Freeing the Soul for Loving Service
Seeks the Spirit’s help against spiritual deadness and consuming cares, with compassion for sick and sorrowing people and strength for service.
Historical edition. Historical claims and instructions are preserved as historical context.
ALMIGHTY! Who knowest our frame, Who rememberest that we are but dust, we beseech Thee help us, and quicken this dust with Thy Spirit. Lord! we sorrow that Thy spirit in this world, its glory and its beauty, does not greatly move us;—we give more thought to the little gales of earthly idleness than to Thy heavenly wind. O Lord! grant that we may be more lifted up by what is pure and good, than by mere earthly brightness.
Lord! when our hearts faint down to deadness, when the necessities of life dim Thy brightness, then help us. Look upon those who are no longer pure in heart; look upon those whose faith is hopeless, because faithless themselves; look upon those whose sorrows are fast killing them; look upon the broken hearts. For all the sick and sad we beseech Thee. Help us all in that hard saying: "What time I am afraid, I will trust in Thee."
Almighty! we cry to Thee as did one of old, "Deliver our souls from the power of the grave." We do not cry to be delivered from our last resting-place, the grave of the body, but from the grave that has power over our souls. Let not our souls be buried in daily cares, in small necessities, and in evil ways, in shameful sloth, doing nothing for God or man. Let each of us ask whether the soul within us is freed from the power of corruption, and from the bondage of an earthly yoke, and is set free for doing Thy sweet service.
We give Thee thanks for all the means of life shed upon the soul; whenever the beauty of the world doth lift us up to the contemplation of Thy goodness; when through the golden west we gaze, and the soul has sight of the heavenly things beyond, to which this earthly glory is but the portal. We give Thee thanks when Thou givest us grace to bear the labours of the day, the sad watches of the night, and to deny ourselves for others; for these rays of light Divine we give Thee thanks.
We beseech Thee to give us victory in time, over time. Teach us to bear all things and endure all things. Knowing Thou art our Holy One, we shall not fail.—AMEN.