Let Us Pray

Many churches have a mid week prayer service. Ours is no exception. We typically receive various requests from our church members and then call on one member to lead in prayer. I trust that we are all in a spirit of prayer and that we each pray about the needs the Lord has impressed upon our hearts through the sharing of our petitions. I hope we will carry with us and to the Lord throughout the coming days the requests that we will hear tonight.

"Prayers Ancient and Modern" is a book I have that was published in 1897. I enjoy reading the prayers that are written in that book.

Here is the prayer for today:

"Heavenly Father, Who watchest always over Thy faithful people, and mightily defendest them, so that they may be harmless preserved, I most heartily thank Thee, that it hath pleased Thy fatherly goodness to take care of me this night past. I most entirely beseech Thee, O merciful Father, to show the like kindness toward me this day, in preserving my body and soul; that I may neither think, breathe, speak, or do anything that may be displeasing to Thy fatherly goodness, dangerous to myself, or hurtful to my neighbor; but that all my doings may be agreeable to Thy most blessed will, which is always good; that they may advance Thy glory, answer to my vocation, and profit my neighbor, whom I ought to love as myself; that, whensoever Thou callest me hence, I may be found the child not of darkness but of light; through Jesus Christ our Lord - Amen."
Thomas Becon (1511-1570)

What a prayer! I read that and think how frail, shallow, and weak are my prayers. I read it and think; "Father may my prayer life deepen as I grow in my relationship with you."

May we live according to the teaching of Jesus who taught us that we "ought always to pray and not lose heart." (Luke 18:1)

Let's Pray,
Pastor Mike