Prayer after Hearing God’s Word

O God of all grace! How can I sufficiently thank Thee, how can I sufficiently praise and extol Thee for permitting me to enjoy this Sunday, on which I have listened to Thy Word, and have learned from it how to believe aright, live aright, and die in peace? Thou hast caused Thy gracious will to be made known to me. Thou hast let me be taught what to avoid and what to do. Truly, Thou dost not permit Thyself to remain without a witness; and none shall have an excuse for disobedience. Thou givest us Thy holy Word and the sacraments, that we may use them as means of grace for our salvation. Thy Holy Spirit seeks through them to teach, enlighten, sanctify, and establish us in the faith.

O merciful God! Let me not be a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the Word. What will all my hearing profit me, if I do not obey? Therefore do Thou Thyself seal in me the Word which I have heard and read, and make it living, active and powerful in me. When the Word of life has entered and edified my heart, do Thou; O Lord, lock my heart’s door, lest Satan rob me of it again, and I return home empty. Let me take warning from the thousands who hear Thy Word, and yet do not turn from their evil ways and sinful habits, but who rather become more wicked and defiant than before. What profit do they derive from their churchgoing, hearing, singing, and praying? Will not the Word condemn them all the more, because they have heard and known the will of the Lord, and yet have not obeyed it?

O my God! Let me this week become more pious and consecrated. Let me daily think of the Word which I have heard, speak of it with my family, rejoice over it, and constantly obey it. Have I learned from Thy holy Word that I should be meek, humble and merciful? O then grant me grace to be always mindful of my duty. Let me never give way to anger, revenge, pride, or unmercifulness, but let me love my enemies, deny myself, and do good to the poor and the needy. Have I heard that I should subdue my lusts and evil thoughts, crucify self, put off the old man and put on the new, and live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world? Then grant me grace and strength to exercise myself daily in these duties, and to perform Thy will. And though at first I shall make but little progress, help me to grow in holiness, and to purify myself more and more from all sin of body and soul.

As the children of this world guard and keep their earthly possessions with the greatest care; even so give me strength to guard as a priceless treasure the holy truths, the precious doctrines, and the powerful exhortations to holy living, given to me in Thy Word, and daily to add to that treasure: so that in all times of extremity, in trouble, in affliction, in sickness, and in the hour of death, I may be able to draw from it one passage of Scripture after another for my consolation. Yea, my God, let me daily increase, not only in age, but in wisdom, piety, godliness, and knowledge of Thy will, and in favor with God and men. Amen.