Prayers for public worship, private devotion, personal ministry

Front matter

PUBLIC -WORSHIP * PRIVATE * DEVOTION PERSONAL- MINISTRY m&m

2i5bie C.Morrow

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Introduction

When the publisher of this little volume first spoke to me of preparing it I turned away from the suggestion, thinking it was not a right thing to do, that people ought to pray without the aid of forms of prayer.

Months passed, and one day I learned that the reason why the publisher wished to issue such a book was that for two years many requests had been received, asking for such a help to devotion. So I said : "If the people need such a help to pray, the people should have it." This was my Providence.

But was it Scriptural ? In answer to the question came the remembrance that both Jesus and John the Baptist gave to their disciples a form of prayer ; so to prepare such a book would be to follow Jesus. Luke n : 1-4.

Then I recalled how my own soul had often been refreshed by putting up such petitions as the "Invocation for Life and Light," page 172, and a " Prayer for Humility/' page 146.

Soon after this, one morning, at my personal devotions, I asked the Heavenly Father to speak to me out of my regular daily chapter about editing a Book of Prayers, and I marked these words in the following order: "Because thou hast — relied

INTRODUCTION

on the Lord thy God therefore — the book — written — with sweet odours." 2 Chron. 16:7, 11, 14. That this Scripture was given to me for a Book of Prayers was precious to me. I remembered that it was written : "Odours — are the prayers of saints. " Rev. 5 : 8. And as Hugh MacMillan says : "There is a Divine fitness in odors being regarded as prayer. Perfume is the breath of flowers, the sweetest expression of their inmost being, and the exhalation of their very life. It is a sign of purity, health and vigor; it is a symptom of full and joyous existence; for disease, decay, and death yield not pleasant but revolting odors. And fragrance is in nature what prayer is in the human world. Prayer is the breath of life, the expression of the soul's best, holiest, and heavenliest aspirations; the symptom and token of its spiritual health, and high and happy relations with God."

A day or two after the Lord gave me my Scripture for the book, I waited upon Him for the still, small voice of the Spirit in my heart as I asked: "Shall I write the book?" and there came the tender, positive answer : "Yes, my child."

Then God made it possible for me "through the earnestness of others," 2 Cor. 8 : 8, R.V., and their timely help, to quickly prepare the volume.

I desire to express my gratitude to Thomas J. Morrow, Lily Lathbury, Mrs. L. S. Pridgeon, Miss Mary H. Rossiter, Mrs. S. E. Levy, Mrs. Mary E. Wright, Edgar K. Sellew, Helen Tagart, Miss Amy

INTRODUCTION

A. Swankie-Cameron and others for their help in the work.

And now we send the little volume forth, in His name, with the intense conviction that it is to lead many precious ones close to their Lord and eventually teach them how to pray, without any outward help, to the Father, Eph. 3 : 14, in the name of the Son, Jno. 14: 13, 14, by the power of the Holy Spirit, Rom. 8: 26; Eph. 3: 14, with a sure faith that will bring gracious answers. Mark 1 1 : 24. Abbie C. Morrow.

Contents

I. PUBLIC WORSHIP ii

II. BIBLE BENEDICTIONS 30

III. WEEKLY MEETINGS 32

Chapter I. Public Worship

SUNDAY MORNING PRAISE MEETING.

How lovely are Thy Tabernacles, O Jehovah of Hosts. Blessed are they who dwell in Thy House ; they are continually praising Thee.

O Jehovah, I have loved the habitation of Thy House, and the place where Thine honor dwelleth. I will come into Thy House, in the multitude of Thy mercy. In Thy fear will I worship toward Thy Holy Temple.

Our Heavenly Father, we come to praise Thee with grateful songs. Thou hast been good to us with infinite grace. Thou hast spared nothing from our lot that would brighten and sanctify it, and for Thy mercy we now bow down ourselves to Thee and worship Thee. We pray Thee for a clearer knowledge of the truth as it is in Jesus; for the spirit of sympathy with the heart of Christ ; for the tenderness of soul that responds with penitence to the blood which He shed in atonement for the whole world.

Bind us to Him; put both our hearts and our hands upon His cross, and so, bound to that sacred symbol of Thy love, may we live the rest of our time in the very spirit and under the very blessing of Christ. Amen.

INVOCATION -SUNDAY MORNING.

O Thou Father of lights, the Author of every good and perfect gift, we thank Thee that with Thee there is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. We may forget Thee, but Thou dost never forget us. Thou hast watched over us and protected us during the week and brought us again to the assembling of the saints and we praise Thee. Be manifestly present in our service and bless us and may we be so quiet, so reverent, so thoughtful, so devout, so praiseful, that we shall please Thee. We ask it for Thy glory. Amen.

PRAYER BEFORE THE MORNING SERMON.

Oh, Thou tender and compassionate Father, Thou who didst give Thine only Son to die upon the cross for us, grant us this once again a consciousness of Thy forgiving love. We have not been as mindful of Thee this last week as we should have been; we have not been as faithful to our closet prayers ; not been as earnest in our Christian living, not been as thoughtful in the reading of Thy Word, not been as patient and loving with those about us as becomes the lowly followers of Jesus. Forgive us, Oh, God, and cover us with Thy blood, and put us by Thy grace where just now we can offer Thee the acceptable worship which is Thy due and which, with all our waywardness, we long to give Thee.

We praise Thee that Thou art so gracious and long suffering and kind ! We thank Thee that Thou hast spared us to meet again in Thy house! We adore Thee for Thy great goodness to us, Thy children.

Thou hast brought us out of darkness into Thy marvelous light; Thou hast redeemed us from the thraldom of Satan and given us a love for Thee and for Thy Son and for Thy Holy Spirit and for Thy Word and for all saints.

Intensify our knowledge of the truth; give us an intense desire to obey it.

Multiply Thy grace and deepen Thy love.

Since it is Thy pleasure that we should pray for all men, we humbly beseech Thee that the Word of God may be preached everywhere; that the sinful may be saved, the ignorant taught, the weak strengthened, the sorrowful comforted, the backslidden reclaimed, the wicked held back from violence.

Since it is Thy pleasure that we pray for all saints, we ask that ministers and missionaries may be faithful in rightly dividing the Word of truth; that those who teach may live as they teach; that those who are burdened may leave their trials at the feet of their Redeemer ; that those who are sick may know Thee as the great Physician; that those who are anxious may by supplication and prayer make their requests known unto Thee and have the peace of God which passeth all understanding; that those who weep for departed friends may look forward to the day when those who sleep in Jesus shall leave their graves and those who are alive and remain shall be caught up to meet the Lord in the air and thus be ever with the Lord; that those suffering chastisement for sin may not consider it grievous but joyous, and may let it work in them the peaceable fruits of righteousness ; that those suffering persecution may remember that tribulation worketh patience and patience experience and experience hope and hope maketh not ashamed, because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who is given unto us.

Since it is Thy pleasure that we pray for laborers, we ask Thee to thrust them forth into the harvest. Give them divine courage to meet danger and great grace to withstand peculiar temptations and infinite love for the lost and perishing to whom they carry the Gospel of God. Strengthen them in spirit, soul and body and preserve them blameless unto the coming of the Lord.

And now we ask Thee to keep us during the service from listlessness, drowsiness and wandering thoughts. Quicken our sensibilities and intensify our desires. May we listen to the preaching of Thy Word with prayerful hearts; may we hear Thee speak to our inmost consciousness; may we have an intense purpose that Christ shall light us and lead us in the way of His steps, for His own name's sake. Amen.

OFFERTORY.

We thank Thee, oh, Heavenly Father, for the privilege of giving to Thee of that which Thou hast given to us.

Help us to understand how to give as becometh those who receive so richly of Thy bounty.

May this money be wisely spent and carry a blessing with it. We ask it for Thy glory. Amen.

PRAYER AFTER THE MORNING SERMON.

Our Heavenly Father, we thank Thee that Thou hast graciously vouchsafed us the consciousness of Thy holy presence and we earnestly beseech Thee that we may cherish Thy Word spoken to our hearts and may go out of this house to be better citizens, better neighbors, better relatives, better in every way, as a result of this service.

We ask it that Thy name may be glorified and Thy Word not return unto Thee void, for the sake of Thy Son our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.

INVOCATION—AFTERNOON.

Our Creator, Our Redeemer, Our Father, Our Shepherd, we come to Thee as helpless, dependent ones, seeking Thy favor, trusting the merits of Thy Beloved Son, and longing to worship Thee in Spirit and in Truth.

"We commend ourselves, blessed Lord, to Thee, and to the word of Thy grace. Do Thou hear, answer and accept of us, for the sake of Him whom Thou hearest always, and to whom with Thee, the Father, and Thee ever-blessed Spirit, Three in One in covenant for our Redemption, be ascribed all blessing and honor and glory and praise, world without end." Amen.

PRAYER BEFORE THE AFTERNOON SERMON.

"We come unto Thee, our Father, in the name of Thy dear Son. All our hope is in Him. A dying, risen Jesus is the only secure shelter for the weary and heavy laden. Oh, give us to know the blessedness of that one Gospel word, 'No condemnation/ Our sins reach unto the clouds — we cannot answer for one of a thousand; but we rejoice that we can look up to One who has answered for us.

"Blessed Saviour, Thou canst make every mountain of sin a plain. We can bury all in the ocean-depths of Thy forgiving mercy. We seek no other refuge and need no other refuge but Thee. We would no nothing and be nothing that Thou mayst be all in all. Relying on Thee, we can look calm and undismayed on all the unknown and chequered future. We can cast all our own cares as they arise on Thee, feeling not only that Thou carest for us, but that Thou makest these very cares Thine own.

"Sanctify to us all the dealing of Thy Providence. May these prove heart-searchers, quickening our footsteps heavenward. Let us follow the leadings of the Great Shepherd of the flock. Let us repose in the blessed assurance we shall not want. Thou dost not overburden us — all is gentle leading, gentle guiding. We have known Thee in the past ; we will trust Thee in the future. Thou wilt lead us in the right way.

"Be also pleased graciously to preserve and govern all Thy Christian Churches spread over the face of the earth, in unity of true faith and in godliness of life, until Jesus comes to set up His kingdom and that of Satan be destroyed.

"Sustain the faith of those who amid manifold discouragements are laboring in heathen lands ; may Jehovah send His Angel to stand by them and shut the mouth of every gainsayer. Oh, hasten that glorious time, when the year of Thy redeemed shall come and the whole earth shall be filled with Thy glory.

"Particularly we pray for these United States of America ; keep them under Thy holy protection ; prosper them in their agriculture, manufacture, commerce and literature ; and let their civil and religious rights be preserved inviolate.

"Bless and long preserve thy servant, the President of the United States. Bless the Vice-President; the Senate and House of Representatives, when in Congress assembled. Bless all placed in authority throughout the States, and especially in the State in which we reside; the Governor, the Magistrates and all others entrusted with powers, either legislative or executive. Replenish them all with Thy grace and heavenly gifts, each in the respective calling and state wherein Thou hast placed him, that they may wisely govern and strenuously protect the people whom Thou hast committed to their care, that they may faithfully defend Thy worship and rightly administer justice. Preside with Thy Holy Spirit in their assemblies, that in all cases they may resolve nothing but what is good and becoming, and let the laws be happily executed; that these United States being preserved from all enemies, the evil doers punished and the just protected, Thy name thereby may be praised and the spiritual kingdom of the King of kings, Christ Jesus, promoted: and that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. "Bless all here assembled. Known unto Thee are our several wants, trials, and perplexities. Make Thy grace sufficient for us. May a sense of Thy presence hallow all duties, and lighten all trials. And all we ask is for Jesus' sake." Amen.

OFFERTORY.

Oh God, Our Father, the author of every good and perfect gift, we bring Thee of that which Thou hast so graciously given us.

We praise Thee for the privilege of offering that which shall set forward Thy holy work in this place. We trust Thee to multiply our seed sown and increase the fruits of our righteousness. For Thine own name's sake. Amen.

PRAYER AFTER THE AFTERNOON SERMON.

"We thank Thee, Heavenly Father, for Thy Word to us. Send us out with the lasting desire that Thy Divine love may be a holy incentive to every duty. Let us feel that we never can be happy but when pleasing Thee. Let us be aiming ever at a conquest of self ; subordinate all we do to Thy service.

"Thou sympathizing Father, may the friendless and the bereaved know Thee as Friend and Comforter. There are nameless sorrows on earth which are beyond the reach of the tenderest human sympathy. What man cannot touch, the God-man can. This is Thy sublime prerogative.

"Let all Thy tried people with joy anticipate that gladsome morning, when the shadow of death shall melt and merge into eternal glory. For Jesus' sake. Amen.

INVOCATION— EVENING.

"O God, Thou art the King eternal, immortal, and invisible. The Heaven of Heavens cannot contain Thee. Myriads of pure and holy spirits cease not day nor night to celebrate Thy praises.

"What are we that we should be permitted to approach the presence of a God, so great and so glorious ?

"But blessed be Thy name through the merits of a crucified Redeemer we may come to Thee sheltered by the blood of the everlasting covenant. And so we dare to uplift our hearts and voices to Thee in adoring worship and loving praise. And so magnifying Thee, we bless Thee, we thank Thee, we adore Thee for all Thou hast been, for all Thou art and for all Thou art going to be.

"Bless us as we sit together. Make us conscious of Thy loving presence. Fill us with Thy Holy Spirit. And may our gathering be for our good and for Thy glory." Amen.

PRAYER BEFORE THE EVENING SERMON.

"Almighty and most merciful Father, Thou art great and greatly to be feared; everything with Thee is infinite ; infinite wisdom, infinite power, infinite love; Thy justice is as the great mountains; Thy judgments are a great deep !

"Give us a lowly estimate of ourselves — and lofty views of Jesus. Keep us in the knowledge that all that is good in us comes from Thee in Him ; we can confidently repose our everlasting interests on His finished work ; it is all that sinners require.

"Forbid that we should presume on Thy mercy — that we should take encouragement to sin from abounding grace. May we feel that Thy pure eyes are upon us, that Thou triest us not according to man's fallible judgment, but according to the standard of unerring rectitude and holiness. And may we hate sin in ourselves as deeply as we hate it in others ; may every bosom-traitor which has usurped the throne of our affections be cast down, that God Himself may be our all in all. May we seek to imbibe more of the spirit, and copy more of the example of our Divine Redeemer. May we feel it to be our joy to serve Him, our privilege to follow Him, our sorrow to grieve Him. Take us and use us for Thy glory ; sanctify our affections — elevate our desires ; may we have more of the character of holiness and breathe more of the atmosphere of Heaven. Keep us from being careful and troubled about earth's many things ; enable us to be more solicitous about the one thing needful. May we be covetous only for the riches of Thy grace and the riches of Thy glory.

"Look down on Thy church everywhere throughout the world. Purify her more and more. May no weapon formed against her prosper ; may her ministers be men of God, and her saints and people shout aloud for joy. Do Thou satisfy Zion's poor with bread. May every afflicted one receive out of the wells of Thine own consolation, and be led to constantly desire Thy perfect will above everything else."

Bless any who are deterred from assembling with us by sickness, or by the care of the sick, any who are kept away by the care of little children or the pressure of household duties, any who because of worldliness have lost their relish for the place of prayer, any who have backslidden and need restoring grace. Heal the sick, comfort the sorrowful, be with the caretakers.

"Let Thine own hand be around all our beloved friends, present or absent. Inscribe their names in the Lamb's Book of Life; may they be Thine on that day when Thou makest up Thy jewels. Sanctify sorrow to the sons and daughters of affliction ; let them not murmur under Thy Fatherly chastening hand ; may they come out from the furnace purified as the gold — vessels of glory meet for the Master's use.

"Lord, bless each and all of us now assembled ; make us Thine own; put Thine own seal upon us. May we, and all near and dear to us, have the heritage of those that fear Thy name. May we be bound up in the same bundle of spiritual life, that at the appearing and kingdom of our great Lord and Saviour we may enter with His ransomed people on glory everlasting; and all that we ask is for His sake !" Amen.

OFFERTORY.

O Thou God of all blessing, we pray Thee to accept what we offer Thee with grateful hearts.

May we learn always to give cheerfully, since the Lord loveth a cheerful giver.

May our offering be blessed as it is passed on in Thy name, and we all as a people go on from glory to glory till we all come into the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ. Amen.

PRAYER AFTER THE EVENING SERMON.

"Almighty God, Our Heavenly Father, we put our trust in Thee, the Living One. Death is written upon all other securities. Thou remainest evermore the same, and in Thy righteousness is no change. We hasten therefore unto Thee as men hasten to the rock in which they can be protected against the storm. Thou art indeed a refuge from the tempest. Thou dost hide Thy people in Thy pavilion from the strife of tongues ; Thou dost call them into the chamber in the rock until the storm be overpast. Enable us to take refuge in the Son of God, to find our home and our heaven in His protection; and thus shall our life be spent wisely, and our strength shall go out from us to return again abundantly enriched.

"We would live in Thy fear, we would work in Thy love, we would be comforted with Thy consolations. Heal our diseases ; direct our steps ; keep us in the time of strife, and give us solidity of confidence in the day of distress. We bless Thee for all Thy care, so patient, so tender, so minute, covering all things, and attending to each as if it were a solitary concern. This is Thy greatness, Thou Infinite One, that nothing is too little for Thy notice. We put ourselves into Thy hands. We would have no will of our own; we would listen for Thy voice morning, noon and night, and answer it with the readiness of love.

"We own our sins. We will not count them nor name them, for we cannot state them as they are in Thy sight ; but we will look toward the Cross of Christ • we will fix our attention upon the Son of God as He expires in agony. When sin torments us most, we will remember what Jesus, Son of man, Son of God, did in Gethsemane and on the Cross, and therein shall we find perpetual comfort. Enable Thy servants to work better than they have ever done. Enable all to whom the ministry of suffering is entrusted to suffer patiently, unmurmuringly, and hopefully; yea, may they so suffer as to awaken wonder because of gentleness, meekness, and patience. When we read Thy Book, utter the music in our souls; then shall we see Thy meaning, and answer it instantly and lovingly/' For Jesus' sake. Amen.

PRAYER BEFORE THE LORD'S SUPPER.

"Almighty God and everlasting Father, we bless Thee for the return of another day of the Son of man. Pour out upon us a double portion of Thy grace ; fill our hearts with Thy love. May all vain, wandering, sinful thoughts be repressed; may our communion and fellowship be with the Father and with His Son and with His Holy Spirit.

"We bless Thee, O most gracious Lord, for the prospect we have of anew commemorating the dying of our risen and exalting Redeemer — of surrounding once more the table in the wilderness and partaking of the bread of everlasting life.

"Give to each of us the garment of praise. Let us prepare to meet God. May we feel that the place whereon we stand is holy ground. May we rejoice at the renewed opportunity of testifying in the presence of angels and men our unaltered and unalterable attachment to our blessed Lord and Master. In a strength greater than our own may we be enabled to resolve that He will be henceforth ours only, ours wholly, ours forever.

"Give us quickening apprehensions of the great love wherewith He hath loved us : may we see, in some feeble measure, into its depths. May these lukewarm souls of our be quickened into newness of life. May our faith be invigorated, our loved deepned and our graces strengthened. May this be the grateful aspiration of all of our hearts, 'What shall we render unto the Lord for all His benefits toward us? We will take the cup of Salvation and call upon the name of the Lord ; we will pay our vows unto the Lord now in the presence of all His people. '

"We pray for all who are to break with us this day the bread of life. Give to each some special token of Thy covenant love. May they see the King in His beauty. Keep back all presumptuous and unworthy guests. Encourage all misgivings, trembling, faint-hearted ones. While feeling their own unworihiness may they remember they are commemorating the infinite worthiness of him who is all-worthy. May they hear Thy voice of encouragement, saying: 'Fear not, for I know that ye seek Jesus who was crucified/

"Go forth this day everywhere with the preaching of Thy holy Gospel. May wanderers be reclaimed; may mourners be comforted; may saints be edified; may Thy name be glorified. Stand to Thy ministering servants. May they hide themselves behind their Lord, pointing away from the excellency of their own speech and their own wisdom to Him, who alone by the attractive power of His Cross can draw all men unto Him. We commend to Thy paternal keeping our beloved friends. May they be among the number of Thy sealed ones. Sanctify them in spirit, soul and body, that they may at last be presented faultless and unblamable before Thy dear Son, at His appearing and kingdom.

"Look in kindness on Thy church universal. Revive Thy work in the midst of the years. Return, O Lord, and visit this vineyard which Thine own right hand hath planted ; may every branch be laden with fruit; found unto praise and honor and glory at the appearing of the Lord Jesus.

"We put ourselves at thy disposal. May the everlasting arms ever be around us for good, guiding through life till we are safe in glory — through Jesus Christ, our only Saviour." Amen.

PRAYER AFTER THE LORD'S SUPPER.

"Most gracious God, Our Heavenly Father, who hast in Thy good Providence brought us to the close of another communion, we entreat Thee to accept of our unfeigned thanks for all Thy loving kindness and tender mercy. May the benediction and blessing of the Master of the feast rest upon us. May we descend the holy mount rejoicing in the presence and love of Him, who brought us into His own banqueting house, and caused His banner over us to be love. Gracious God, give us grace to pay the vows which our lips have this day uttered ; fulfil in us all the good pleasure of Thy goodness, and the work of faith with pow T er, that the name of the Lord Jesus Christ may be magnified. As w T e have named His precious name anew, may we henceforth depart from all iniquity. Grant us the desires of our hearts, and fulfil all our petitions. May this communion service diffuse a hallowed glow over all the duties and engagements of the week; may we show to the world that w T e have been with Jesus, and that it has been no vain thing for us to draw near unto God. Our own strength is weakness ; we cannot follow out one single resolution depending on ourselves. May we be kept by Thy mighty power. May we exercise a holy jealousy over ourselves.

"Keep us from the beginnings of sin ; preserve us from wandering on debatable ground ; may we ever be where we should wish to be found by our Lord when He cometh. Our cry would be, 'More grace! more grace!' Our trust would be in that God who, as the God of all grace, can impart allsufficiency in all things. Sanctify our hearts by the indwelling of Thy blessed Spirit. May they become temples dedicated to His glory. May this be their motto and superscription : 'Holiness to the Lord.'

"We pray for those who have joined with us in the solemn, sacred ordinance. We commend each and all to the great Shepherd of the sheep, who, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, will make them perfect to do His will. Regard in Thy great mercy, any who may have been prevented from waiting upon Thee in Thy house and in Thine ordinances. Compensate by an increased supply of Thy own promised grace for the want of public services. Transform every sick chamber and every death-bed into the house of God and the gate of heaven. May valuable lives be prolonged. May the bereaved be comforted ; may they repose their bleeding bosoms on Him who bare their sorrows and knows their sorrows.

"Take the charge of us; watch over us; may we all come at last to the eternal blessedness of an uninterrupted communion in glory, around which no shadows shall fall; for there shall be no night there, and they need no candle, neither light of the sun, for the Lord God giveth them light and they shall reign forever and ever." Amen.

PRAISE AFTER THE LORD'S SUPPER.

"O Christ, what love divine Is in this cup of wine,

This broken bread!

For us Thy flesh was torn, For us the cruel thorn

Did pierce Thy head!

"Our sins wrought all Thy woe; Our hatred pierced Thee so,