Saturday, Week 12

Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful
— Colossians 4:2 (BSB)

The greatest answer to prayer is that I am brought into a perfect understanding with God, and that alters my view of actual things.
— Oswald Chambers

The week is closing, and we come to You, O Father, in its last evening prayer, to commit ourselves to You. Bless all Sundays which have passed away forever from our hands. Use the work we have done. Impress in our hearts the lessons taught us by the experiences of this week. Let us not lose them, nor forget them. May our lives be richer ever after because of them. May we put into practice, what we have learned.

Bless to us the teachings of Your holy word which have come to us during this week in our daily readings. May we keep them ever in our hearts, and may they be profitable to us in the shaping and beautifying of our characters. Bless also the influence of our lives on others. Those who have seen us have noted how we live. Our words have been spoken into the air — but they have fallen upon ears and into hearts, and their influence abides. Our example, too, has had its effect. May You bless all this influence. Forbid that any evil effect shall follow any act of ours — but may all who have seen us, carry good influences in their lives from ours. May we, too, in turn, carry good from the true and beautiful lives which we have seen, receiving blessing from them which shall make us stronger and holier in all days to come. Make us more and more a blessing to others.

We now go to our rest. Bless us, our Father. Enfold us in Your everlasting arms, and hold us apart from the world and far away from its perils. Forgive us every sin. Wash us in the blood of Jesus. Grant to us abundance of Your spirit. Give us rest in sleep. Prepare us for a good Sunday, and may we rise with hearts eager to see You. Hear us, and receive our prayers, we ask in Jesus' precious name. Amen.