Week 3 Monday Evening Prayer

WE come before Thee this Evening, O gracious Lord, under a consciousness of our sinfulness, and of thine exceeding holiness. Thou art the Holy One. Thou canst not bear iniquity. To the cleansing fountain of the Saviour's blood do we come. We would there wash, and be clean ; and upon the altar of His merits, present this, our evening sacrifice of prayer and praise.

Thy goodness has spared us through another day. We come to Thee to render an account of our stewardship, and to tell Thee how we have this day been engaged in Thy service. Lord, Thou knowest all before we speak ; yet would we tell Thee : we would conceal nothing — deny nothing. We are verily guilty before Thee. Our own consciences accuse us of having left undone what we might have done, and having done what we should not have done. Lord, we cry unto Thee for the Holy Spirit, that we may be kept close to Thee, and that we may have that continued spiritual mind which is joy and peace. May the Spirit be in us as a well of water, springing up into everlasting life, enriching us with the knowledge and love of Jesus ; and taking of His glory, and showing it unto us. All our happiness, O blessed Jesus, is gone, if thou dost hide Thyself ; and without the light of the Spirit we cannot see thee. We wish to see Thee — to live upon Thee — to feed upon Thee. Oh, may Thy love be shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost, that our love to Thee may be perfect, engaging our best affections, and employing all our powers of mind and body in Thy service. Thou didst love us, when we cared not for Thee ; yea, when by wicked works we were Thine enemies. Oh, break Thou these hard and flinty hearts, which refuse to melt at the remembrance of Thy love ; and so take possession of us, that every thought, and word, and action, may be brought into captivity to Thine obedience.

Remove from us all envying, and strife, and divisions, and whatever belongs to that carnal mind, which is enmity against Thee ; and grant that the fruit of the Spirit may abound in us to Thy glory, and to our great joy. Make us humble, lowly in our own eyes, esteeming others better than ourselves. Enable us to adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour in all things. Strengthen the faith of those amongst us to whom thou hast already bestowed it ; and give it, for the sake of the Lord Jesus, to those who have it not. Oh, let none of us be deceived concerning our souls' salvation ; nor allow us to hope well of ourselves, while that hope is not founded upon the sacrifice of Jesus. Show us our real state and character. Take away every false prop upon which we have leaned, and establish us upon Jesus, the rock of ages — the unfailing foundation of the sinner's hope.

We praise thee, O Lord, for unnumbered mercies, of which we are utterly unworthy. We praise thee, if we have at all been enabled to live to Thy glory this day, — to resist temptation — to conquer sin — to confess Thee before the ungodly — and to warn sinners of the wrath to come. We bless Thee that thou hast not given us over to a reprobate mind, nor taken us away in the midst of our iniquities. Oh, that as we ought we may now praise Thee, and that all that is within us may bless Thy holy name.

Unto Thy care we now commend ourselves this night. We will lay us down in peace, if Thou speak peace to us through Jesus. May our last thoughts be of Thee ; and when we wake, may Thy Spirit bring heavenly things to our mind. Pardon the imperfections of our prayers ; supply what we have omitted to ask for, and do all for the sake of Jesus. Amen.