The Hand of our God is upon all them for good that seek Him.-Ezra 8:22. N the Name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy We thank Thee, blessed Lord, for the loving care which has guarded us through the watches of the night, bringing us safely to the light of another morning. Fill our hearts with gratitude, which we would express "not only with our lips, but in our lives, by giving up ourselves to Thy service." May we appreciate all the blessings of this life—our health, reason, and love of those who are about us, and above all, may we be grateful for Thy love. Send Thy blessing upon our dear ones, wherever they may be; keep them from accident of body, and sin of soul. Be merciful to the sick, the sorrowing, and the dying, and grant to them the "peace which passeth understanding." We pray Thee, send benedictions upon Thy church; grant that Thy Kingdom may be enlarged, and Thy people inspired to earnest duty. And now we commend ourselves unto Thee; may the angels of God watch over us this day; keep us in our going out and our coming in; preserve us from all evil; sanctify us by Thy Spirit dwelling in us, and save us at last for Jesus Christ's sake. Amen. BISHOP WILLIAM ANDREW LEONARD, D.D., Cleveland, Ohio. Let us lay aside the sin which doth so easily beset us.-Heb. 12:1. OUR dear Heavenly Father, 'tis Thy hand that opens for us the gates of the morning and draws about us the curtains of the night. We thank Thee for all the blessings that enrich our days, for the watchful care that shields us from evil, for the strength of body and mind with which to perform daily tasks and duties. Truly Thy compassions fail not, and there is no measure to Thy love. Thou dost care for each of us as if each were Thine only child. To all Thy love and grace may we respond with a life dedicated wholly to Thee. Help us to glorify Thee by consecrating to Thee every affection of our hearts and every work of our hands. May we do nothing which Thou canst not approve, ask nothing that we cannot receive from Thee, nor go where we cannot go with Thee. Blot out from the book of Thy remembrance our many transgressions. Strengthen us that we may shun every allurement of sin, and grow daily in the knowledge and love of our Saviour, so that when we nightly pitch our moving tents we may be a day's march nearer home. We ask it in the Name of Jesus. Amen. REV. G. ARTHUR FRY, OUR your Father will forgive you. -Matt. 6: 14. UR FATHER, we praise Thee for the blessings that crown us morning and evening, for the love that abides with us through the darkness and the light. With contrite hearts we confess our sins, pleading for the cleansing that God gives through the atoning blood of the Cross, and for the sanctifying power that causes us to grow into the beauty and strength of the Christ life. Master, we dedicate ourselves to Thee for service. Wherever we may be and whatever the task that may be laid upon us, help us to be Christ-like. May we touch other lives with blessing, communicating the Spirit that cheers the depressed, comforts the sorrowful, supplies the needy, encourages the weak, and leads the unredeemed soul to the Saviour. Thou hast honored us by calling us to be co-laborers with Thyself, the God Who works. May we toil in the fulness of our powers, to the end that earth may become like Heaven. Father, keep us true to the highest ideals. Give us, in ever increasing measure, the peace that passeth understanding, and in life's evening hour may the light of the Glory Land be upon our faces. Our prayer is in Jesus' Name. Amen. W. E. McCULLOCH, D.D., Incline my heart unto Thy testimonies.-Ps. 119: 36. ОЧ UR FATHER, we thank Thee for the gift of life, for soundness of body and sanity of mind, for keenness of conscience and strength of will, for power of choice and privilege of service. We thank Thee that Thou settest the solitary in families, for membership in the great family circle where Thou art our Father. We lift our hearts to Thee in thanksgiving for all the gifts that make life so rich and worth living-for love of father, mother, brother, sister. We thank Thee for friends, for education, for our country. We ask Thee for power to live as we ought, to serve as we should. We ask Thee to bless our family, our neighborhood, our city, our state, our nation. Grant Thy grace upon those that Thou hast placed to govern and lead us. Grant Thy wisdom to our teachers, Thy blessing upon our schools, hospitals, prisons, that out of sorrow and suffering we may gain strength and patience. Make and keep the nations of the earth righteous, that we may have peace. Lead us through the valley of the shadow of death to the city where there is no night, no sin, no sorrow, no death. All these favors we ask through Jesus Christ our Saviour. Amen. ORRIN PHILIP GIFFORD, D.D., Brookline, Mass. Faith which worketh by love.-Gal. 5: 6. THOU great and eternal God, Creator, Redeemer, and bountiful Benefactor-the one from whom every good and perfect gift descends, we are assembled as a family to engage in worship of Thee. Breathe into our hearts the spirit of true devotion. Give to us repentance for our sins. Thou hast taught us that there is but one thing that can come between our souls and Thee - one thing that can exclude us from the Kingdom of Grace and from the Kingdom of Glory; the one and only thing that Thou dost hate-sin. We rejoice that we may be delivered from sin; that we may have our fruit unto holiness, and in the end everlasting life. We are taught in Thy Holy Word that if we confess our sins, Thou art faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Give to us faith-faith in Jesus as our present personal, allsufficient Saviour. Give to us hope-the hope that is an anchor to the soul, sure and steadfast, that entereth into that within the veil, and that will securely hold us in the midst of life's storms and trials. Give to us love-that perfect love that casteth out fear. O, give to us these and all other graces that the Holy Spirit imparts. We ask all in the Name of Jesus Christ. Amen. ADNA B. LEONARD, D.D., |