NINETEENTH WEEK.—WEDNESDAY. — Morning

WE adore thy loving-kindness, O God, which has cared for us and protected us during the night. We praise Thee for the renewal to us of morning mercies. Give us at all times, we beseech Thee, a childlike confidence in thy love. We would look up to Thee as our Father in heaven, and would pray Thee ever to look down upon us as thy dear children, thy beloved in Christ Jesus. May we grieve with a godly sorrow over our many offences against Thee, and by thy Spirit’s help be enabled to put away what is hateful in thy sight, and inconsistent with our high vocation. Blessed be thy name, O God, for thy forbearance. Thou knowest our frame, and what poor, weak, ignorant, and mistaken creatures we are. Have pity upon us, heavenly Father, and lift up the light of thy countenance upon us.

Let us preserve, we pray Thee, the constant remembrance of thy presence through all this day. Surrounded as we are by temptations, and with an evil heart within us, leave us not, we pray Thee, to ourselves. Watch Thou over us, and guard us against the devices of our great enemy. Let the prayer of the Saviour for his people be answered on our behalf. Keep us from evil. In all our conduct towards others, and in all the business of daily life, let it be seen that we have the fear of God before our eyes. Set a watch over our lips, that we offend not in word; and let our conversation be with grace. So deeply write thy law in our hearts, and let it so influence our lives, that we may be epistles of Christ, known and read of all men. Open our eyes, we beseech Thee, to see and to understand the glory of the Gospel. Let not Satan or sin blind us to the light of thy truth. Remove every veil of ignorance and prejudice, and enable us with open face to look upon Jesus, our exalted Redeemer and Saviour. Give us thy Holy Spirit, to be in us a Spirit of liberty, freeing us from the bondage of every besetting sin, and from the toils of the devil. We pray that we may not only be the true disciples of thy dear Son, but be changed more and more into his image and likeness, and walk even as He walked.

We commit ourselves, and all who are dear to us, to thy gracious keeping. May they enjoy an abundant measure of thy grace and blessing, and with us be daily prepared for an inheritance among thy sanctified and glorified people. We also pray for the enlarged outpouring of thy Holy Spirit on all who profess and call themselves Christians, that they may be more entirely consecrated to thy service, and seek more diligently thy glory, and promote more earnestly the extension of the Redeemer’s kingdom. Grant us these our prayers, for Jesus Christ’s sake. Amen.