Week 2 Saturday Morning Prayer

MERCIFUL and Blessed Father, whose preserving care has been over us through the past night, receive our thanks this morning. Give us grace to offer the sacrifice of praise unto Thee. Help us as a family to cherish becoming gratitude to Thee for lives lengthened, for health spared, and for raiment, food, and shelter. In the home Thou hast given us enable us so to enjoy Thy good gifts, that we may glorify Thee, the Giver of them all.

O Lord, our Heavenly Father, we own that we are not worthy to claim one, even the least, of these benefits. If we say or think that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves. We have gone astray like lost sheep. Our hearts have often been closed against Christ and open to His enemies. Our words have often been rash, scornful, and proud. By our words we might well be condemned. In our lives we have not honored Thee ; we have been turned aside from doing Thy will by the fear of man, and by the love of sin. We confess these sins before Thee. We pray for forgiveness through that only atonement, of which Thy word speaks to us ; and we ask Thy grace, for Christ's sake, to enable us to forsake these sins, and follow after holiness.

And now, most blessed Father, who hast settled our lot in life, and given us far more than we had any right to expect, give us contentment, that we may not dishonour Thee, or disquiet ourselves in vain. Give us, we likewise beseech of Thee, a true knowledge of what Thou dost require of us, and make us diligent and faithful both to Thee, our Master in heaven, and to our fellow-men upon earth. May that gracious Lord, who for us became poor, and lived among poor men, be with our spirits while we are engaged about the work of the day. May we receive help from Thee, through Him, to work with our hands the thing which is good, and to do all with a single eye to thy glory.

O merciful Lord, we are in great need of spiritual blessings. Our love to Thee is cold : we pray Thee to increase it. Our faith is weak : we beseech Thee to strengthen it. And, O Lord, do not leave any of us, or any of our friends, among the enemies of Christ. May they and we be reconciled to Thee through the Redeemer, and have forgiveness through His blood. Thou hast brought us to the last day of this week. Help us so to spend our lives that when their last day shall come, we shall have nothing to do but to fall asleep in Christ Jesus, assured that our life is hid with Christ in God.

We implore Thy blessing upon all men. Give patience to the poor, and enrich them with spiritual blessings. Succor all the distressed, and direct the ignorant into the way of peace. Lord, look in pity upon heathen lands. Pity those whose gods cannot hear and help them. Reveal Thyself unto them in Jesus Christ. Make Thy way known unto all men, and fill the earth with peace and righteousness. O God, our Father, hear us in these petitions, for the sake of Christ, our Redeemer. Amen.