EIGHTEENTH WEEK.—FRIDAY. — Evening

ALMIGHTY and most merciful Father, we humbly beseech Thee to bestow upon us the spirit of prayer, that we may draw near to Thee this evening with true hearts, in the full assurance of faith, and close this day in the enjoyment of thy favour and thy love.

We acknowledge, O Lord, the many mercies and blessings Thou hast granted to us this day. Thou, our heavenly Father, hast holden us in life, and continued to our use the faculties and capacities of our bodies and souls. We bless Thee, O Lord, for our reason, our sight, our hearing, our speech; and we thank Thee for the numberless supplies which have contributed to our enjoyment and happiness. We praise Thee for thy fatherly love and watchful care over us. Thou hast surrounded us every moment with the tokens of thy merciful goodness. To Thee, O God, we owe the homage of our hearts, and the best obedience of our lives.

Almighty God, we confess, and we deplore before Thee, that, in return for thy great and manifold mercies, we have often and grievously sinned against Thee. Pardon, we humbly beseech Thee, our thoughtlessness, our negligence, our ingratitude, our numerous and aggravated sins. We plead the merits of thy beloved Son Jesus Christ; for his sake graciously blot out all our transgressions, and help us henceforth to live to thy glory.

Impress upon our minds the solemn passage of thy holy Word we now have read. We ask of Thee the wisdom we need to use the things of this life, so that the recollection of them may not add to our misery hereafter. If in thy good providence our temporal lot be one of prosperity and success, oh, keep us from pride and vain glory, and especially keep us from despising the poor; oh, help us to remember the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, who, though He was rich, yet for our sakes He became poor; and may his mind always be in us. If thou shouldest see fit to lead us through suffering, poverty, and want, oh, give us resignation to thy will, and grant that when the time of our departure from earth shall arrive, we may be carried by angels into Abraham’s bosom.

Whilst we remain on earth, O Lord, we pray Thee to enable us to use all our talents according to thy will, remembering the account we must one day give. Awaken now, we beseech Thee, in all our minds, a deep concern for the salvation of our friends and relatives. Take away from us and from them all hardness of heart and contempt of thy Word; and, of thy infinite mercy, bring us all to Jesus Christ, that we may be happy in heaven for ever with Him.

Grant this, O God, for his sake. Amen.