealing to us of the sweetness and gentleness of Your love. No mother's bosom is so warm a shelter for her baby — as is Your bosom for Your redeemed children. No holiest earthly home is so secure a shelter for its favored inhabitants — as You are to those who find their home in You. We have gathered into our home tonight, after the day's cares, toils, and conflicts; so we would gather now also into the shelter of Your love and hide ourselves in You. There is no other hiding-place.
Please forgive all the sins of this day. At this evening-time, grant to us Your peace. All that we have done, may You take and bless and use. We tried to do good to others as we went on our way. Our attempts were not all beautiful — but may You use even our poor efforts to help and bless others. If Your grace is in them, our humblest deeds are full of helpfulness. Teach us to be content with the things we have. Save us from murmuring and complaining at the trials and frets of life. We are easily disheartened. We are impatient of hindrance and restraint, and when things do not go as we would have them go — we often grow fretful, and are heard finding fault and complaining.
Forgive us this complaining spirit, and teach us to take what comes to us in Your providence quietly, cheerfully, and prayerfully — bearing patiently with inconvenience and disappointment, so that Your name may be honored. Give us sweetness of spirit, give us calm and thoughtful hearts, from every murmur free; the blessing of Your grace impart, and may we live for You. So may the sweetness of Your own life come into our hearts, until we are transformed into Your own likeness. We ask in Jesus' precious name. Amen.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
SATURDAY MORNING
May this new morning bring us into new fellowship with You, our gracious heavenly Father. May the light of Your love be newly revealed in our hearts. May Your grace be poured upon us like sunshine out of Heaven. May we have a glimpse of that fullness of life, which awaits us in the eternal world, the heavenly home — so that our hearts may be drawn towards it.
We thank You that Heaven begins here on earth, that when we receive Jesus as our Master, we have everlasting life. Help us to enter every day more deeply into life. May we be filled with all Your fullness, even in this world. Abide in us, and may we abide in You. May Your love be shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit.
We ask You for grace to witness for Jesus today wherever we go. In our home life, may we witness to each other of the power of Jesus to make us loving, gentle, and affectionate. In our day's occupations, may we witness for Jesus to all who see us, by our diligence and faithfulness, and by our unselfish ministries. In our friendships, may we witness for Jesus by our thoughtfulness, constancy, and sincerity, and by our unselfish sympathy, kindness, and helpfulness. In all our life, may we be witnesses for Jesus, and may the beauty of the Lord be revealed in our lives.
We speak our prayer to You this morning for all whose duties lead them into places of danger. We pray for those who go upon the sea that they may be kept from danger; for those who are upon railway trains, for those who work in mines, and for all whose occupations are full of peril. We pray for our neighbors and friends, for the poor, the sick, and the dying. Grant these requests for Jesus' sake, Amen.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
SATURDAY EVENING
The week is closing, and we come to You, O Father, in its last evening prayer, to commit ourselves to You. Bless all Sundays which have passed away forever from our hands. Use the work we have done. Impress in our hearts the lessons taught us by the experiences of this week. Let us not lose them, nor forget them. May our lives be richer ever after because of them. May we put into practice, what we have learned.
Bless to us the teachings of Your holy word which have come to us during this week in our daily readings. May we keep them ever in our hearts, and may they be profitable to us in the shaping and beautifying of our characters. Bless also the influence of our lives on others. Those who have seen us have noted how we live. Our words have been spoken into the air — but they have fallen upon ears and into hearts, and their influence abides. Our example, too, has had its effect. May You bless all this influence. Forbid that any evil effect shall follow any act of ours — but may all who have seen us, carry good influences in their lives from ours. May we, too, in turn, carry good from the true and beautiful lives which we have seen, receiving blessing from them which shall make us stronger and holier in all days to come. Make us more and more a blessing to others.
We now go to our rest. Bless us, our Father. Enfold us in Your everlasting arms, and hold us apart from the world and far away from its perils. Forgive us every sin. Wash us in the blood of Jesus. Grant to us abundance of Your spirit. Give us rest in sleep. Prepare us for a good Sunday, and may we rise with hearts eager to see You. Hear us, and receive our prayers, we ask in Jesus' precious name. Amen.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
THIRTEENTH WEEK
SUNDAY MORNING
Jesus, who died for our sins, and rose again from the dead, we worship You on this Your day. You are the resurrection and the life. You brought life and immortality to light in Your gospel. You could not be held of death — but conquered it, thus vanquishing the last enemy.
We rejoice today in the blessings which You have brought to us by Your resurrection. You are a Savior who has met every power of evil, and has overcome every enemy. We have nothing to fear even in death, for You have proved Yourself Lord of death, and have the keys of the grave. You will rescue all Your people from death's power.
You are a Savior who was dead — but who now lives to die no more. We have You for a living Friend and Companion. We are sure of Your help, O strong Son of God, in our every time of need, trial, and danger.
On this Lord's day we think of You as away beyond death, and able therefore to lead us through death. Bring us into living fellowship with Yourself. May this be to us a resurrection day, a day of victory over some old sin, a day of new life and hope. Help us to conquer some earthly desire, and enter into some new freedom. May we rise into newness of life.
May You make this Sunday one of real blessing to us and to many others. Bless the churches everywhere. Let the power from on high be given to all who preach the gospel and to all who teach in the Sunday schools. Help us to open our hearts to receive Your love and the power of Your Holy Spirit. And we will give all the praise to the Father through You, O Jesus, our Savior. Amen.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
SUNDAY EVENING
O God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness — shine upon us, into our hearts, this evening, and give us Your peace. We thank You for all that this Sunday has been to us, for its quiet, for its instruction, for its worship, for its fellowship with You and with Your people, for its opportunities of Christian service. May You bless to our home Sunday rest and fellowship. May our family life be enriched by means of this day's privileges. May we be enabled to make our home sweet with the sweetness of Heaven.
Bless us in our individual spiritual life. Bring us nearer to Yourself. May our thoughts of the risen Jesus lift our souls into sweeter communion with Jesus. May He be, more than ever before, our personal Friend, dearer to us than any other friend in all the world. May we live nearer the heart of Jesus from this day than ever we have lived before.
Then we pray that our Christian life may be deeper and holier from this day. May we have more of Jesus in our hearts. May we be more fully consecrated to Your service than ever we have been before. Make us more earnest, more prayerful, more holy in heart and life. Give us more wisdom in working for You. May we be teachers of others, as we speak of the things of Your grace. May we be winners of souls. May all the influence of our lives be for good. May we be more helpful to others.
We ask Your blessing on all the work done for You this day. Bless not only the public ministry of Your word — but remember all that has been done by humble workers in private ways. Give us now Your good-night peace, our Father, as we close our eyes. We ask in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
MONDAY MORNING
Father, may the light of Sunday stream down through all the days of the week. May Sunday's blessings overflow into the common days, like water from a great fountain, and may all the week be holier, brighter, sweeter, purer, and happier therefor.
We address ourselves now again to toil and conflict. We have had our day of rest, and now we hear the command, "Six days shall You labor," calling us afield. Help us to shake off all sloth — and to be diligent, earnest, and faithful in our labor. Save us from indolence and half-heartedness. Whatever our hands find to do, may we do with our might. As the time is short and ever shortening for us — may we redeem every moment of it from waste, and give it something worthy to carry forward for eternity. May we be diligent in business, doing all our daily work with energy, with carefulness, with all the skill we can command, so as to please You.
Help us to make this a profitable week, the best we have ever lived — a week of usefulness, a week of spiritual growth, a week of education, a week of love and all good serving of each other and of our fellows.
We beseech You to forgive us all our sins and to make us more and more conscious of our personal unworthiness, and our constant need of divine cleansing. Let no iniquity gain or hold dominion over us. Subdue in us all evil propensities and desires. Restore unto us the joy of Your salvation. Send us out today as Your messengers, to carry Your words of comfort and life to others and to do errands for You. Help us to be a blessing to many. Give us a profitable day, and bring us together at its close in peace and love. We ask in Jesus' precious name. Amen.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
MONDAY EVENING
Give us light at the evening time, O God. Whatever shadows have been about us today, may they flee away now, and may the brightness of Your love stream about us.
There are things hard to understand in our life. Sometimes we have trouble. Sorrows darken the air about us. Tears flow. Bereavements break the circle of love. We experience losses and trials. Your providences are hard to read. We cannot see love written in them. Sometimes we are tempted to ask whether there can be love in them at all, they seem to be working so irrefutably and so sorely against us.
Father, we thank You for the many assurances that for Your children, love always works in Your providences. The things that seem to be against us are really working for our good, though it may take time to bring out the result.
We ask for a faith that shall never doubt Your Fatherly love, whatever our experiences may be. Help us to trust You when we cannot see, knowing that afterwards we shall know that good has come out of all the strange events. Give us patience, and help us to learn to wait for You, when we cannot see the goodness.
We lay all our burdens at Your feet. We would not carry one of them into the night with us. We would leave them all with You. Take all the tangled threads into Your own hand, and unravel them, weaving them into a web of beauty. Forgive us all our doubts and fears, our little-faiths and our half-faiths, and give us the faith of little children. Then we shall be blessed and happy. Then we shall see Your blue sky with its countless stars. And may grace, mercy, and peace be upon us forever. Amen.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
TUESDAY MORNING
Lord, teach us how to pray. We thank You for the privilege of prayer, that we can bring our wants and wishes to You freely, no matter what they are — sure that You will give them patient consideration. You never despise the prayer of any of Your children. The feeblest and lowest may come with the smallest request — and You will open the door to hear. We rejoice that we have such a loving Father in Heaven.
Teach us how to pray. Give us the confidence of children. Help us to come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in our times of need. We are sure of Your willingness to do always for us, the thing that is best. So we would cast our requests upon You, saying, "As You will." Give us the faith that will trust You with our desires — leaving to You how and when the answer shall come. If the thing we ask for is not given, help us to believe that refusal is greater kindness to us than the granting of the request would have been.
We come with our requests for temporal blessings. We ask You for daily bread, for health, for prosperity in business. If it be Your will, Father, grant us all these mercies and favors. If any of them are withheld, we are sure it shall be in love, and we will say, "May Your will, not ours, be done."
We pray also for spiritual blessings, asking You to give us more grace, more love, more of Your Spirit's influence. Hear these our prayers, and give us an answer of peace. So may we abide in You, and may Your love enter into our hearts. Give as the best things, the things we need the most — not what we ask, unless what we ask is best. We make these prayers in Jesus' precious name. Amen.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
TUESDAY EVENING
Father, we come to You again with confidence and trust. We are not afraid to trust You. You have never yet failed or disappointed us, when we have come to You with our needs — and You will not fail nor disappoint us now. Help us to believe in You, even when all things seem to be against us, knowing that it is because the story of Your providence is not finished, that it seems to move adversely for us.
We have no power of our own to bring good out of evil, to compel enmities, opposition, and hindrances — to work out good for us in the end. But You can do even this. We would leave, therefore, with You all the things that seem adverse and evil, and ask You to bring the blessing out of them for us.
We remember, this evening before You, our friends who have troubles. You know who they are and what the troubles are. Give them faith and comfort in their trial. Let them not be cast down by the things that are hard to endure. May they have faith that shall not fail in any experience of trial.
We remember all the interests of our own home. We desire to make our home a good place to grow up in for worthy life, and for Heaven. We need You continually to help us to make it heaven-like and sweet. May Your love abide with us, softening our hearts and sweetening and refining our spirits.
We pray for all who love the Lord Jesus Christ. May they love Him more and more. May all believers grow in grace. We pray for the lost world. Have mercy upon it and save it. Help us to do our part in saving it. And may the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be upon us all forever. Amen.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
WEDNESDAY MORNING
We ask You, our Father, to give us a true blessing this morning. May it enter into our lives and make them more like Jesus. May it become a fountain of the water of life in each heart of ours. May it make us hate sin more and love right and good more. May it leave the marks of the Lord Jesus Christ branded more indelibly upon us. May it stamp the image of Jesus more deeply and clearly upon us.
We desire to carry Your blessing with us into all the day. May we love You more, and follow You better, and serve You more acceptably — because we have Your blessing upon us in the early morning.
We ask You — as we must always ask You — to forgive us our sins, and cleanse and purify our hearts and lives. We are not worthy to receive any blessings at Your hands — but You are gracious and merciful, and we come to You sure of the blotting out of our sins, when we have truly confessed them and sincerely repented of them. Give us indeed the grace of repentance, that we may receive Your forgiveness and Your peace.
We desire to leave our sins behind us and not to continue to repeat them. Help us to put them away. If we have unintentionally wronged any one — give us grace to undo the wrong, so far as we can. If we have taken anything from another wrongfully — give us grace to restore what we have taken. May our religion make us honest and truthful. May it make us just and righteous. Save us from an easy-going religion that makes no impact upon the life. May our religion go to the depths of our being, and may it cleanse us at the heart, and sanctify and transform all our life. May it lead us to noble service. We ask in Jesus' precious name. Amen.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
WEDNESDAY EVENING
We would praise You, O God, for Your mercy and truth, and for all the wonders of Your love. Teach us how to sing. Sometimes we almost forget how to sing, we so rarely utter our thanksgiving to You. We come to You continually with requests, asking for favors of many kinds — but we speak our gratitude very infrequently. We fail to thank You for the things we have most earnestly asked You to give to us, forgetting when we get them, that they are answers to our prayers, that they are indeed gifts from Your hand.
Father, we confess this sin of ingratitude before You and implore Your forgiveness. And may we be enabled to make our repentance real and true, by henceforth thanking You more faithfully for all the blessings of Your love and grace. We thank You now . .
for answered prayers,
for the good things of Your providence,
for the good things of Your word and of Your Spirit,
for home and friends, and
all the blessings of country and church.We thank You for this day's blessings, for its enjoyments, for all it has brought to us of good, for Your presence with us, and for the hopes of glory. We thank You for what You are to us as our Father, for the love that You have for us, for the revealings of Your grace and comfort.
Teach us to sing, so that our hearts may always be praising You. May our lives be songs, and may we sing Your praise wherever we go, not with our lips only — but in our disposition, in our conduct, in our character. May all who see us and know us, hear the music of love and praise wherever we go. Fill us with the joy of Jesus — and then we shall sing. Breathe Your life into our souls — and then our lives shall be songs. Grant these things for Jesus' sake. Amen.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
THURSDAY MORNING
O God, who has spared our lives through another night, and brought us to a new morning — seal to us Your new mercy by new gifts of grace. We thank You for the rest of the past night. We thank You for the favors that await us, for the provision made ready for our bodies, for the hopes of the day upon which we are now entering. Give us truly grateful hearts; and may we never grieve You by coldness, by unfaithfulness, by ingratitude, by unbelief, or by want of love.
We beseech You to prepare us now by Your Spirit for all the duties of the day, for all its vicissitudes. What its hours may bring forth, we cannot know; nor would we, if we could. We would rather leave them all with You, that You may lead us and prepare the way for us, than that we should choose for ourselves. So we will trust You to take us in Your appointed way. Choose for us, God; nor let our selfish desires, cheat our poor souls of good You have designed. Choose for us — Your wisdom is unerring, and we are fools and blind. We cannot, dare not, choose for ourselves.
The day may have shadows for us, or it may bring to us hardship and self-denial; but we shall not be afraid. Our path through gloom, shall lead to joy and peace. So we will press on in patient self-denial, accepting the hardship, not shrinking from the loss. Our blessing lies beyond the hour of trial — our crown lies beyond the cross. Let us not falter in any experience.
Let not the world have dominion over us today. Help us to fix our eyes on our heavenly home, and press onward to the glory that waits for us there with You. Hear us, O God, and grant to us Your blessing and grace, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
THURSDAY EVENING
Our Father who are in Heaven, we come to You with the children's confidence, saying, Abba, Father. Teach us to love You and trust You. Put into our hearts the spirit of adoption.
We thank You for the privileges we enjoy as Your children. Help us to realize what they are. Reveal Your love to us. We cannot see You, and we are so slow to believe that You love us. Make known to us this precious fact, and may Your love be shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit.
We thank You for all our blessings — the good things of Your providence, the better things of Your grace. We thank You for our home and its tender affections. We thank You for our friends, and for all the gentle friendships that bless our lives. We thank You for our children, and for their sweetness and beauty. We thank You for schools, for books, and for teachers. We thank You for Your church, with its ordinances, its sacraments, its fellowships, and for the help that comes to us from it in so many ways.
Grant to us a blessing now at the ending of another day. Receive out of our hands all the work we have done, and bless it. Forgive us all our sins, and strengthen our weakness that we may not sin against You so readily. May we learn to live in this world, as not belonging to it — but as only pilgrims, passing through the world to our heavenly inheritance. Yet we desire to live well while we stay here, using the world and not abusing it, and living in it so as to leave a blessing in it. Lead us on and on, to the end, and then bring us to the close of life's last day in peace, and to Heaven's immortality, through Jesus Christ our Redeemer. Amen.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
FRIDAY MORNING
Father, in all things we have come short, and we ask Your grace and mercy. You have promised by Your servant John, that if we confess our sins, You are faithful and just to forgive us our sins. We come to You with confession. Make Your face shine upon us, and give us Your peace.
You have kept us through the darkness, from all the perils of the night. We thank You, and we would take further blessing and grace from You. May we be enabled to make this a very worthy and beautiful day. May its every task be finished. May all its assigned work be done. Give us the true loving spirit toward all men. In all our fellowship with others, may we be gentle, thoughtful, charitable, large-hearted, unselfish, and helpful. Preserve us from envy, jealousy, and all bitterness. May we be useful, quieting others' fears, soothing their pains, comforting their sorrows.
Help us in all our trials and cares to be patient, victorious, and strong. May we endure trouble and sorrow, sweetly and calmly. May we pass through temptation unhurt by its fires, as the Hebrew children passed through the fires of the king's furnace. May we live in the world, and not be hurt by the world. May our love for You grow stronger and stronger, as we pass toward the end of our earthly pilgrimage. May Heaven draw upon us continually, lifting us nearer to You in spirit every day, ennobling all our life, and throwing about us ever stronger bonds of divine grace.
We go forth now into the day to serve You as You will have us serve You. Make us faithful and true. Breathe upon us, and fill us with Your Spirit. We ask in the name of Jesus. Amen.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
FRIDAY EVENING
The day is done, our Father, and we bring it to You. Give it Your blessing. As it is now to be folded away with all past days, to remain closed until the books are opened — pass Your cleansing hand over it, and then put Your seal upon it. Bless all we have done. Forgive our sins. Sanctify to us all our experiences. Make clean our hearts within us. Strengthen us in our souls.
We ask for rich blessings upon our home and home life. You instituted the home; the family is Your ordinance. Hence we feel confidence in asking You to make our home pleasing to You in its love, its fellowship, and all its affairs. May each one of us, older and younger, be blessed. In all the future of our family life may we have divine guidance. May the young grow up here into divine beauty, finding their home to be a school of Heaven. Help us to make our home hospitable and loving, a center of holy influences.
We bring to You all the interests of our lives — our business, our household tasks, our school work, our friendships, our hopes, plans, and fears. Grant Your grace upon all these things. We pray for the trusts You have placed in our hands, all the interests of Your kingdom that are in our custody. Help us to be faithful to every duty, and may nothing suffer in our care.
Almighty and most merciful Father, we now commend ourselves, and all who are dear to us, to You. Tenderly care for the old. Pity the weak and the tempted. Have mercy upon the fallen. Comfort the sorrowing. Bless the sick and those who watch beside them. Hear us, O God. Receive our prayer. Save us at last in Heaven, through Jesus Christ. Amen.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
SATURDAY MORNING
O God, our heavenly Father, we bless You for the revealing of Your love which You have given us in Jesus Christ. He has taught us to call You our Father, telling us . . .
that You love us with all a father's tender affection,
that Your care for us is constant, and
that we have all the privileges of children in Your family.Help us also to be Your faithful children — obedient, trustful, loyal, and true.
We thank You, our Father, for the goodness and mercy of the past night, and for all Your kindness toward us. Give us true gratitude that we may never fail to recognize Your hand in the favors we receive. May Your goodness ever lead us to greater carefulness in living, that we may never grieve You by sin or by unbelief. Help us to keep our hearts ever open to the gentlest influences of Your love.
We would remember before You, all the interests of Your church. Bless all those who have confessed Your name, and give them grace to be true and faithful to You in all their ways. May Your people be led . . .
into holier living,
into deeper experiences of Your love,
into intenser earnestness in Your service,
into fuller consecration.Give Your church greater power and influence in the world.
We desire that our own household life may become more and more imbued with Your grace. Whatever is not according to Your will, may You help us to bring into full accord. May we be brought very close together in true affection. May we live together sweetly, patiently, unselfishly, and helpfully — so that Jesus would not hesitate to be a guest in our home. We ask all these favors and mercies in Jesus Christ's precious name. Amen.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
SATURDAY EVENING
O God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, and our Father, we draw near to You with love and faith, at this eventide. Graciously pardon all our sins, which are many — and give us Your peace. We are Yours, Your own children — and we owe to You the best honor, obedience, and service which it is possible for us to render. Help us to fulfill our obligations and to meet our responsibilities.
We thank You for Your goodness to us this past week. You have showered Your blessings upon us with a most bountiful hand. You have given us favors of many kinds. Some of Your gifts have come to us in strange form — in trials, in burdens, in disappointments, in losses. Still we know that they are Your gifts, and as such have in them good and blessing for our lives. Give us grace to accept whatever You send to us, knowing that Your love can never give us anything but kindness. Even if the cup is bitter — may we be enabled to accept it.
We yearn for deeper, richer blessing upon our household. We would grow more like our Savior. May our home life be such that we shall find in it always sanctifying influences. May our tender human affections enlarge our hearts so that we shall love You more. May we learn to live together patiently, thoughtfully, unselfishly, doing each other good and never evil.
Come and be our guest, O You who were a guest in the old Bethany home, bearing there so much comfort, so much love — blessing the little home so deeply. Come and be our guest and bring to our home, all that you took to that old-time home. Bless us everyone with present and eternal blessings. We ask in Your precious name. Amen.
PRAYER WHEN THERE IS SICKNESS
O Jesus, our Friend, we lift up our hearts to You in earnest prayer. May You draw us near to Yourself and give us tender comfort in this time of our anxiety. We remember how when a friend of Yours was sick in the days of Your flesh, word was sent to You — "He whom You love is sick." We speak now the same message to You, "Our loved one, who is dear to You, is sick." We ask for your blessing upon him. We earnestly pray that if it is according to Your will, the precious life may be spared and restored again to health. Give wisdom to the physician and bless the medicines and the means. While our dear one suffers may he be sustained by Your grace, held near Your own heart, and kept in peace. And may he come again from the sick-room with a sweeter trust in You, with more patience and trust, ready for better service. We ask in Jesus' precious name. Amen.
PRAYER WHEN A MEMBER OF THE FAMILY HAS DIED
O God, our Father, we Your children bow at Your feet in our sorrow. To whom can we go, but to You? We desire to submit ourselves to Your will. You have laid Your hand upon us — and our hearts are broken. But in our grief, we will trust You. Even so, Father, for so it seems good in Your sight.We thank You for the comforts which come to us from the gospel, for the words of divine promise which whisper themselves into our hearts, for the assurance of the sympathy of Jesus, who wept with His friends in their bereavement; for the blessed hopes of resurrection and immortality which come to us from the broken grave of the Redeemer. We rejoice that our believing loved one who has fallen asleep is with Jesus, absent from the body but present with the Lord.
May You quiet our hearts and comfort us. Give us Your peace. Bless our broken home circle. May the memories of the vanished life stay in our hearts as holy blessings. May our household life be all the sweeter, for the grief that has touched it. We have no words to speak. We would get near to Your heart, we would creep into Jesus' bosom, into His everlasting arms, and be still. Bless us with the tenderest blessings of Your love, we ask in the name of Jesus. Amen.
PRAYER ON SETTING UP A NEW HOME
O Jesus, our Savior and Friend, we want to come very near to You to get Your blessing. We are glad that You went to a marriage feast at Cana of Galilee, and smiled upon the joy of that sacred hour. We invited You to our wedding, and You have given us Your blessing. Now as we set up our new home, we ask Your blessing upon it. May we be very happy together. May our love never change nor grow cold — but may it become more tender every day, and may it prove constant and true, Help us to keep our mutual vows, and may we be true helpers of each other's life in all ways.We ask Your guidance in all our plans. May we do Your will only and always. Let not our love for each other draw our hearts from You — but may we love You ever first and best. Bless all our business affairs. Sanctify to us our friendships. Help us to make our home a center of influence for Jesus. May we be enabled to live so that all who come within our doors may receive a blessing.
Now as we bow together in our new home, lay Your hand upon our heads and give us Your blessing of grace, mercy, and peace. We ask it in Your precious name, O Jesus. Amen.
PRAYER WHEN A BABY HAS BEEN BORN
Our Father, we ask You to bless us. We thank You for the new life that has come into our home. We bring it to You in consecration. We would lay it in Your arms. We ask for Your divine keeping for it. We cannot keep it, for the world is very full of evil. You alone can guard it from harm.We ask You for grace to make our home a fit place for this precious life to grow up in. Help us to make it . . .
a place of love,
a place of prayer,
a place of all beautiful living,
a place sweet with Heaven's fragrance.Make us fit to hold this child in our arms, to clasp it in our bosom, to be its teachers and guides. Help us to answer its questions, to solve its problems, and to be to it a pattern of holy living.
We receive this little child as Your gift to us, and we promise to bring it up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. Give us wisdom, strength, and grace that we may be worthy to nurture this child for You, and that at last all of us may meet together in Heaven. We ask in Jesus' precious name. Amen.
PRAYER FOR ABSENT MEMBERS OF THE FAMILY
O God, You are everywhere present. Your eye keeps watch over all places. We commend to Your loving thought and care, our absent loved ones, praying that You will keep them from evil and bless them in the experiences through which they are passing. Preserve them from accident, from moral harm, from sickness, from sin. Bring them back to us in due season, enriched for holier life and greater usefulness. We ask in Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
PRAYER WHEN THERE ARE GUESTS IN THE FAMILY
Father, we thank You for our friends and for the friendships which mean so much to our lives. Bless the friends who are now with us, bowing here at Your feet. We thank You for their coming. Sweeten our fellowship. Let Your grace fill their hearts. Make them holy and lead them ever in right ways. May they be kept in Your fear and fitted for larger and larger usefulness. In all their care and toil and burden-bearing, may they have Your help. Choose the ways of life for them and let no harm come near to them. Watch over their home while they are absent from it, and tenderly care for their dear ones. We ask in Jesus Christ's precious name. Amen.
PRAYERS BEFORE MEALS
We thank You, our Father, for this provision which You have made for us. Help us to be grateful for all Your mercies and favors. May this food strengthen us and will You enable us to use our strength in Your service, in Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
O God, You open Your hand and satisfy all our needs. We take these gifts from You with gratitude and ask your blessing upon them, in Jesus Christ. Amen.
Father, give us this day our daily bread, with Your blessing, and help us to be contented with such things as we have, living to Your honor and glory, through Jesus Christ. Amen.