TENTH WEEK.—MONDAY. — Morning

O LORD our God, Thou art very great; who is like unto Thee? Thou art God alone. The day is thine, and the night is thine; Thou hast prepared the light and the sun. O God, Thou hast made us, and not we ourselves; we are thy people, and the sheep of thy pasture. In thy hand our breath is, and thine are all our ways.

Blessed for ever be Thou, O our Father; Thou hast not turned away our prayer, nor thy mercy from us. We have cried unto Thee in our troubles, and Thou hast heard and delivered us. The living, the living, they shall praise Thee, as we do this day.

Wisely and graciously hast Thou dealt with us in every time of sorrow. Thou broughtest us into the net; Thou laidst affliction upon our loins. Our fears were many, our unbelief great, our murmurings loud. We asked, “Has the Lord forgotten to be gracious, and will He shut up his loving-kindness in displeasure?” But all the while—now we see it, now we praise Thee for it—Thou wert proving us, wert trying us as silver is tried. We went through fire and water, but Thou broughtest us out into a wealthy place.

O God, who holdest our souls in life, and dost not suffer our feet to be moved; who hast often, by thy providence, turned our sorrow into joy, consecrate us, body and soul, to thy service. Teach each one of us to live, labour, suffer, trust, so that Thyself and thy grace may be daily magnified in us. Grant us to remember all the way Thou, O Lord our God, hast led us, to humble us and prove us, to know what was in our hearts, whether we would keep thy commandments or no. In prosperity, let us not forget the vows of adversity. May we pay that which our lips have uttered and our mouths have spoken when we were in trouble.

Keep us from feigned prayers, from insincere dealing with Thyself and ourselves. If we regard iniquity in our hearts, Thou wilt not hear us, for Thou searchest the hearts and triest the reins; all things are naked and open before Thee, with whom we have to do.

Grant thy blessing on our daily toil. Let thy presence gladden us all the day long. Keep the thought of evil afar off. Give strength and victory in temptation. May we grow in grace, watching against sin, fearing self, hiding thy Word in our hearts, doing good, blessing others, living and longing for the coming of our Lord and Master; and so day by day walking in the light, as Thou art in the light, may the blood of Jesus Christ cleanse us from all sin. Accept our praises, we beseech Thee; grant these our petitions for thy dear Son’s sake. Amen.