John 16:24 Ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full

November 23

Ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full. — John 16:24

Photo: Abdulhamid AlFadhly

O GOD, our Father! We worship Thy name, and bless Thee for Thyself. We acknowledge Thee to be the source and stay of our lives. We are Thy creatures. Thou wilt not leave us to suffer eternal want; Thou wilt not leave us to lack for daily bread. We are Thy children; we believe ourselves descended from Thee. O Grant that we may not plead Thy Fatherhood in vain! Let us not stand either as aliens or orphans, but as the heirs of God through promise. Give us, we beseech Thee, Thy Holy Spirit, that He may perfectly reveal to us Jesus Christ the Son. Give us to know Him, that we may abide in Him, and that His Word may abide in us. May neither prosperity nor the enticements of the world wean our thoughts and faith from Him. Pardon our sins and cleanse our hearts, that we may become a habitation of God through the Spirit; that Christ may dwell in us and we in Him. Guide and direct us in our intercourse with men. May our words and influence become a savor of life unto life. Show us how we may help to bring Thy Kingdom upon the earth. Admonish us in the days of health, nor forsake us in sickness and the hour of death. When our change shall come, give us to dwell forever in the house of Thy Fatherhood in Heaven, through the merit and grace of Jesus Christ Thy Son. Amen.

Horace M. DuBose, D.D.,

Nashville, Tennessee

1 Timothy 4:10 We trust in the living God, who is the Saviour of all men, specially of those that believe

November 5

We trust in the living God, who is the Saviour of all men, specially of those that believe. — 1 Timothy 4:10

Photo: StockXchng

OUR God and Father, for the protecting care of the night we give Thee thanks. For the new day, a free gift of Thine, with its message of renewal and tireless interest on the part of our Father, we give Thee thanks. Teach us anew with this new day the meaning of home, friendships, and opportunity to do our work for God and our fellow-men.

Set our faces in the right direction as we go out to live another day. Fortify us that we may not be overcome by any evil. Restrain us from any untoward tendencies. If the way grow dark, cause us to see Thy light. If loneliness should be our lot, let us be mindful of Thy companionship.

By Thy help may we add some joy to other lives, and live out this day with the blessed thought of having done something worth while. And as the shadows of the evening creep over us we would again give thanks and commit ourselves anew to Him Who careth for all. We make our requests in the name of Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen.

Rev. Clarence W. Kemper,

Rev. Clarence W. Kemper

Psalm 28:9 Save Thy People and bless Thine inheritance

October 23

Save Thy People and bless Thine inheritance. — Psalm 28:9

Photo: StockXchng

OUR gracious and kind Heavenly Father! We lift our hearts to Thee at dawn, though we painfully recognize and feel our unworthiness of Thy uncounted mercies which are new every morning and fresh every evening. We throw ourselves upon Thy clemency. Put Thy protecting hand, with its tender touch, upon our drooping heads, and though we venture not to look up, may we hear Thy reassuring and forgiving voice. Here we are grouped together at the foot of Thy cross, because we know Thou hast room for us all in Thy great yearning heart. We long for Thy tender caress and Thy smile of forgiveness. Put about us Thy everlasting mighty arms, and carry us safely through this day. As we take up life's business afresh and hasten out into the wild hurry of the world, be Thou ever near us. Be Thou our traveling companion. We need Thy presence every passing moment. For the gift of Thy Son, our adorable Christ, we thank Thee, O God. He brought eternal calm to our surging hearts, and made our sin-tattered lives to rejoice. Give us a new vision of Him as we toil this day. May we see the rift in the clouds as we look up to behold Him. Soften our hearts, direct our thoughts, steady our step, and shelter us by Thy care until our traveling days are done, we humbly ask in Jesus' name. Amen.

Rev. F. W. Mueller,

Cleveland, Ohio

1 Timothy 6:11 Follow after righteousness, godliness, faith

October 17

Follow after righteousness, godliness, faith. — 1 Timothy 6:11

Photo: Robert Aichinger

OUR Father, teach us how to speak to Thee. May Thy Spirit lead us into the light, for we know so little about Thee and are so dull and slow to learn. Wilt Thou forgive us when we do wrong, and keep us from going away from Thee. O Good Shepherd, the wilderness is so large, and we are weak and so easily lose our way. Keep us from the wild beasts of sin, and may we never miss the path that leads to Thy fold.

Bless our home today, and all who are in it. May we always be gentle and loving, and seek to make all about us happy. Help us to have a shining face, and especially when we meet Thy other children who are sad and in trouble. Teach us to do as Jesus did when He forgot all about Himself trying to help others.

We thank Thee for all the good and beautiful things Thou art giving us every day. We pray Thee to help us to help Thee to make Thy world good and happy.

And this we ask in the name of our Elder Brother, Christ Who loved us and gave Himself for us. Amen.

Charles R. Flanders, D.D.,

London, Ontario, Canada

1 Timothy 6:12 Fight the good fight of faith

October 12

Fight the good fight of faith. — 1 Timothy 6:12

Photo: Dhany Syamsuddin

WE thank Thee, our Heavenly Father, for the care, the rest and refreshment vouchsafed unto us during another night. We thank Thee for the privilege of being able to present ourselves again before Thee, for the life and work of this new day. We recognize that the highest, as well as the holiest, ideal of life is the doing of Thy will and the accomplishment of Thy purposes concerning us. We recognize also, that even as Thou hast said, the way of man is not in himself, that it is not in man that walketh, to be able always and everywhere to direct his steps aright, and so we look to Thee for the strength and wisdom and grace necessary to discharge faithfully and earnestly the responsibilities and duties of the day. Make us deeply sensitive to Thy presence, and to the other privileges and blessings of the day, so that they shall not pass from us unappreciated and unused.

Grant unto us the spirit of patience, of sympathy and of willingness to help any who may not be as highly favored as we are. Remember those in weakness, in suffering or in sorrow, and should we ourselves be called upon to pass through any of these experiences, may there also come with them the grace of resignation and of trust. Amen.

Rev. Andrew J. Lamar,

Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada

1 Thessalonians 3:11-13 Now God Himself and our Father, and our Lord Jesus Christ, direct our way unto you. And the Lord make you to increase and abound in love toward one another, and toward all men, even as we do toward you: To the end He may stablish your hearts unblamable in holiness before God, even our Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all His Saints

October 7

Now God Himself and our Father, and our Lord Jesus Christ, direct our way unto you. And the Lord make you to increase and abound in love toward one another, and toward all men, even as we do toward you: To the end He may stablish your hearts unblamable in holiness before God, even our Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all His Saints. — 1 Thessalonians 3:11-13

Photo: Odan Jaeger

ALMIGHTY GOD, our Father, help us to receive this day as a fresh gift from Thy loving hand, and to use it earnestly and joyfully. Give us for its tasks, we pray Thee, vigor of body, clearness of mind and definiteness of purpose, but above all, the right spirit and the pure heart.

 Look graciously upon our loved ones; place upon them Thy guiding and restraining hand. Comfort all who are sick and in sorrow; heal the wounded in spirit; recall the wandering. Strengthen all who are working earnestly for the Kingdom of our Lord, and grant that throughout the world this may be a day of great progress toward righteousness and peace.

Thy Kingdom come. Thy will in us and in all men be done, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Alexander MacColl, D.D.,

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Psalm 146:5-7 Happy is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope is in the Lord his God: Which made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that therein is: Which keepeth truth forever: Which executeth judgment for the oppressed: Which giveth food to the hungry

October 6

Happy is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope is in the Lord his God: Which made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that therein is: Which keepeth truth forever: Which executeth judgment for the oppressed: Which giveth food to the hungry. — Psalm 146:5-7

Photo: Mateusz Stachowski

WE SALUTE Thee, O God of the Sunrise! "My voice shalt Thou hear in the morning, O Lord; in the morning will I direct my prayer unto Thee, and will look up."

Give us to go through this day with head erect, heart full-beating, eyes open to see, mind responsive to know. Let us be thankful for what we have, without covetousness, and grant us to share gladly with others what Thou dost drop in our laps. We do no pray for a bank full of gold, but for a mind full of noble thoughts. We do not pray for a house full of treasure, but for a home full of love.

Help us to walk to the end of this day with Thee. Then, when the lamps are lighted, may this home, yes, and the great world, find Thy promise fulfilled to the soul, that at evening time it shall be light. In His name Who is the Light of the world. Amen.

Rev. Fred Winslow Adams,

New York City, New York

Psalm 63:1 Thou art my God; early will I seek Thee

October 2

Thou art my God; early will I seek Thee. — Psalm 63:1

Photo: Ryan Forkel

OUR Heavenly Father, Who hath kept us through the night and given us a new day, we thank Thee for all Thy gifts. We thank Thee for renewed strength of body, and for refreshment of mind. We thank Thee for the new opportunities that come with the new day--the opportunity to learn, the opportunity to be kind, the chance to work, and the chance to pray. We failed yesterday in leaving undone things that we should have done, and in doing things that we ought not to have done; but Thou hast given us today in which to begin anew. We look to Thee, the Giver of all good, for help to spend the day in ways Thou dost approve.

May Thy peace possess our hearts. Grant us that perfect love that casts out fear. In all our ways we would acknowledge Thee, that Thou may direct our paths. We beseech Thee to give unto us that measure of Thy sustaining grace that will make us victorious over temptation, patient when tried, kind and helpful and loving in all our relations with others. Help us to be faithful in the little things of daily life, and in everything to seek first the Kingdom of God, that our lives may conform to Thy perfect plan, and that we may glorify Thee in accomplishing the work Thou dost give us to do. We ask it for Christ's sake. Amen.

Rev. M. F. McCutcheon, B.A.,

Montreal, Canada

Psalm 95:2 Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving

September 16

Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving. — Psalm 95:2

Photo: Chris Wittwer

O LORD GOD, our Father, Saviour and Guide, by Whose gracious and bountiful providence we have been nourished and sustained until this hour, and Whose redemptive, all-embracing love we greatly rejoice, accept, we beseech Thee, the sincere and profound gratitude of our hearts for Thine unfailing mercy and goodness. Pardon, we implore Thee, all our failings, faults and follies. By the Spirit dwelling within us, sweeten our dispositions and chasten all our appetites and desires. Sanctify our home, light it with the lamp of Thy presence continually, and warm it with the fire of Thy love.

Make Thy way plain before our eyes, and lead us onward and upward. Sanctify unto us all our trials and difficulties. Help us over the hard places, and in the smooth places suffer us not to forget our constant need of Thee. Quicken and intensify our love to Thee, and help us to be compassionate and generous in all our dealings with our fellow men. Enable us to do justly and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with Thee. May we not be overcome of evil, but may we overcome evil with good.

O let the wickedness of the wicked come to an end, but establish Thou the righteous! And may the whole earth be filled with Thy glory! Amen.

W. H. Cline, D. D.,

Georgetown, Ontario, Canada

Psalm 32:8 I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go

August 12

I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go. — Psalm 32:8

Photo: Shutterstock

We praise Thy name, our Father, that Thou hast again brought us to the sweet consciousness of life and to realization of Thy divine grace and loving favor. We are grateful to The for all the mercies so abundantly bestowed upon us through Thy Son. Grant unto us this day Thy watch-care and guidance, that we may in nothing offend Thee or bring reproach upon Thy Name.

May we, by the inspiration of Thy Holy Spirit, be led into that truth which will enable us to glorify Thee in our lives. Keep our minds from error and our hearts from sin. May all our thoughts be true, our loves be pure, and our actions right before Thee. Give unto us and ours the things necessary for our temporal comfort and our spiritual good. Bless Thou the toil of our hands and make it abound to the welfare of our fellow men and to Thine own glory. Help us to be ever conscious of the presence and fellowship of Thy dear Son, our Savior and Friend.

Comfort, we pray Thee, those who are in sorrow. Strengthen those who are weak. Be Thou beside the beds of suffering, to ease pain, strengthen courage and inspire hope. we ask all in the name of Him Who dwelleth in our hearts through faith. Amen.

Rev. Daniel McGurk,

Cincinnati, Ohio

1 John 5:14-15 And this is the consolation that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He heareth us: and if we know that He hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know we have the petitions that we desired of Him

July 8

And this is the consolation that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He heareth us: and if we know that He hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know we have the petitions that we desired of Him. — 1 John 5:14-15

Photo: Shutterstock

OUR FATHER, it is with reverence we bow to Thee. We thank Thee for every blessing of life, for we realize that Thou art the Giver of every good and perfect gift. We pray that every member of this household may realize that God hath a purpose in every individual life: may it be the highest ambition of our lives to know what God would have us to do. May the Holy Spirit ever abide with us and direct us in all the things Thou hast made it possible for us to do. May Thy love for us, as manifested in so many ways, constrain us to serve and honor Thee our Father.

Dear Lord, we commit ourselves with all we have and are, into Thy loving care, and would ask Thee to bless us, keep us, guide us, forgive our sins, and finally take us to Thyself with all the redeemed. We ask it in Jesus' name and for His sake. Amen.

Rev. C. Stubblefield,

Miami, Oklahoma

John 16:31 Jesus answered them, do ye now believe?

July 6

Jesus answered them, do ye now believe?. — John 16:31

Photo: Shutterstock

OUR Father, God, we know Thee through Jesus Christ our Lord, and we praise Thee for all Thy loving kindness and tender mercies. With the assurance that Thou wilt never leave nor forsake us, we enter upon the duties of a new day. We lift our eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh our help.

Direct us in all the way that we should take, in view of our great responsibilities and opportunities. Help us to earn our bread honestly, but not to be so busy as to let the King pass by. May we live our day before Thee in all reverence, quietness, love, and usefulness.

Remember our loved ones everywhere. Bless all for whom we ought to pray--the sick, the suffering, the sinful, God pity them and minister to their needs. Let Thy grace be upon every heart lifted up in true and simple desire for a better life.

Bless our nation in all her crises. Give wisdom unto our counsellors, and direction to those who lead our affairs.

Bless especially the Church of Jesus Christ, her missionaries, and ministers, and bring us all to the redeemed in glory, through Jesus Christ. Amen.

J.M. Francis, D.D.,

Sunbury, Pennsylvania

II Corinthians 5:14 For the love of Christ constraineth us

April 7

For the love of Christ constraineth us. — II Corinthians 5:14 

Photo: Carlos Paes

My Prayer Today.

 Psalm 51:10-12. Luke 22:39-46. Luke 11:1-4.

LORD, search our hearts, and make them clean. Renew continually a right spirit within us. Make us willing to do Thy will. Teach us how to pray and how to work.

Help us to go where Thou dost send us. Give us courage to speak for Thee, and loving patience in trying to help others. Bless every member of our church and Sunday school. Help us soon to win some soul for Thee. Make us to see whom we might help, and to be eager to go to them.

Fill our hearts with deeper and truer love for Thee. Forgive our sins, and make us better Christians every day. For Jesus' sake. Amen.

Ernest Bourner Allen, D.D.,

Toledo, Ohio

II Corinthians 9:15 Thanks be to God for His unspeakable gift

March 26

Thanks be to God for His unspeakable gift. — II Corinthians 9:15

Photo: Renato Paschoa

OUR FATHER, we offer Thee our thanks for the morning light and for all Thy goodness. We confess our faults and failures and sins, and ask Thy pardon. Give us a right judgment, that we may see what Thou wouldst have us do; a ready will, that we may do our duty with all our might; and the help of Thy Spirit, that we may be enabled this day to live according to Thy will.

Look with pity upon all who are in any need or trouble, and come and help them. Strengthen the weak, succor those who are tempted, lift up the fallen, lighten the darkness of them that doubt, give patience to all who suffer, and to them who are disheartened give courage and new interest in life.

Bless our country, and grant that righteousness, peace and good will may prevail among all nations. Bless Thy Church throughout the world, especially Thy servants who have gone forth to preach Thy Gospel in distant lands. Take under Thy fatherly care and protection all who are near and dear to us; do more and better for them than we can ask or think, and grant that we and they may this day enter more and more into Thy joy and peace, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Bishop Chauncey B. Brewster, D.D.,

Hartford, Connecticut

Proverbs 20:22 Wait on the Lord and He shall save thee

February 15

Wait on the Lord, and He shall save thee. — Proverbs 20:22

Photo: James Robertson

IN the Name of the Lord Jesus we bow in Thy holy presence, O God, to thank Thee for all Thy goodness and mercy to us as a family and a household, and to ask Thy forgiveness for all wherein we have sinned and grieved Thy Holy Spirit.

We pray for grace and guidance that we may so walk as to please Thee. Grant us Thy protecting care to shield us from accident and danger. And above all, we pray that, thus walking in Thy fear and love, we may know the joy of Thy salvation.

And what we ask for ourselves, we pray for all who are dear to us. And very specially we commend to Thy Fatherly goodness any who are in sickness or sorrow or trouble, that Thou wilt graciously bless and sustain and comfort them.

Thou hast given Thine only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in Him may have eternal life. Such is Thy love to the world. But Thou hast a still tenderer love for those who believe in Christ and are one with us in Him. For them we make our prayer to Thee.

Hear us and bless us, we pray Thee, for the Lord Jesus Christ's sake. Amen.

Sir Robert Anderson, K.C.B., LL.D.,

London, England

Psalm 31:3 For Thy Name’s sake, lead me, and guide me.

January 15

For Thy Name’s sake, lead me, and guide me. ~ Psalm 31:3

Photo: Miguel Saavedra

Lord, hear our prayer in the morning. We need Thee all day, through all the days. We have our call to prayer at any hour, but particularly when the night is spent, and Thou has kindled the dawn as if Thou hadst made the day for us and only us. Then we have strange need that Thou shouldst take our hand in Thine and our heart in Thine and our brain in Thine, and that our feet walk the road where Thy footprints should show the way though Thou shouldst need to leave us for a moment. We pray our morning prayer; we lift our singing hearts to Thee and praise Thee that all the ways we take shall surely have the good companionship which on a day long since made hearts to burn, and turned a funeral day into one of laughter and great dreams. Blessed be the Lord, Who has guided our going all these years, and Who will continue to be our help and our rejoicing. We will make melody all day; we will do things which shall not need to be undone all day; and since these matters are too large for our accomplishment, we ask Thy might aid. Fail us not, our God. Smile on our many activities and bid them Godspeed to the end, that at set of sun all may be well with our hearts, and we may be bidden by Thyself a kindly good night. Amen.

Bishop William A. Quayle,

St. Paul, Minnesota  

Jude 21 Keep yourselves in the love of God.

January 4

Keep yourselves in the love of God. ~ Jude 21

Photo: Nat Arnett

O Thou Eternal Love, Whom Jesus has taught us to call our Father, and in Whom we are learning to trust as our Brother, our Comrade, our Closest Friend, we are not seeking Thee, for we know that Thou art nearer to us every moment than we are to ourselves; we are only wishing and hoping that often, throughout this day, the Thought of Thy nearness to us, of Thy presence with us, may spring into our consciousness, that we may see what Thou art is showing us, and know what that Thou art is telling us, and be ready to take what Thou art is giving us, and to do what Thou art is bidding us. Help us to feel more than once today that the good Thoughts and the good wishes which we find in our hearts are signs of Thy presence there; and may we learn to look for Thee thus, within our own lives, and to rejoice when we find Thee there, and so to become aware, more and more, of what we mean when we  speak of the fellowship and communion of the Holy Spirit! We know that Thou art working in us to will and to do Thy good pleasure; and we know that Thou findest Thy good pleasure in lives made fruitful and beautiful in Thy service. So help us to work with Thee, this day and every day, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen

Washington Gladden, D.D., LL.D

Columbus, Ohio