Wednesday Evening (First Week)

O GOD ALMIGHTY—Maker—Proprietor—Judge of all!—we come into Thy glorious presence on this the close of another day, beseeching Thee to fill us with fitting conceptions of Thy greatness. Heaven is filled with the underived majesty of Thy glory.

What mercy it is in Thee that Thou shouldst bend Thine ear to our feeble lispings of praise,—that Thou, Great GOD, shouldst listen to the sinner’s cry, and receive the tribute of such unthankful, unholy hearts. We could not, LORD, have ventured into Thy presence, but for Thy great love in CHRIST JESUS Through Him alone it is that the words of our mouths and the meditations of our hearts are rendered acceptable in Thy sight. In Him we are pardoned, adopted justified, saved. In Him we are kept, sanctified, sealed. In Him we shall at last be presented without fault before the throne! We may well entrust our eternal all to His keeping. The valley of death is itself gilded with the lustre of the Bright and Morning Star; the grave is transformed into a bed of rest, and beyond the portals of the tomb there breaks upon us a hope full of immortality. Our wants are infinite, but our help is infinite. He is waiting to dispense all needed grace, and for every time of need. LORD, we feel that we require grace for everything. Every moment is a moment of need; there is not the hour or instant we can live independent of JESUS. Do thou carry on Thine own work within us. May it be a growing work, and may we be growing Christians, growing out of ourselves and into Him who is the living Vine. May the fruits of righteousness be the living evidences of our being grafted into Him. Purge us, that we may bring forth more fruit; forbid that we should be sapless, fruitless unproductive cumberers, occupying ground in Thy vineyard, but yielding no revenue of glory to Thee. This is Thy will concerning each of us, even our sanctification. Oh! Thou who searchest Jerusalem with lighted candles, do Thou search our hearts. See if there be any wicked way in us,— anything that may still be hindering our progress, or grieving Thy Spirit.—Lead us not in our own way, for often would we mar the work of Thy grace by choosing what would be hurtful to our best interests; but choose Thou for us. Let us rejoice in Thee as a rich provider, and an all-wise provider, who will give us nothing, and deny us nothing, but what is for our good.

We commend to Thy Fatherly protection all near and dear to us this night. Keep them, gracious Father, under the shadow of Thy wings; bless them and make them blessings. May they never lose sight of the chief end of their being, to glorify Thee on earth, and to enjoy Thee forever in Heaven. Bless our own family. We thank Thee for all Thy great goodness in the past. The Lord hath been mindful of us, and He will bless us.

Do good in Thy good pleasure unto Zion. Build Thou the walls of Jerusalem. May every branch of Thy Church universal be blessed with tokens of Thy favor. Revive Thy work, O GOD, in the midst of the years.

Take the charge of all of us this night; it is Thou who givest Thy beloved sleep; it is Thou, LORD, only, who makest us to dwell in safety. May each returning evening find us more ready for the coming of the LORD JESUS with all His saints. And all that we ask is for the Redeemer’s sake. Amen.