Thursday, Week 13

I cried out to Him with my mouth and praised Him with my tongue. If I had cherished iniquity in my heart, the Lord would not have listened.
— Psalm 66:17-18 (BSB)

Prayer and Bible study are inseparably linked. Effective prayer is born out of the prompting of God’s Spirit as we read His Word.
— Billy Graham

O God, who has spared our lives through another night, and brought us to a new morning — seal to us Your new mercy by new gifts of grace. We thank You for the rest of the past night. We thank You for the favors that await us, for the provision made ready for our bodies, for the hopes of the day upon which we are now entering. Give us truly grateful hearts; and may we never grieve You by coldness, by unfaithfulness, by ingratitude, by unbelief, or by want of love.

We beseech You to prepare us now by Your Spirit for all the duties of the day, for all its vicissitudes. What its hours may bring forth, we cannot know; nor would we, if we could. We would rather leave them all with You, that You may lead us and prepare the way for us, than that we should choose for ourselves. So we will trust You to take us in Your appointed way. Choose for us, God; nor let our selfish desires, cheat our poor souls of good You have designed. Choose for us — Your wisdom is unerring, and we are fools and blind. We cannot, dare not, choose for ourselves.

The day may have shadows for us, or it may bring to us hardship and self-denial; but we shall not be afraid. Our path through gloom, shall lead to joy and peace. So we will press on in patient self-denial, accepting the hardship, not shrinking from the loss. Our blessing lies beyond the hour of trial — our crown lies beyond the cross. Let us not falter in any experience.

Let not the world have dominion over us today. Help us to fix our eyes on our heavenly home, and press onward to the glory that waits for us there with You. Hear us, O God, and grant to us Your blessing and grace, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.