05.07. SEVENTH WEEK

SEVENTH WEEK

SUNDAY MORNING

Almighty God, our heavenly Father, who has graciously opened for us sinners a way into the holiest — we come to You, grateful for Your favor and mercy. We thank You for all the gifts of Your love — but especially for Your unspeakable gift Jesus Christ. On this Sunday may we have such a revealing of Your love as shall flood our hearts. Unveil the cross to us, and may we see Your heart, with its marvelous love for a lost world. May Your word have new meaning for us today as we read it or listen to it. May our minds be opened to understand it, and may Your Spirit guide us into the truth. May this be to us a day for the strengthening of our faith, for the deepening of our love. May it be a day also for much blessing in our own souls. Bless us by showing us our faults, our secret sins, the things in us that are not beautiful and holy. We desire to find them. Search us, O God, and know our hearts; try us and know our thoughts; and see if there is any wicked way in us — and then lead us in the everlasting way. We want to part with our sins and faults; we do not want to keep them. Have mercy upon us, and may this Sunday be a day for finding and putting away evil things out of our hearts.

We ask You to point us to whatever ministry to others You would have us perform today. Fill us with Your love, that wherever we go, we may carry healing for sick souls or for wounded hearts. Help us to be comforters of those who are in sorrow, and encouragers of those who are disheartened. Give us, Lord, a good Sunday, full of Your revealings of love and grace, full of holy inspirations. We ask in the name of Jesus. Amen.

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SUNDAY EVENING

Bend down Your ear to us, O God, we beseech You, and hear the confession, the supplication, and the praise of Your children, which we bring to You, through Jesus Christ our Lord. We have erred and strayed from Your ways, like lost sheep. We have too much followed the devices and desires of our own hearts. We have offended against Your holy laws. We have left undone those things we ought to have done — and have done those things we ought not to have done; and there is no soundness in us. But You, O Lord, have mercy upon us miserable offenders, and for Jesus’ sake, grant us grace to shun every evil way, and to live in all things unto the glory of Your holy name.

What shall we render unto You, O You giver of all good things, for Your kindness to us as a family? We thank You for the comforts of our home, for the opportunities of education we have, for health and happiness, for prosperity and all the blessings of Your providence, for the love that unites us as a household.

Help us, O our Father, to make some worthy return for all Your favors and gracious kindnesses. Enable us to live as those should live, who receive so much from You. May our hearts be loving and grateful. May our lips express Your praise. May our lives be true interpreters of the gratitude which we feel.

Sanctify to us all this day’s blessings. Bless to us the preaching of Your word and all the services of Your house in which we have been engaged. May a blessing follow all the work of Your people today in all churches and Sunday schools. Give us now secure and refreshing rest, and may Sunday’s influences follow us through all the new week. We ask in Jesus Christ. Amen.

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MONDAY MORNING Our Father in Heaven, hallowed be Your name. May Your kingdom come. May Your will be done on earth, as it is in Heaven. May Your kingdom come indeed in our hearts, in our home. May we learn to do Your will as it is done by the holy ones who are above Your throne. Too often we want our own way and are not content to take Your way. Give us of Your grace, so that whatever it is that You would have us to do or to suffer — we may cheerfully accept it.

We made promises yesterday, when we were worshiping You, that we would live faithfully, that we would walk in the way of Your commandments. Help us to keep our vows today when we go back into the world. Let not sin have dominion over us. Let us not fall under the power of temptation. Let us not be influenced by evil companions, or by the spirit of the world. May we be kept under the sway of Your Spirit.

We ask You to give us more grace. We desire abundant spiritual life, that we may bring forth abundant fruit. May we be branches in the vine which will honor You. May the fruits of the Spirit abound in us — love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faithfulness, meekness, self-control. May others who turn to us for sympathy, comfort, friendship, strength, or help — find in us that which will feed their soul-hunger.

We ask now for personal blessings on all the members of our family. Sweeten our home life. Bind us together in tender love. May we be helpers of each other’s life in all ways. May we be enabled to strengthen each other in all ways. Be the helper of each of us, and may we in turn help many others. We ask in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

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MONDAY EVENING

We are little children, our Father, in this great world — and cannot take care of ourselves. But we are so glad that we are Your little children, that we have You for our Father. We are sure of Your eternal keeping. You will never allow us to fall out of Your love and care. We creep near to You tonight, as the darkness comes again over us. We hide ourselves in the secret place of Your love and protection.

We beseech You to forgive all the sins we have committed against You this day. Renew our hearts more and more deeply and thoroughly, that we may keep Your laws and walk in the way of Your commandments, that our thoughts and feelings, as well as our outward life, may be in harmony with Your will. This evening, our Father, we remember Your other children who are about us. Some of them are happy; in their happiness may they not forget You. Sanctify all pure gladness, and let a blessing rest on all young lives that are bright with human joy. Bless all true and pure friendship, and may they lead to closer friendship with You. Some of Your children around us, are in care and trial. Some are poor, having difficulty in obtaining daily bread. Some have sickness in their homes. Some have loved ones who are not living as they should live, who do not love You nor walk in Your ways — and their hearts are burdened on account of these. Some have sorrows. They have lost dear friends, and their hearts are in sore grief. For all of these our neighbors, we make our prayer tonight. Bless them all. Give them the grace they need. Send relief and comfort in Your own best way. And give us grace to do our part in helping them in Your name, through Jesus Christ. Amen.

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TUESDAY MORNING

Days come and go, our Father, with their change and decay — but You remain ever the same, and Your years have no end. A thousand ages are in Your sight, as but one day. With You there is no yesterday and no tomorrow — but all time is present to You. But in our little lives, we need daily blessing. Our yesterdays cast their shadows upon our todays. We go sadly because of the memories of our past griefs. Then even our tomorrows cast back on our path, the shadows of fear and care.

We are glad that You see and know all, what is gone and what is to come, and that we can so safely leave all in Your hands. Help us to live holily in just this little day that is ours, leaving with You what is past and what is future, and not fretting ourselves. So we ask for quietness and confidence, that we may be true and faithful in all our duties. May Your peace which passes all understanding, keep our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

We beseech You, O Lord, to give us strength and wisdom for all this day’s responsibilities and for all its experiences. Let nothing surprise us or dismay us. Hold our hand at all times, and at all places. Give us wisdom to answer every question and to make every decision in the way that will please You. Make us strong to resist all temptation, however insidiously it may steal upon us. Give us an increasing measure of Your love, to make us . . .
patient toward all people we meet,
sympathetic toward those who are sorrowing,
cheerful toward the discouraged,
helpful toward the weak.

Send us out on Your errands, so that all we do this day shall be work for You. Breathe upon us as we wait here at Your feet and give us a Father’s morning blessing. We beseech You to hear us for Jesus’ sake. Amen.

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TUESDAY EVENING

We come with grateful hearts to You, O God our Father. We will sing praises unto You as long as we live. We call upon our souls and all that is within us — to bless Your holy name, and never to forget Your benefits. For You forgive all our iniquities. You heal all our diseases. You redeem our lives from destruction. You crown us with loving kindnesses and tender mercies. You satisfy our mouth with good things, so that our youth is renewed like an eagle.

You, Lord, are merciful and gracious, slow to anger and plenteous in mercy. You will not always chide us, neither will You keep Your anger forever. You have not dealt with us according our sins, nor rewarded us according to our iniquities. For as Heaven is high above the earth — so is Your mercy toward those who fear You. As far as the east is from the west — so far have You removed our transgressions from us. Like as a father pities his children, so do You pity those who fear You. For You know our frame; You remember that we are dust. Our days are as grass; as a flower of the field, so do we flourish. The wind passes over it, and it is gone; and the place thereof shall know it no more. But Your mercy, O Lord, is from everlasting to everlasting. We rejoice in Your eternity. We can rest on it and know that our trust shall never be disturbed. The mountains shall depart and the hills be removed — but Your kindness shall never depart from us, nor the covenant of Your peace be removed.

Grant us now Your peace, our Father, and keep us in the secret place of Your presence, from all harm during the night. Bless us with Your tenderest love, we ask through Jesus Christ, our Lord and Redeemer. Amen.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ WEDNESDAY MORNING

O Lord, who by the example of Your apostle, has taught us to forget those things which are behind, and to reach forth unto those things which are ahead — give us grace to leave all that is past, and to press toward the mark for the prize of our high calling. Help us to lay aside every weight, and the sins which do so easily beset us — and to run with patience the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith. This world draws upon us and holds us back from heavenward aspirings. May we have grace to resist these earthward drawings, and may the heavenly life win us ever toward its blessedness. May we be enabled to live more and more for the things that are unseen and eternal. Earthly things, sweet and beautiful as they are, are but for a little while. They are like the flowers which are so fragrant and lovely today — and tomorrow are faded and worthless. May these earthly blessings, which pass away, ever reveal You to us, and turn our thoughts to You. As these earthly blessings are but for a day, let us not rest in them, nor build our hopes on them — but teach us rather to rest in You and to build our hopes on the enduring rock of Your eternity. Then, come what may of earthly disaster or loss — we shall be safe and secure in You, our changeless God.

Fill our hearts with thoughts of Your love and grace, as we go forth into the world. Go before us and lead us, and help us to follow You wherever You may lead. Give us wisdom to answer all questions in the right way. Give us courage to meet difficulties and to overcome hindrances and obstacles. Give us gentle hearts that we may be a blessing to other lives. We ask all in the name of Jesus. Amen.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ WEDNESDAY EVENING

Father, Your favor is life, Your love is eternal life. We still live, because upheld by Your grace. For the many mercies of this day, we thank You. We have enjoyed health, and provision for our needs. We have been protected from harm, from disease, from accident. Our evening is quiet and peaceful, because Your blessings have been about us. We thank You for the shelter we have in our home. We thank You for the love that makes our home mean so much to us. We thank You for the friends who are about us on every side, and who do so much for us. We thank You for Christian books and for the great thoughts which we find in them, which do so much to inspire us to beautiful, noble, and worthy living. We thank You, most of all, for the Bible and the divine words it brings to us.

Help us to profit by all these blessings. May we have grace to improve all these manifold privileges, so that we shall be able to render account to You for them, without shame.

We have many burdens on our hearts tonight. We pray for all schools and colleges, and all institutions of learning. Make them all fountains of good and holy influence, so that the children and youth of the land may be brought up in the fear of God, as well as trained for usefulness. Bless all teachers, and may their lives be pure and clean, and their teaching and example worthy of the lives which are placed in their hands. We pray for all homes. Make them Christlike. May mothers and fathers be made holier in heart and life, so that they may be prepared to give a wise direction to the young lives entrusted to their guidance. We ask these favors in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ THURSDAY MORNING

O God, we have nothing to bring to You but our needs, and such poor return of gratitude as our evil hearts can bring. But we are glad to know that You are pleased to have us come to You even with our needs and sins. Reveal Your love to us so clearly, that our love shall be kindled, and that we may learn to love You more. The morning calls us to praise and thanksgiving. We have slept and awaked, and You have preserved us and refreshed us. Our life has been renewed in sleep. The sun shines again about us, and in its beams we rejoice. Give us a Father’s morning blessing as we step out to take up the new day’s new duties. Purify our hearts — that our thoughts and feelings may be pure. Give us diligence, honesty, truthfulness, and the spirit of service — that we may do our common tasks in a way that will honor the name we bear. May we learn better and better how to live with Jesus in the common days, the week-days — so that they may all be made bright with Your grace. Preserve us from foolishness, from idle words, from trifling, from all that would make our life profane, or mar the impressions made on others by our conduct and example. May our daily walk be a daily gospel. May we be a blessing to every one whom we meet. May we be kept from being discouragers of others. Save us from all that would make it harder for others to live. May we so live, that all who know us will find it easier to be true, holy, and happy.

Give us now a Father’s morning blessing. Then we shall be stronger all the day. Then we shall be safe amid temptation. Help us to live sweetly and for You, through Jesus Christ. Amen.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ THURSDAY EVENING

O God, who has taught us in Your holy word to cast our burdens upon You, promising that we shall be sustained — we come to You this evening with our burdens. You have given them to us; they are Your gifts. We know, therefore, that there must be a blessing wrapped up in every one of them, something good sent from You to us. Help us to accept our burdens, and to get Your gifts from them. Let us not repine nor murmur under them, and thus miss the blessing that You have sent to us.

You have not promised to take our burdens away from us, for this would be depriving us of blessings which You have specially prepared for us in Your love. But You have promised to sustain us, to give us strength to bear the burden. Our prayer, then, is that You would give us grace to accept whatever burdens You have laid upon us, to take up whatever crosses You put upon our shoulders, and to bear them after our Savior, with quiet trust.

We bring You at the close of the day, our sincere gratitude and praise for Your goodness. Your love never wearies,
Your patience is never exhausted,
Your grace never fails.

We grieve You by our many sins and by our unbelief and murmuring. Have mercy upon us, and forgive us, for Jesus’ sake.

Let us have an evening blessing from Your hand. Give us Your peace; strengthen us with Your might, that we may be ready for any duty, any struggle. Beat down Satan under our feet. You have overcome the world, O Jesus, and because of Your victoriousness, You are able to be our defense and our refuge. So we hide in You, as in the shadow of a great rock in a weary land. Bless us for Your own name’s sake. Amen.

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FRIDAY MORNING

O God, the fountain of all truth and grace, who has called us out of darkness into Your marvelous light — grant to us Your blessing at the opening of this new day. We beseech You to give us of Your grace, that we may walk worthy of our gracious high calling, with all lowliness and meekness, all faith and hope. May we be enabled to let our light so shine before men, that they may see our good works and glorify You.

We ask You for grace . . .
to perform our allotted tasks with diligence;
to guide our affairs with discretion;
to do all things, whatever we do, in the name of the Lord Jesus;
and in all our ways to acknowledge You.

Order our steps in Your word — and let not any iniquity have dominion over us.

Give us this day our daily bread. Feed us with food needful for us. Grant to us health of body and soundness of mind, that we may be prepared for the duties that this day will bring to us. Prosper our undertakings, so far as they are in accordance with Your holy will. If any of our plans are not included in Your plan for our life, we desire to have them set aside, for we would not go against You, nor do anything that You will not approve or bless. Restrain us . . .
from all excess, of whatever kind,
from all extravagance of speech,
from all foolish vanity,
from inordinate affection and emotion.
Make us thoughtful, serious, solemn, watchful, and prayerful.

O God, You allowed Your only Son to be tempted of the Evil One — that He might be able to support them that are tempted; we beseech You to deliver us from those snares and temptations by which we are always beset, and to strengthen us by Your Spirit, that in all things, we may be more than conquerors through Him who loved us. Amen.

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FRIDAY EVENING

O God, who alone can give the hearing ear and the understanding heart — open our minds that we may understand Your word which we have read. Make the truth plain and clear to us. Save us from handling Your word selfishly — from wresting it from its true meaning to serve any purpose of our own. Help us to find in it, always what Your Spirit meant us to find. Grant us grace to search the Scriptures diligently, and to find in them . . .
Your holy will,
the revealing of Your truth,
the unveiling of Jesus,
Your precepts for the guidance of our lives. May Your word be a lamp to our feet, and a light to our path. May it show us the shoe-prints of our Master who has gone before us, that we may walk in His steps. We thank You for all that the Bible is to us, for its words which assure us of Your love for us, and which mark out for us the only way to our heavenly home. We thank You for the wonderful promises in the Bible, covering every moment of life, every possible need, every condition of peril or trial. We thank You for the comforts of Your word, that in our sorrow we can always find consolation.

We ask You to teach us Your ways, to take away the veil, that we may understand Your word. May the Bible, as its truths enter into our souls, transform and transfigure our lives, and make them shine with something of Your own holiness. May the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us.

Bless Your word to the world. Wherever it is taught or preached, may its divine light break forth and help to brighten the world. Help us to do something to diffuse Your truth among men. And to the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit — be all honor, and glory, world without end. Amen.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ SATURDAY MORNING

O God, who has taught us to make supplications, prayers, and intercessions for all men — we beseech You to hear us, and to receive these our prayers which we humbly offer to Your divine Majesty, in the name of Jesus Christ.

Remember in Your mercy all men whom You have made to dwell upon all the face of the earth. Deliver them from the manifold evils and miseries by which so many of them are oppressed. Deliver them especially from idolatry, from ignorance and superstition, from error and unbelief, and from the chains of sin. Send abroad Your gospel, until every nation under Heaven shall hear its joyful proclamation. Bless all missionaries and all societies whose purpose it is to promote the gospel. Hasten the coming of Your kingdom among the nations, and bring all Your lost sheep into the fold of the Good Shepherd.

Remember also, all Your people in Christian lands. You have purchased Your church with Your own blood. We beseech You to bless all who own Your name and call upon You in prayer. Give to Your church more of Your life and of Your Spirit. Endue Your ministering servants with all spiritual gifts and graces.

Remember all who are in any trouble. Help the weak, and make them strong in spirit. Lift up all who have fallen. Confirm those who are faltering, ready to sink down in discouragement. Let a special blessing be upon Your children. They never can find the way home themselves; You must show them the way. Grant that the whole company of Your people may ever keep the unity of the Spirit, in the bonds of peace, to the glory of Your holy name. Amen.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ SATURDAY EVENING

O God, who by the teaching and example of Your dear Son, has warned us that we should work Your works while it is day, before the night comes — give us the spirit of earnestness and diligence, that we may do with faithfulness the work that You have given us to do. Save us from indolence and sloth. Help us to realize the true meaning of life. Enable us by Your grace to do all that comes to us to do; and to do with all our might, whatever our hand finds to do.

We beseech You to forgive us tonight, wherein we have failed to do the duties allotted to us. Give us grace and wisdom to use every talent entrusted to us — so that it may yield its fitting return of blessing and good in the world, and honor and glory to Your name. May we be faithful in every relation in life. In our home, may we so discharge all our duties that no part of our household life shall suffer. Help us to be faithful in all our business relations, in our social relations, in the church, in the state, in the world.

We ask You also that You will teach us how to make all our work Christian work — business for Jesus. Teach us how to do all things to Your glory. Let not our worldly business steal away our hearts from our heavenly Master. Let us not grow worldly while busily engaged in the things which we must do to get bread for our bodies. Make all our work a means of grace to us. May we learn how to do everything for Jesus. Then we shall find a blessing in every task and every duty. Grant now that in all things we may honor and glorify You, forgetting self. We ask in the name of our Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.

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