Evening Prayer Thursday, 3 September 2020
A reading from Psalm 119
ה He
33 Teach me, Lord, the way of your decrees,
that I may follow it to the end.
34 Give me understanding, so that I may keep your law
and obey it with all my heart.
35 Direct me in the path of your commands,
for there I find delight.
36 Turn my heart towards your statutes
and not towards selfish gain.
37 Turn my eyes away from worthless things;
preserve my life according to your word.
38 Fulfil your promise to your servant,
so that you may be feared.
39 Take away the disgrace I dread,
for your laws are good.
40 How I long for your precepts!
In your righteousness preserve my life.
Psalm 119: 33–40 NIV®
Teach us, O Lord, to learn from your scriptures the ways to lead a life that is pleasing to you.
Give us, we pray, the strength and perseverance to follow your teachings, no matter how hard it seems.
We know that when we follow the example of your Son, our Lord Jesus,
putting the needs of others ahead of our own selfish wishes,
we can feel your peace and joy in our hearts, and find encouragement to continue in your way.
Help us, please, to appreciate the true value of the gifts that your Spirit constantly offers us.
We do know that your laws are good, but we do not always have the good sense to abide by them.
Forgive us when we give in to our selfishness.
We do not need to ask you to fulfil your promises to us, for we know that you always will,
but we ask that you will help us fulfil our promises to you.
Give us eyes to see the way you are directing us and ears to hear you calling us to you.
As we come to the end of another day, we give thanks to you for our diverse experiences.
Where we have come up against problems or difficulties,
help us now, in tranquillity, to reflect on these situations, and to learn from them,
so that next time we encounter them we can face and overcome them.
We thank you for all the blessings we have received from you today;
give us a grateful heart so that we can recognise all your gifts, in whatever form they come,
and give you all the thanks that you are due.
Help us to value and enjoy the little things in our lives;
Although many of our activities are restricted at present,
teach us to make good use of the extra time this provides for us to notice what is about us
and to find joy in these little things that often, in our daily haste, get overlooked.
We close our prayers this evening by saying the Grace together:
May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ,
the love of God
and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit
be with us all, evermore.
Amen
