Monday, Week 11

But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you
— Matthew 5:44 (BSB)

Prayer is the pulse of the renewed soul — and the constancy of its beat is the test and measure of the spiritual life!
— Octavius Winslow

Father, it is not a holy world into which we must now go forth. It is full of sin. We must meet many temptations. Then it is not an easy life into which we have to go. It has its tasks, its duties, its responsibilities, and its conflicts. We shall have our burdens to carry, and our duties to do.

Yet we would not refuse to go forth into the world. It is Your voice that calls us forth — and wherever Your voice calls us we would go without hesitation. We have no strength or wisdom of our own to make us equal to all the work and struggle of the day — but we know that when You send us forth, You will give us all the strength and wisdom we shall need. You have promised that as our days — so shall our strength be.

Fill us with Your grace, that we may be able to move through this evil world without faltering in our faithfulness. We are not of the world — but belong to Heaven, are citizens of the kingdom of Jesus. Help us to live out here on earth, our true life, the life of Jesus, the life of Heaven. May we be enabled to keep ourselves unspotted from the world. May we live so purely, so earnestly, with such abundant life, that our influence shall be a real force for Jesus.

We ask for grace to make our common week-day work holy and beautiful, with the beauty of Christlikeness. May we be as Jesus to every one we meet. In our social life, our business, our household cares, in all our friendships, in our very play — may we show the sweetness of the love of Jesus. May You keep us, each and all, in all our goings and comings. Bless us — and use us to bless the world. Bring us together in the evening. We ask all these favors for Jesus' sake. Amen.