Thursday, Week 11

May my prayer be set before You like incense, my uplifted hands like the evening offering.
— Psalm 141:2 (BSB)

The power of the Church truly to bless rests on intercession — asking and receiving heavenly gifts to carry to men.
— E.M. Bounds

Our Father, we beseech You to hear us tonight, and to bless us. We have few requests to make. We would rather leave You to bless us in whatever way Your divine wisdom may choose. We do not know what is best for us. We know not what we should pray for as we ought. We often wish for things which would not be real blessings to us. We cannot tell what would be the effect of our having them. Oft-times denial of our requests is a better blessing — than the granting of them would be. So we put ourselves into Your hand and ask for Your blessing — whatever will bless us the most really and the most deeply.

We beseech You for spiritual good, rather than for temporal favors. The things of this earth are but for a day — and then they are gone. May you give us hunger and desire for things that will last forever. We ask for wisdom, for holiness, for truth, for Christlikeness. You have promised that those who hunger and thirst after righteousness shall be filled. Give us hunger for righteousness — and thirst for divine grace. Then we shall be satisfied, and what we receive we shall keep forever.

While the night is over us, keep us from all harm and danger. We cannot keep ourselves. We are weak and foolish — and the enemies about us are strong and cunning. We cast ourselves upon You, sure that You will shelter us. Let no plague come near our dwelling. May Your angels encamp around our home. May the night bring us rich blessing — sleep and renewal, calmness and quietness. Spread over us Your wings of love. And may grace, mercy, and peace, from God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, be with us all forever. Amen.