Thursday, Week 6

And when you pray, do not babble on like pagans, for they think that by their many words they will be heard.
— Matthew 6:7 (BSB)

God wills that men should pray everywhere, but the place of His glory is in the solitudes, where He hides us in the cleft of the rock, and talks with man face to face as a man talks with his friend.
— Samuel Chadwick

O God, who has redeemed us by the precious blood of the Lamb — help us, we beseech You, to live unto Your praise and to Your glory in all that we do. Since Jesus Christ has died for us and we are not our own — we desire to live worthy of Your holiness. We confess and renounce all our manifold transgressions. Teach us to hate all sin, and may we have grace to live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present evil world, to the glory of Your holy name.

We ask You to reveal Yourself to us this morning as we go forth, and to give us the assurance of Your presence. You have promised that as our days — so shall our strength be; that Your grace shall always be sufficient for us. We plead these promises as we go into a new day, whose experiences we cannot foresee. We know not . . .
what dangers we shall meet,
what cross may be laid at our feet,
what temptation shall whisper the enticing word in our ear,
what pitfalls shall lie in our pathway,
what insidious influence shall imperil the purity of our souls.

So we hide away in You and trust ourselves to You for keeping all the day.

We desire to be useful and helpful to others. Save us from selfishness and self-seeking. Teach us the great lesson of serving. May the mind be in us, which was also in Christ Jesus, who came to this world not to be ministered unto, but to minister. May we in love, serve one another. May we live to help others and to do good.

Help us to see the needs which we can relieve, to perceive the ways in which we can serve — and then give us the true spirit of ministry, that we may do the things which will bless our fellow-men. Fill us with Your Spirit that we may be like You. We ask all in the name of our Savior. Amen.