05.08. EIGHTH WEEK

EIGHTH WEEK

SUNDAY MORNING

Most gracious God, who in Your good providence has permitted us to see the light of another Sunday — draw near to us in mercy. May the Sun of righteousness arise upon us, with healing in His wings. May our fellowship this day be with You, the Father, and with Your Son, Jesus Christ. May all unworthy thoughts be repressed, and may our hearts be filled with holy desires. Be a guest in our home today. Abide with us and sanctify all our home life.

We beseech You to bless all the assemblies of Your people who shall gather for Your worship today in any part of the world. May Your Spirit be given to all who preach and teach in the name of Jesus, and to all who love You. May Your word have great power. May lost sinners be convicted and led to repentance. May Christians be strengthened and edified. May sorrowing ones be comforted. May the children and the young receive holy and heavenly impulses and be blessed. May this be a day of the power of the Most High, and may its influence be deep and abiding.

We beseech You, O God, to give us a good Sunday in our own home. Help us to remember the day, and to keep it in such a way as to please You and receive blessing in our lives. May our love for each other be quickened as we worship together. May Your love be shed abroad in our hearts more richly. May we stay near to Your heart all the day. We ask this through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

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SUNDAY EVENING

O Lord, You are our Shepherd; we shall not lack. You make us to lie down in green pastures, and lead us beside the still waters. You have been our Shepherd today. We have been in Your pastures, as we have read Your word and worshiped with Your people.

We bow at Your throne with grateful hearts at the closing of the day. We would gather up the fragments remaining of the precious things of this day, and carry them with us to feed upon in the days of the week before us. You have kept . . .
our feet from falling,
our eyes from tears, and
our souls from death.

We have walked with Jesus, and our hearts have burned within us as He talked with us by the way.

We beseech You to fix deep in our hearts all good impressions, all lessons learned, all influences which have touched our lives. Too often we make fair resolves and promises, while our hearts are glowing with love — and then forget them tomorrow. Fix this Sunday’s teachings so deeply in our minds, that we shall never lose them. May we be . . .
stronger in faith,
more earnest in purpose,
more holy in thought and feeling —
because of our communion with You this day.

Ever-living God, who neither slumbers nor sleeps — take charge of our bodies and our souls during the dark hours of the night. Give us refreshing rest and sleep. Let tomorrow be a day made sweet and holy by the blessing of Sunday overflowing into it. May we carry the fragrance of this day into the world’s life. And unto Him who is able to keep us from falling, and to present us faultless before the presence of His glory, with exceeding joy, to the only wise God, our Savior — be glory forever and ever. Amen.

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MONDAY MORNING

Almighty God, the Father of us all, in whom we live, and move, and have our being — we worship You, and give thanks unto Your great and holy name. Our hearts are full of memories of Sunday. May we be like those who have walked amid fragrant flowers, and may we bear the perfume on our very garments. May we be more joyful, more trustful, more holy, more loving, more prayerful — because of the holy influences which yesterday saturated our lives.

You are the God of the evening and of the morning. Every day is a new footprint, showing where You have walked in love. We thank You for the day which is shining now for us. We need Your presence with us through all the hours, for we do not know what is veiled in them for us:
what duties,
what problems that must be solved,
what decisions that must be made,
what responsibilities that must be met,
what surprises of joy or of sorrow,
what temptations,
what conflicts,
what dangers.

We know not — but You know, and we are not afraid to leave all with You. Bless us with peace, and with wisdom and strength for what is before us. Take our hands and guide us.

We consecrate ourselves to You this day, O God, for life and service. We are Yours, and we must present ourselves a living sacrifice unto You. We would live only for You. Help us to renounce all claim on ourselves, and to be Yours indeed. If we shall be called to any hard duty, task, or service — give us grace to accept Your will cheerfully and do what will please You. Work in us deeply by Your Spirit, continuing the renewal of our nature, and building us up in holiness and righteousness, through Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen.

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MONDAY EVENING

O almighty and most merciful Lord, fulfill to us, we do beseech You — Your gracious promise to be present with Your people always. As in the ancient days the pillar of fire that hung over the hosts of Your people was light to them — so may this night be made light to us. May its brightness shine about us. As the stars fill the sky, so may Your promises pour upon us their beams of divine light and love. May we rest under Your protection, as sweetly as a little child sleeps in the bosom of a loving mother.

Look down upon our neighborhood and behold every home. Some are darkened by affliction. In sick rooms the lamp will burn all night and loving watchers will sit in silence, ministering to their dear ones. Be in those homes and sit with the watchers, whispering the word of cheer and hope.

Other homes there are, where there is an empty chair at the table, and in the circle that gathers about the family altar. Send Your comfort. Make so real the truth of immortality, that death shall not appear as death at all, that the departed shall not seem gone — but near in Jesus.

Still other homes there are where anxious mothers and fathers sit with breaking hearts, grieving over children gone astray. Hear the sobbing supplications which rise from these saddest of all homes. Find the wandering ones and save them. Then there are homes which are very happy with love, with blessings, and mercies, with unbroken circles. Give these Your joy and peace, for Jesus’ sake. Amen.

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TUESDAY MORNING

O light of the hearts that trust You, life of the souls that love You, and strength of all who seek Your face — grant us Your grace as we go out this morning. We thank You for the mercies of the night. You have brought us back from the seeming death of sleep. We put our hands in Yours and we ask You to guide us all the day. Be our good Shepherd. Lead us in paths of righteousness for Your name’s sake. Be You our refuge and strength, a very present help in times of trouble. Teach us to do Your will. Incline our hearts to walk in Your ways. Make us love Your commandments. Renew our hearts more and more, so that we shall love to do the things that are right — and hate whatever is wrong.

We shall need divine wisdom all the day. Enable us to conduct our affairs in a way that will please You. May all our business be the Father’s business. May our home work be done without worry. May we be helped to bear the trials and endure the frictions of life, as our blessed Master passed through the hard and uncongenial things in His life on the earth, without fretting, without complaining, victoriously and sweetly. Give us patience, forbearance, meekness, and joyousness — and may all our day be holy and beautiful, as we stay near You, and live by Your help and grace.

Allow no temptation to imperil our souls — but with every temptation make for us a way to escape, that we may not fall away into eternal death. Let us not yield to unholy influences — but may we be in all things more than conquerors through him who loved us. These mercies we ask, humbly confessing our sins, through Jesus our Redeemer. Amen.

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TUESDAY EVENING

O God, the Author of our being, and the Preserver of our lives — we come to Your throne of grace this evening to put ourselves into Your care for the night. Bless us and give us Your special peace. Make clean our hearts before You, and take not Your Holy Spirit from us. Lift upon us the light of Your countenance, and grant to us Your salvation . The evening is here; come, O Jesus, and abide with us. Do not allow us to fall out of Your keeping. Strengthen our faith that it will not fail. May we ever keep our eyes upon You, setting You always before us, so that we shall not lose the way. We are too prone to trust our own desires, and to choose our own ways. Help us always to do the things You approve, so that we shall not sin against You. Keep us from being discouraged and cast down. May we learn to leave all the affairs of our lives in Your hands, and ask You to bring out of all things, what is best for us and for Your glory. Teach us how to commit our way unto You, that You may bring forth our righteousness.

We bring You, one by one, the members of our household. You know each one of us and all our needs. You know the temptations which beset each one of us. They are not the same temptations, though we dwell under the same roof. Suit Your grace to our danger and our need. Reveal Yourself to us always as the Friend we need — with the help we need.

Sanctify all the experiences of the day to us. May our disappointments prove to be Your appointments, and may the way You have led us be indeed the right way. In Your great mercy forgive all our sins, and bring us unto Your heavenly kingdom, through Jesus Christ. Amen.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ WEDNESDAY MORNING

O God, You alone make us to dwell in safety. We lie down at night under the shadow of Your wings; we awake in the morning under the blessing of Your love, because You have sustained us. Again we owe You thanks for care and protection, and for sleep. We renew our consecration to You this morning, asking You for permission to live another day for You and with You, doing Your will.

Make the way plain to us, and let us not wander from the paths of your commandments. In our worldly affairs, may we have wisdom and grace. May it please You to prosper us in our daily occupations. May Your Holy Spirit preside over our household. Preserve us from harm of every kind. Let us not be careless in our duty, nor neglectful in our tasks of this day.

Let us not waste a moment of precious time. It is Your day, not ours; ours to use for You. May we be able to spend it so that not a moment shall be left without something to bear as a record of good. In our conversation may we speak only words that shall minister grace — kind words, true words. Keep us from all complaining and grumbling. Teach us the lesson of contentment, that we may never murmur nor repine. May it please You to preserve us, too, from all speech that would be disheartening to others. May we ever speak cheering and heartening words, which will make it easier for others to live. Forbid that we should speak any sentence which will make any one’s burden heavier, or any one’s path rougher. So may we live ever for You, serving You faithfully, and at the last may You receive us unto Your heavenly glory, through Jesus Christ our Redeemer. Amen.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ WEDNESDAY EVENING

Almighty God, who has ordered our lot and appointed the place of our habitation — grant us grace to accept cheerfully and to occupy contentedly the station in life which, in Your providence, You have assigned to us. Help us to realize its sacredness, because it is Your fatherly choice for us, and Your gift to us.

Surely the place You have prepared for us, and in which You have set us — must be the best place for us, the place in which we can best grow as Christians, whose atmosphere is the most healthful for us, whose experiences are suited to the development of our character. It must be the place, too, in which we can do the best service for You. Help us to accept it with confidence, and to live in it without discontent.

Sometimes we are disposed to murmur. We think others are more highly favored, have easier positions, have less care and toil, have more ease and comfort. We imagine that if we could change places with some others we know — that we could live more sweetly and make more of our life.

Forgive us this sin of discontentment with our place in life. You know what is best for us. You know where we can be of the most use to You and to others, where the work lies which You have for us to do. So we pray earnestly, our Father, for the spirit of cheerful acquiescence in Your plan, and Your way for us. Help us to accept Your guidance and to do the things that come to us day by day from Your hand. Then at the end we can rejoice in the blessing of those who have done Your will, and served our own generation. We ask all through Jesus Christ. Amen.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ THURSDAY MORNING Our heavenly Father, You have told us that You love us and care for us. We gather about our family altar again to accept the assurance of Your love, and to accept Your care. We are Yours — not our own. You have made us — You have redeemed us. Your marks are upon us — the marks of the Lord Jesus. We are confident of Your keeping, and so we put our lives into Your care.

Help us to be good children. Let us not grieve You by our sins, nor by unbelief, nor by leaving the way of Your commandments. May we be . . .
faithful in all our duty,
diligent in all our task-work,
constant in our devotion to You,
and helpful among Your children. May it please You to make our home more and more happy and loving. Preserve us from all those bickerings and strifes which mar the sweetness of so many homes. May we learn to live together as a family in patience and kindliness. May we bear with one another’s faults and foibles. May we be thoughtful toward each other’s weaknesses, and not be aggravating in our words and conduct. Thus may we each contribute toward the happiness of our home, and the good and edification of the others.

Make our home more and more the center of holy influences. May its light stream out so as to brighten other homes — and make other lives safer, stronger, and truer. Help us in all ways to be . . .
sweeteners of the world’s bitterness,
comforters of its sorrow,
strength for its weakness,
and life for its death.

We make confession of our sins. We look to You for protection and guidance. May You walk with us through all the day’s path and keep us from stumbling. Get us safely home at last. We ask through Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ THURSDAY EVENING

O blessed Jesus, whom not having seen we love, in whom, though we see You not, yet believing, we rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory — we come to You at the ending of another day. Abide with us, for it is toward evening and the day is far spent. The night will be turned into day if You are with us, for it is never dark where You are.

We bring to You the happiness of the day. It all came from You. Every fragment of beauty we have enjoyed, is from Your hand. You have made the blue skies, the green fields, the lovely flowers, the birds with their sweet songs, and all the beautiful things of this fair world. You have made the children whose voices are such music in earth’s homes. The sunshine is Yours, the stars are from Your hand. It is wonderful what a beautiful world You have made, just to be our home. Our hearts are full of praise as we think of all these things which tell of Your loving thought for us.

We lay our burdens down at Your feet. What we have done today, we bring to You for Your blessing, for no work is finished until it has the touch of Your hand upon it and Your blessing.

Finish what we have begun.

Cleanse what our soiled hands have stained.

Correct what our clumsiness has marred.

If we have neglected any duty, may You forgive us and show us what it is that we may even yet try to do it. Teach us more and more to be thoughtful, watchful, and alert — that we may do the things we ought to do, that we may hear the cries of human need which come from weary hearts about us, calling us to love’s ministries. May we live ever nearer to Jesus, and then we shall know what we ought to do. Bless us, Father, for Jesus’ sake. Amen.

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FRIDAY MORNING

O God, You are our Rock, our Fortress, our Deliverer, the horn of our salvation and our Redeemer. You are a tried Savior, and we know we can trust in You. We have put our confidence in You in the past, and You have never once failed us.

We render You hearty thanks this morning, for all the blessings of the night. We thank You most of all for the revelation of Yourself to us in Jesus Christ our Savior, in whom we see the express image of Your person. We thank You that in Him we have learned of Your fatherhood and of Your grace and mercy. May the Holy Spirit teach us more and more of the blessedness and preciousness of this divine revealing — opening our eyes to see it, and our hearts to receive it.

We beseech You, O God, to draw us near to You this morning, and to hold us close to You all the day. We would run the race that is set before us without faltering. May we be enabled to lay aside every weight that would hinder us, and every sin that would easily beset us, and looking to Jesus as the goal — run with patience and alertness. We desire to live as Christians should live. Let us not be drawn away by the world’s fascinations.

Help us to do our daily business righteously. Teach us how to do the commonest duties for the sake of Jesus, for the eye of Jesus. Help us to be honest and truthful . . .
in our business,
in our social life,
in our conversation,
in all our life. May the fruits of the Spirit abound in our lives. May we abound also in good works. Send us all the help we need for the day’s demands. Bless our beloved ones, whatever their circumstances, and all for whom our prayers should be made to You. We ask all in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

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FRIDAY EVENING

We thank You, our Father in Heaven, for the love which always shines about us from Your face. We thank You for the quietness and peace which are about us at this evening hour. May the deep peace of Heaven be in our hearts. Teach us the lesson of quietness and confidence, and help us to abide in the restfulness of Your own love. Our hearts go out in compassion for the world. Lives are degraded and debased. The whole creation groans and travails in pain together. We long to do something to help this sinning world, and to lift ft out of its bondage. Show us what we can do. Give us true pity for the lost. May we have something of Jesus’ compassion, who gave His life to redeem the lost.

We think also of the world’s sorrow. On every hand we find grief. Hearts are breaking. Homes are in mourning. Teach us to sympathize with the sorrowing everywhere, and help us to do something to lighten the burdens of affliction, and to comfort those who are in grief.

Accept what we have done today for You. What we have wrought, seems very small to human eyes — but to You, nothing is small which is done in the name of Jesus. Take our little things, our gentle deeds, our touches of sympathy — and use them to make the world holier and sweeter. May they start influences which shall go on forever, repeating themselves from heart to heart.

Keep us safely through the hours of unconsciousness. Let no accident befall our home. May our first waking thought in the morning be of You. Bless us and prepare us for the duties and experiences of the new day, We ask all these favors in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ SATURDAY MORNING

We come into Your presence, O great and glorious God, to begin the day at Your feet. Without Your blessing, we dare not go out into the twisting paths of the world. We desire to do good work today. Keep us from being satisfied with commonplace doing of duty; may we do even the least things finely, so as to please You.

We desire to live well in our family life. We sometimes fail to do our best in our own home. We grow careless. We do not speak as affectionately as we should do. We are less courteous and kindly than we might be. We do not always give the sweetest things of love to those who are nearest. Teach us, Father, to love at home — and to show our love. Preserve us from all impatience, fretfulness, and irritability in our association as a household, and give us the spirit of love.

We desire also to manifest love in all our relations with the world. Give us large charity towards our neighbors. Help us to be like Jesus, who when reviled, reviled not again — who bore injury and insult with meekness and gentleness. May we have the same patient love which He had. If we suffer wrong from others — may we suffer in quietness, without resentment, returning good for evil, kindness for unkindness. May we have the spirit of helpfulness toward all our neighbors. May we be like the good Samaritan to any we find in distress or need. May we be enabled to carry something of the love of Jesus to every life that touches ours. Make us good interpreters of Jesus’ divine love and kindness. May our neighbors see in us, the holiness of Jesus. So may our day be one of beauty and grace, full of Jesus and full of good to others. We ask it in the blessed name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ SATURDAY EVENING

What shall we say to You, O God, tonight, to express our gratitude for all this day’s goodness? We can only bring You our hearts’ poor worship — and ask You to accept it. A week’s work we lay upon the altar. What is wrong in it — may You cleanse. What is right — may You accept and use. Our thanks are due to You for all that You have been to us this week. You have been our Shepherd, leading us into green pastures and beside still waters. You have been our refuge and strength, a very present help in times of trouble. You have been our fortress, into which we have run in time of danger, finding deliverance. You have been our companion along the way, our guide, our guardian, our friend, our deliverer, our helper. May You impress Yourself on our lives. Saturate our very being with Your own life, so that we shall be transformed into Your own character!

We pray tonight for the world outside. Much of it is without You and without hope. Remember the homes around us which are godless and prayerless. Find some way, O God, to get within these homes, that the children at least may be saved. We pray also for those who have sorrow in their homes, and cry out for comfort. Wipe away tears, by revealing the truths which give true consolation.

We commit our own home to Your protection for the night. You who never slumber — may You be our keeper. Let no danger find us. May Your peace abide upon our home. Prepare us for the duties of Sunday. May it please You to spare us, and bless us in all best ways. We ask in the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Redeemer. Amen.

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