Prayer - We Are Beginning Another Work-Day Week
J.R. Miller's sermon encourages believers to carry the lessons of Sunday into their work-week through prayer and reliance on God's grace.
J.R. Miller emphasizes the importance of carrying the lessons learned on Sunday into the workweek, urging believers to let the spirit of worship and reflection inspire their daily lives. He acknowledges the struggle to maintain good resolutions amidst the busyness of life and calls for God's grace to help fulfill these intentions. Miller encourages a continual connection with God through prayer, seeking strength to live out faith in everyday actions and to grow in holiness. He also highlights the need for forgiveness and the desire to improve in character and kindness towards others. Ultimately, he prays for a transformative week where Sunday's blessings overflow into daily responsibilities.
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MONDAY MORNING
We are beginning another work-day week, our Father, and we desire Your blessing. Sanctify to us the Sunday's rest, and may its lessons not be forgotten. May we carry them with us into the busy days. We shall have so much to do that we may not find time for quiet thoughts; but may the memories of Sunday cling to us through all the hours and prove continual inspirations to us. May the Sunday songs keep singing in our hearts all the while, as we go about our work, making music there wherever we go.
Help us to live out, this week, in our common, everyday life -- the things we learned yesterday in Your sanctuary. We want to make all our faith real in actual life. We have seen visions of spiritual beauty as we meditated upon Your word; we desire to get these visions into our life, so that we shall have the beauty of the Lord upon us. We have read again Your commandments as they are written in Your word; we desire now to keep these commandments, so that our lives shall conform to Your holy law.
But it is hard for us to be holy and to do right. We make good resolves on Sunday, and we intend to keep them. But in the busy week-days we forget our good resolutions, and easily drop back into our old carelessness. We need more and more of Your grace, to help us to be faithful and to do our best. The spirit is willing -- but the flesh is weak. Strengthen us, our Father, that we may diligently perform our vows, keep our promises, and fulfill our intentions of obedience and service.
So may Sunday's life flow over into our week-days, making them all bright with love and truth and holiness. Let us not fail in any part of our work, duty, or struggle. We ask in the name of Jesus. Amen.
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MONDAY MORNING
The evening has come, and we draw near to You, our Father, to close the day where we began it -- at Your feet. We asked You to help us to keep the vows made upon Sunday, and to realize the visions of holiness we had as we looked into Your face.
We thank You for the help You have given us this day. You have remembered us and imparted to us Your grace. You have guarded us in the day's dangers. You have led us through the perplexing ways. We thank You for all the blessings we have received from You, since we went out this morning.
But we must confess our sins. We have failed at many points. We have not done all that we promised to do. We found ourselves too weak for . . .
the duties,
the temptations,
the struggles, and
the burdens of the day.
We ask You to forgive us. We always have to ask this of You, for we are always coming short. But this evening we plead that You will help us to grow holier and stronger, so that we shall sin less against You tomorrow than we did today, and each new day live a little nearer to You. We long . . .
to grow in grace,
to overcome our faults,
to put on new beauties of character,
to be less easily vanquished in temptation.
So our prayer is that You will cleanse us and sanctify us, that You will put more of Your Spirit into our hearts, that we may be holier children.
If we have hurt any one today by impatient word, by harsh act, by unkindness or rudeness, or by severe judgment -- may you forgive us and help us to undo the wrong. If we have failed to show kindness which we ought to have shown, or if we have withheld help which we ought to have given -- may You forgive us and teach us to be more ready to do all our duty of love hereafter. We ask all in Jesus' precious name. Amen.
Sermon Outline
- I points: - Introduction to the new work-week - Importance of carrying Sunday lessons into the week - Desire for God's blessing
- II points: - Living out faith in everyday life - Keeping God's commandments - Striving for spiritual beauty
- III points: - Challenges of maintaining holiness - Need for God's grace - Strengthening of resolve
- IV points: - Reflection on the day's struggles - Confession of sins - Desire for growth in grace
- V points: - Seeking forgiveness and strength - Commitment to kindness and love - Closing prayer for sanctification
Key Quotes
“May the Sunday songs keep singing in our hearts all the while, as we go about our work, making music there wherever we go.” — J.R. Miller
“We long to grow in grace, to overcome our faults, to put on new beauties of character.” — J.R. Miller
“We ask You to forgive us. We always have to ask this of You, for we are always coming short.” — J.R. Miller
Application Points
- Reflect on the lessons learned on Sunday and apply them throughout the week.
- Seek God's grace daily to overcome challenges and maintain spiritual integrity.
- Commit to acts of kindness and love in all interactions with others.