FOURTEENTH WEEK.—THURSDAY. — Evening

O LORD God, at the close of another day, we lift up the voice of prayer. We call on Thee as the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the Father of all them who truly believe in Him. We remember how He spake to his disciples of his Father and their Father, of his God and their God; and we ask, in his name, that we may know for ourselves the preciousness of this high relationship, and that in very deed we may be thy children, born again through the truth, and have faith to say “Abba, Father.”

Forgive, we beseech Thee, all the sins of this day, and give us peace through Jesus Christ. We confess that in thy sight, O Thou holy God, we have deeply sinned and come short of thy glory; but looking up to Him who is the Lord our Righteousness, we earnestly pray for pardon, and ask that by thy Spirit we may be made every day more and more what we ought to be. Let thy Word be increasingly precious to us—be hidden in our hearts, and manifested in our lives. Lord, we would be not forgetful hearers, but doers of thy Word; witnessing to its power, and fulfilling its precepts. May our religion be pure and undefiled before Thee, our God and Father. Teach us, we beseech Thee, to bridle our tongues, to watch over our hearts, and to abound in all acts of Christian kindness and charity. Lord, enable us to keep ourselves unspotted from the world, that we may be preserved harmless amidst its temptations; and though living in it, yet have our hearts and our treasure in heaven.

O Lord, let none of us be self-deceived in regard to our state before Thee. Thou readest and searchest the very heart. If any of us be unconverted, show them their lost condition. Convince them of sin, reveal them to themselves; let them learn, under thy teaching, all their guiltiness, and in thy mercy bring them out of darkness into the light of thy love. Teach us that it is not enough to cry Lord, Lord; but that the heart must be changed, and the sins be blotted out, and the life be conformed to thy will. Oh, let not our religion be a vain one; but in heart and life may we be consecrated to Thee, loving Thee more, serving Thee better, and bringing forth the fruits of the Spirit in a ready obedience in all things to thy will.

We now go to rest for the night, commending each other, and all whom we love, to thy care. Lord, watch over us by thy gracious providence. If we live, may we awake to glorify Thee; if we die, may we sleep in Jesus. Hear us, we pray Thee, O our God, for his sake, to whom, with Thee and the Holy Ghost, our only God, be ascribed equal and undivided praise. Amen.