FAMILY PRAYERS
BY John MacDuff, 1885
Prayer for a time of bereavement
O Lord God almighty, we rejoice to think that "the Lord
reigns!" Though Your way may sometimes seem to be in the sea, and Your path
in the deep waters, and Your judgments unsearchable—yet nothing can happen
by accident or chance—but all is the unerring dictate of infinite wisdom and
unchanging faithfulness and love. Where would we be at this hour, but for
the blessed assurance, "This also comes from the Lord Almighty," who, though
"wonderful in counsel," is ever "excellent in working." Often we cannot
discern, through our tears, the rectitude and love of Your varied
dispensations. Often are we led to say, with trembling and misgiving hearts,
"Truly, You are a God who hides Yourself." But all is well. We could not
wish our concerns in better hands than in Yours.
May this wondrous challenge silence and rebuke every
murmur, "He who spared not His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how
shall He not with Him, also freely give us all things?"
You cannot send one trial that is unnecessary, or light
one spark in the furnace that might be spared. We will be silent, we will
open not our mouths, because You are the one who has done this! Man may err,
and has often erred; but, O unerring God! Your faithfulness has established
in the heavens! The Judge of all the earth must do right. We would seek to
lie submissive at Your feet, and say in unmurmuring resignation, "May Your
will be done." We "fear to enter into the cloud,"—You have afflicted us by
terrible things in righteousness; the desire of our eyes has been taken away
by a stroke—the shadows of death have unexpectedly fallen around us! Oh
forbid that we should rebel under the rod, and refuse to be comforted. Let
us glorify You "in the fires!" Let us feel that if we are Your children,
there is not a drop of wrath in that cup of sorrow; but all is love,
infinite love! We would see no hand but Yours "the Lord gave us our
blessings—and the Lord has a supreme and inalienable right to take them
away!" "Even so, Father, for it seems good in Your sight."
Our earnest prayer, blessed God, is, that this severe
trial may be sanctified to us all. We have need of such a blow—to remind us
that this earth is not our rest. We were leaning on the creature—we were
disowning and undeifying the Great Creator. You would not leave us to
ourselves, to settle on our lees. You saw the need of Fatherly chastisement
to bring back our alien and truant hearts to Yourself. Oh, may we listen to
our Father's voice. May we feel it to be a loud voice, and yet full of
gentle tenderness. May it rouse within each of us the question, "What will
You have me to do?" May we "arise and call upon our God." Thus may this very
affliction, which, for the present, seems not to be joyous but grievous,
nevertheless afterward yield the peaceable fruit of righteousness.
Lord, abundantly sanctify this solemn dispensation to
every member of our household—to all friends and neighbors. May the warning
voice sound loudly in our ears, "You also be ready!" It is another testimony
borne to the truth, that at such a time as we think not, the Son of God may
come. May it be ours ever to live in preparation for that solemn event which
awaits us all. Whatever our hand finds to do, may we do it with our might,
remembering that there is no work, nor device, nor labor, nor repentance in
the grave, where we are going.
Sprinkle us all with the blood of Jesus; give us all a
saving interest in Him, as the Resurrection and the Life. Let us hear His
voice of encouragement and love, sounding amid the stillness of the
death-chamber, and from the depths of the sepulcher, "Don't be afraid! I am
the First and the Last. I am the living one who died. Look, I am alive
forever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and the grave." "Yet a little
while, and He who shall come will come, and will not tarry." Soon shall
these bitter tears and partings of a weeping world be over; death-divided
friends shall meet, never again to know separation. Enable us to look
forward to that blessed hope and that glorious appearing, when "those who
sleep in Jesus, will God bring with Him." Lord, meanwhile descend, and to
the friendless prove a Friend. O Helper of the helpless, Comforter of all
who are cast down, better and dearer than the dearest and best of earthly
relatives—give us that grace which You have promised specially in seasons of
weakness; may we realize the truth of Your own precious promise, "As your
day is—so shall your strength be."
"I hear the tumult of the raging seas as Your waves and
surging tides sweep over me." Yet the Lord will command His loving-kindness
in the day time, and in the night His song shall be with us. However low we
may be sunk under the waves, the arms of Your love and upholding grace are
lower still. May it be our sweet experience, that the deeper we sink, only
discovers more the infinite depths of Your love and mercy. May this thought
reconcile us to bear all and suffer all—we shall soon be done with this
present evil world, and be with our God, and that forever and ever! Hide us
meanwhile, in the clefts of the Smitten Rock, until this and all other of
earth's calamities are over and past. May we trust Your heart—where we cannot
trace Your hand! We wait patiently for the great day of disclosures, when
all shall be revealed, and all be found redounding to the praise and the
glory of Your great name!
Hear us, blessed God. All that we ask is for the sake of
Your dear Son, our only Lord and Savior. Amen.