Prayer of Thanks after Returning from a Journey

Lord, Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, who art able to do abundantly above all that we ask or think, and who art rich in mercy toward those who hear Thee and walk in Thy ways! Behold, I have by Thy grace happily finished the journey which I began in Thy name. And now for the first time I come before Thee again in my own home. I have vowed that I would give Thee thanks; and now I would pay my vow. O lift up my heart to Thee in fervent devotion, and incline Thine ear to my cry, my King and my God!

I cannot conceal the fact, that I went away from home with my heart full of solicitude, and that I was almost afraid when I thought of the many dangers to which travelers are often exposed. And how easily an accident might have happened to me! How easily robbers and murderers might have fallen upon me, and robbed and murdered rue! How easily I might have met with an accident and lost my straightness and soundness of limb! How easily sickness, pain, and death might have overtaken me, and prevented the accomplishment of my purpose! How easily my house and home, my goods and property might have been damaged or destroyed in my absence! But none of these things has happened. None of these misfortunes has befallen me. And this is due alone to Thy mighty protection, Thy Fatherly care, Thy gracious help, and Thy faithful guidance. To Thee alone also be praise, honor, and glory.

Thou didst not only graciously shield me upon my journey against misfortune and accident, but didst bestow many benefits upon me while I traveled. Thou didst preserve my health; Thou gavest me faithful companions; Thou didst raise up for me everywhere good friends; Thou didst bless my business; Thou didst guard my property and preserve it unharmed till my return; Thou didst keep my dear ones, and permit me to rejoin them in joy and gladness. O how great is Thy mercy! How manifold are Thy benefits! How immeasurable are the riches of Thy grace and love! What shall I, and what can I render to Thee for all Thy benefits to me?

O, I cannot repay Thee; I am too weak and powerless. But I thank Thee with heart and voice and hands for Thy goodness. Ten thousand thanks I give to Thee, O Lord, for all Thy grace to me. Let ray poor, weak sacrifice of praise be acceptable to Thee for the sake of the perfect atoning sacrifice of Jesus. O Lord, graciously accept the feeble praise which I offer Thee here on earth: in heaven I will give Thee nobler praise, and in the company of the holy angels I will sing a thousand thousand alleluias to Thy name.

And now that I am once more in the midst of my family, let me, O Lord, together with them, continue to enjoy Thy favor and blessing. Help me frequently to declare to them what great things Thou didst for me upon my journey, that they also may be encouraged to admire Thy faithfulness and love, and to trust in Thee with child-like confidence. Let me live with them in quietness and peace and true contentment as long as I shall remain here with them, and always make it my chief concern that we should serve Thee in holiness and righteousness. Let me employ properly the blessings secured through my journey, regarding and using them always with thankful heart. And let me look upon all my coming days as a journey to eternity, and spend them in the grace of Thy holy Spirit, in the fear of God, in holiness, and in Thy service. Give me grace to continue undiscouraged on my pilgrimage to my heavenly fatherland, and successfully to overcome everything that would bar my progress.

And when, at last, I shall have finished my course, receive me into Thine eternal heavenly kingdom, and grant me the rest which Thou hast appointed and prepared for Thy people in the world to come. There I will praise and thank Thee as I ought. There I will extol Thy goodness and truth for evermore. Amen.