God's Minute

December 12

Pray now unto the Lord our God.--Jeremiah 37:3

WE THANK Thee, our Heavenly Father, for Thy care over us through the past night. We thank Thee for the Bible. Help us to understand it, to believe it, to obey it, and to love it. We thank Thee, Blessed Saviour, that Thou dist come from heaven to earth that we might go from earth to heaven; that Thou didst die that we might live. We thank Thee that Thou didst rise from the dead, ascend up on high, and dost ever live to intercede for us. We thank Thee that Thou didst say, "Come unto me all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." We come to Thee. Have mercy on us. We have done wrong. Forgive us. We want to do right; help us. We are sinners; be Thou our Saviour. fill us with Thy Spirit; consecrate us to Thy service. Comfort the troubled; guide the perplexed; strengthen the weak; succor the tempted. Bless our country. Bless Thy Church everywhere, and bless all Christian workers. Fill the whole world with Thy glory. We ask all in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, and for His sake we pray:

"God bless our going out,
Nor less our going in,
And make them sure.
God bless our daily bread,
And bless whate'er we do, whate'er endure,
May death unto His peace awake us,
And heirs unto His salvation make us"

Amen.

Richard Boyd Webster, D.D.,
Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania

God's Minute

December Eleventh

Then Thou shall call, and the Lord shall answer.--Isaiah 58:9

O THOU Who art so distant that no reach of our thought can compass Thee, and so near that we are apt to overlook Thee, hear our prayer. Our Saviour taught us to address Thee in the endearing names of our homes. We can call ourselves They sons, and we can call Thee our Father and our Friend. And we are not as unimportant as some time we seem, for if we are less than the child, to care for us Thou art more than the mother. As in spring days men walk in their gardens to see how their flowers and fruits are growing, so may we go through our souls to observe what the divine nature is bringing forth there. May we see much love, aspiration, hope, courage and other riches of Thy grace. Here we promise more faithfuly to cultivate the good seeds and eradicate the weeds. And our promise is not a passing wish, but we pray that it may be a consecrated purpose. Bless our country with strength for righteousness. Bless our homes with children that shall develop in integrity and usefulness. Forgive us for misemphasizing the things of time more than those of eternity. In all trouble, help us to say, "If God be for us, who can be against us?" Aid us to hold within our thought and love and hope dear ones who have gone to their heavenly home. May we prepare for reunited fellowship with them, and unveiled communion with God, by nobler living. In our Master's name.

Amen.

Rev. John W. Langdale,
Cincinnati, Ohio

God's Minute

December Tenth

Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labor, and do all thy work: But the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God.--Exodus:8-9

(For Sunday Morning)

WE THANK Thee, O Lord, for the holy Sabbath, so full of blessings for Thy children. We adore Thee for this memorial of the precious work of our redemption, and type of the rest that remains for the people of God. Help us to keep the day holy. May we be richly blessed in reading thy Word, in listening to Thy Gospel, and in all the services of the holy day. Be with all ministers of the Gospel, and especially with those who preach Thy Word today. Bless our children, at home and in the Sabbath school. Give to the teachers the power to mold character and to guide the children along the path of the just. Comfort all that mourn, especially such as have not been allowed to attend Thy house today. Give us grace not merely to hear the Word, but to help in the spread of light and life over the world. Enable us to live nearer to Thee. May each Sabbath be a spiritual benediction to all They people. Look upon those who are yet sitting in darkness and in the shadow of death. Send abroad Thy light and Thy truth into the benighted portions of our globe. Turn the nations from idols to serve the living God. Let the people praise Thee, let all the people praise Thee; and blessd be Thy glorious Name forever and ever.

Amen.

A.M. Mayo,
Lake Charles, Louisiana

God's Minute

December Ninth

Hitherto hath the Lord helped us.--1 Samuel 7:12

O LORD, our Lord, Creator, preserver and bountiful benefactor of men, in Whom we live and move and have our being, we adore Thee for Thy loving kindness and tender mercies. With shame in our hearts we confess before Thee our many sins. Our lives do not meet Thy requirements. Our footsteps have wandered from the pathway of rectitude. Our Father, look upon us in mercy, and do Thou be pleased to have pity upon us in our sins. Look upon Thy Son, Who died for us, and do Thou for His sake accept us as righteous before Thee. Grant that our sins may not only be blotted out of the book of Thy remembrance, but that by the power of the Holy Ghost we may be enabled to die unto sin, and to live unto righteousness. Comfort the disconsolate, cheer the saddened, bring friends to the friendless, teach the ignorant, give visions to trembling faith, set the star of hope in the overhanging clouds, and hurry the forces of truth towards the consummation of Thy kingdom. We can trust all to Thee. As our Shepherd, lead us today. As our King, defend us from the enemies that watch for our souls. As our priest, teach us the will of God for our salvation. O God, our Father, overshadow our pathway with Thy merciful providence, and let each one of us bear some part in the advancement of the Redeemer's glorious Kingdom. Through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen.

W.J. McMillan, D.D.,
Baltimore, Maryland

Quote of the Week

Christians are a body in whose truest interest lies in the exaltation of the Messiah's kingdom. Their charter is very extensive, their encouragements exceeding great, and the returns promised infinitely superior to all the gains of the most lucrative fellowship. Let then everyone in his station consider himself as bound to act with all his might in every possible way for God.

William Carey, An Enquiry into the Obligations of Christians to Use Means for the Coversion of the Heathens