Week 1 Friday Evening Prayer

ALMIGHTY and most merciful God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, and our Father, we thank Thee for all Thy love and goodness, and we praise Thee and worship Thee, the Father everlasting. Though Thou dwellest in light that is inaccessible and full of glory, we know Thou carest for us, and that Thy thoughts are towards us. We know Thy holiness, and Thy power and Thy divine majesty; but we know Thee through Jesus Christ, whom Thou hast sent, and that Thou art not far from any one of us, but like as a father Thou dost pity us, and knowest our frame, and rememberest that we are dust. We beseech Thee, who dwellest in the heaven of heavens, to hear us when we pray.

Thou hast helped and strengthened us this day; Thou hast given us food and raiment, health and happiness; Thou hast guarded our homes, kept us from sickness, and led us in safety among a thousand unseen perils. Thou hast taken many difficulties out of our way, cleared up many perplexities, lifted Thy light on our darkness, encouraged us by Thy word, assisted us by Thy grace, and hast now brought us in safety to the evening. We thank Thee, O God; and we thank Thee above all for Thy dear Son, that we have all these blessings for His sake, and that He is the propitiation for our sins, and that He ever liveth to make intercession for us.

We beseech Thee, O Father, for His sake, who is our merciful, and patient, and sufficient Saviour, that Thou wilt forgive us our wrong-doing and wrong-thinking, our negligence and ignorance, and all our faults. If Thou wert only strict to mark iniquity we could not come before Thee; for our iniquities are countless and grievous, and Thou abhorrest and punishest sin, and we know Thou art just. We come to Thee for pardon. We have done little of what we hoped, and we have done it ill. We have fallen into temptation; we have yielded to self-will; we have been weak where we thought we were strong.

For what angry words have escaped our lips — for our moments of heat and passion — for our ungenerous thoughts — for our carelessness of duty — for our desire of praise and our readiness to blame — for our love of the world and our lust of the flesh — for our neglect of Thy word and our dullness to the voice of Christ — we beseech Thee to forgive us. If we have wronged or defrauded our neighbor; if we have been wronged and have not forgiven; if we have been intolerant or unmerciful; if we have cherished any secret sin or dishonored Thee by any public act; if we have not confessed Christ, but have been ashamed of His gospel; if we have not followed Him, but only our own way, — O God, pardon us. Have mercy upon us, O God, according to Thy loving-kindness; according to the multitude of Thy tender mercies blot out our transgressions. Remember not the sins of our youth: according to Thy mercy remember Thou us, for Thy goodness' sake, O Lord. Wash us thoroughly from our iniquity, and cleanse us from our sin.

We come to Thee believing Thy word, and that if we confess our sins Thou art faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Help us to believe in the great sacrifice of Christ our Passover, and that we have redemption through His blood. Help us to conceive of Thy holiness. And while we pray Thee for Thy grace to strengthen us against temptation and an evil heart of unbelief, we thank Thee for whatever good we have done this day, for every sin we have conquered, for every happy thought, and for the witness Thy Spirit beareth with our spirits that we are Thy children.

We carry thy treasure in earthen vessels, O Lord; sanctify us and preserve it from soil and sin. We are weak and helpless, and our trials and infirmities are many; but we look with all confidence to Thee, and pray that Thou wilt keep us in communion with Thee, that we may trust Thee, and love Thee as our Father.

We commit ourselves with all our house to Thy holy keeping, to lay us down in peace and sleep, for Thou only makest us to dwell safely. Watch over us, O God, in the night, and be Thou our light in its darkness, and take us under the shadow of Thy wings. Be merciful to the sick, comfort the sorrowful, uphold the dying, and bestow Thy peace upon the bereaved. Deliver the anxious from the burden of care, and hear the cry of Thy children lifted up to Thee over all the earth. And when the night is gone, awake us, if it be Thy good and loving will; and if we wake not here, may we awake in Thy glory, and in the likeness of Jesus Christ, our Mediator and Redeemer. Amen.