#1
"Give us grace, Almighty Father, so to pray, as to
deserve to be heard, to address thee with our Hearts, as with our lips. Thou
art every where present, from Thee no secret can be hid. May the knowledge of
this, teach us to fix our Thoughts on Thee, with Reverence and Devotion that we
pray not in vain. Look with Mercy on the Sins we have this day committed, and
in Mercy make us feel them deeply, that our Repentance may be sincere, and our
resolution stedfast of endeavouring against the commission of such in future.
Teach us to understand the sinfulness of our own Hearts, and bring to our
knowledge every fault of Temper and every evil Habit in which we have indulged
to the dis-comfort of our fellow-creatures, and the danger of our own Souls.
May we now, and on each return of night, consider how the past day has been
spent by us, what have been our prevailing Thoughts, Words, and Actions during
it, and how far we can acquit ourselves of Evil. Have we thought irreverently
of Thee, have we disobeyed thy commandments, have we neglected any known duty,
or willingly given pain to any human being? Incline us to ask our Hearts these
questions Oh! God, and save us from deceiving ourselves by Pride or Vanity. Give
us a thankful sense of the Blessings in which we live, of the many comforts of
our lot; that we may not deserve to lose them by Discontent or Indifference. Be
gracious to our Necessities, and guard us, and all we love, from Evil this
night. May the sick and afflicted, be now, and ever thy care; and heartily do
we pray for the safety of all that travel by Land or by Sea, for the comfort
and protection of the Orphan and Widow and that thy pity may be shewn upon all
Captives and Prisoners. Above all other blessings Oh! God, for ourselves, and
our fellow-creatures, we implore Thee to quicken our sense of thy Mercy in the
redemption of the World, of the Value of that Holy Religion in which we have
been brought up, that we may not, by our own neglect, throw away the salvation
thou has given us, nor be Christians only in name. Hear us Almighty God, for
His sake who has redeemed us, and taught us thus to pray." (The Lord's
Prayer follows.)
#2
"Father of Heaven! whose goodness has brought us in safety
to the close of this day, dispose our hearts in fervent prayer. Another day is
now gone, and added to those, for which we were before accountable. Teach us
almighty father, to consider this solemn truth, as we should do, that we may
feel the importance of every day, and every hour as it passes, and earnestly
strive to make a better use of what thy goodness may yet bestow on us, than we
have done of the time past. Give us grace to endeavour after a truly Christian
spirit to seek to attain that temper of forbearance and patience of which our
blessed saviour has set us the highest example; and which, while it prepares us
for the spiritual happiness of the life to come, will secure to us the best
enjoyment of what this world can give. Incline us oh God! to think humbly of
ourselves, to be severe only in the examination of our own conduct, to consider
our fellow-creatures with kindness, and to judge of all they say and do with
that charity which we would desire from them ourselves. We thank thee with all
our hearts for every gracious dispensation, for all the blessings that have
attended our lives, for every hour of safety, health and peace, of domestic
comfort and innocent enjoyment. We feel that we have been blessed far beyond
any thing that we have deserved; and though we cannot but pray for a
continuance of all these mercies, we acknowledge our unworthiness of them and
implore thee to pardon the presumption of our desires. Keep us oh! Heavenly
Father from evil this night. Bring us in safety to the beginning of another day
and grant that we may rise again with every serious and religious feeling which
now directs us. May thy mercy be extended over all mankind, bringing the
ignorant to the knowledge of thy truth, awakening the impenitent, touching the
hardened. Look with compassion upon the afflicted of every condition, assuage
the pangs of disease, comfort the broken in spirit. More particularly do we
pray for the safety and welfare of our own family and friends wheresoever
dispersed, beseeching thee to avert from them all material and lasting evil of
body or mind; and may we by the assistance of thy holy spirit so conduct
ourselves on earth as to secure an eternity of happiness with each other in thy
heavenly kingdom. Grant this most merciful Father, for the sake of our blessed
saviour in whose holy name and words we further address thee." (The Lord's
Prayer follows.)
