FAMILY PRAYERS
BY John MacDuff, 1885
Communion
Morning
Almighty and Everlasting God, we bless You for the return
of another day. Pour out upon us a double portion of Your grace—fill our
hearts with Your love. May all vain, and wandering, and sinful thoughts be
repressed; may our communion and fellowship this day be with You, and with
Your Son Jesus Christ. We thank You for the prospect we have of anew
commemorating the dying love of our risen and exalted Redeemer—of
surrounding once more the table in the wilderness, and partaking of the
bread of everlasting life. Give to each of us the "wedding garment." Let us
prepare to meet our God. May we feel that the place whereon we are to stand
is holy ground; and rejoice at the renewed opportunity of testifying, in the
presence of angels and men, our unaltered and unalterable attachment to our
blessed Lord and Master.
In a strength greater than our own, may we be enabled to
resolve, that He will be henceforth ours only--ours wholly--ours forever.
Give us this day lively apprehensions of the great love with which He has
loved us. May these dead and lukewarm souls of ours be quickened into
newness of life. May our faith be invigorated, and our love deepened, and
our graces strengthened. May this be the grateful aspirations of all our
hearts, "What shall we render unto the Lord for all His benefits towards us?
We will take the cup of Salvation, and call upon the name of the Lord; we
will pay our vows unto the Lord now in the presence of all His people."
We pray for all who are to receive along with us this
day, the sacred emblems. Give to each of them some special tokens of Your
covenant love. May they see the King in His beauty. May their experience be,
"It was good for us to draw near unto God." Keep back all presumptuous and
unworthy guests. Encourage all trembling, faint-hearted ones. While feeling
their own unworthiness, may they remember they go to commemorate the
infinite worthiness of Him who is All worthy. May they hear Your voice
of encouragement saying, "Fear not, for I know that you seek Jesus, who was
crucified."
Go forth this day everywhere with the preaching of Your
holy Gospel. May wanderers be reclaimed; may mourners be comforted; may
saints be edified; may Your name be glorified. Stand by Your ministering
servants—may they hear the sound of their Master's footsteps behind them—may
they hide themselves behind their Lord, pointing away from the excellency of
their own speech and their own wisdom--to Him, who alone, by the
attractive power of His Cross, can draw all men unto Himself.
We commend to Your paternal keeping our beloved friends.
May they be among the number of Your sealed ones. Sanctify them in body,
soul, and spirit, that they may at last be presented faultless and
unblamable before Your dear Son at His appearing.
Bless this household. Let us all at last sit down, one
united and undivided family, with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, at the
better feast of communion in Your heavenly kingdom. And all that we ask, is
for the sake of our adorable Redeemer. Amen.