FIFTEENTH WEEK.—FRIDAY. — Evening

O THOU who hearest prayer, we beseech Thee now to accept and help us. We cannot hold communion with Thee or realise thy presence without the help of the Holy Spirit. We desire now to plead with Thee this promise, “If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask Him?” Gracious Father, give us now the Holy Spirit, to teach us and guide us into all truth. Oh, assist us to come to Thee as helpless children to a loving father. Send into our hearts the spirit of adoption, crying Abba, Father. It is because we are weak and sinful that we stand so much in need of thy help. Bow down thine ear and hear, for we are poor and needy.

Come, Holy Spirit, into our hearts, and speak to us of Jesus and his love. Come and help us to give up sin and to worship God. Come and make us wise, and holy, and happy. Come and make us like Christ. We are indeed sinful, but we know that Christ is a great Saviour. Be very gracious to us now. Help us to cast all our care upon God, and all our sins upon Jesus. Help us to feed upon thy holy Word. We thank Thee for all Thou hast done for us. Without Thee we cannot think a good thought, or pray aright. Bless us, then, we pray Thee, and bless to us that portion of Scripture we have just been reading, and which was written for our learning.

O Thou who art the light of the world, open our eyes, we beseech Thee. Enable us to see Thee, O Jesus, and to worship Thee as our Prophet, Priest, and King. Lighten our darkness, we beseech Thee, O Lord. Take away all blindness from our eyes, and all hardness from our hearts. In thy light may we see light. When evil thoughts and desires darken our minds, oh, do Thou graciously anoint us with thine own Spirit. May the Spirit of truth enlighten the eyes of our understanding. Blessed Saviour, Thou hadst compassion upon one who was born blind: have mercy now upon those who are blinded by sin. Thou dost often bring the blind by a way that they know not: guide us, we beseech Thee, in the way that leads to heaven. May thy Word be a lamp to our feet and a light to our path. Suffer us not to fall or wander from Thee. Be ever near to us. It is not night, blessed Saviour, if Thou art near.

Oh, may no earth-born cloud arise,
To hide Thee from thy servants’ eyes.

Guard us sleeping; watch over us till the day dawns; and when we awake from the sleep of death, do Thou, who art the bright and morning Star, shine on us for ever and ever. Amen.