PRAYERS FORUI^HliP I SCHOOL AND SIJIHwOlI SELECTED AND ARRANGED BY •FREDERIC uV cuD I .B4 Class Book GqpghtN?- COWRIGHT DEPOSHi PRAYERS FOR USE IN HOME, SCHOOL AND SUNDAY SCHOOL FRED ERIC A BEARD PRAYERS FOR USE IN HOME, SCHOOL AND SUNDAY SCHOOL SELECTED AND ARRANGED BY FREDERICA BEARD HODDER & STOUGHTON NEW YORK GEORGE H. DORAN COMPANY COPYRIGHT, 1917, BY GEORGE H. DORAN COMPANY PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA SEP 15 1917 g>C!.A4760?9 A WOED TO PAEENTS AND TEACHEES It will be readily seen that among the fol- lowing prayers given for children from four to eight years, some are much simpler and shorter than others. These should be gener- ally used with very little children. It has not seemed wise to define or classify more closely, as children of the same age differ so much in their power of appreciation and response according to individual conditions. No par- ticular order in the use of these prayers is intended. In the religious training of young children thanksgiving should precede prayers of petition and should have always the larger place. But the particular need seen by parent or teacher will determine the use of any of these expressions of prayer. A typical il- lustration of comparative simplicity may be given by calling attention to the couplet on page 15, and the prayer that begins "The morning bright " on page 16 which requires VI A WORD TO PARENTS AND TEACHERS a wider understanding on the part of a young child, if it is prayed intelligently. Repetition is delightful to little children and only gradually do they appreciate the form of words that they are given to say, so that one little prayer may grow more and more dear as it is said from day to day for a long time. When, however, a child grows indifferent to, or careless of any form, no matter how good it is, a change should be made. Feelings of gladness, gratitude, desire for help, or sorrow for wrong doing — as the case may be — should be cultivated before, as well as by, the expression of a prayer. If the expression is irreverent the prayer had bet- ter be omitted. But the natural joy of a lit- tle child may be so trained that a thank you to the Heavenly Father will be a growing de- light, and a spirit of reverence gradually be developed as a part of an unfolding char- acter. The author gratefully acknowledges per- mission granted by authors and publishers to reprint extracts from the following works : "The Little Child at the Breakfast Table," by William and Mary Gannett, and prayers by Charles G. Ames in "A Book of Prayers," published by the American Uni- tarian Association; "The Sunday Kindergarten," by Car- rie S. Ferris, published by the University of Chicago Press; "Stories for Kindergarten and Primary School," by Sara E. Wiltse, published by Ginn and Company; "Worship and Song," by B. S. Winchester and Grace Wilbur Conant, published by the Congregational Sunday School and Publishing Society; "The Boys' Prayer Book," by Alexander Devine, published by Methuen and Company; "Prayers for the Quiet Hour," by Floyd Tomkins, published by the United Society of Chris- tian Endeavor; "Hymns of Worship and Service," pub- lished by The Century Company; a prayer by Robert Louis Stevenson, published by Charles Scribner's Sons; "Social Prayers," by Walter Rauschenbusch, "Whence Cometh My Help," and selections from the Liturgical Services, published by The Pilgrim Press; "Prayers Ancient and Modern," published by Little, Brown and Company; "A Book of Prayers," by Edward A. Horton; a prayer by Ian Maclaren, published by Dodd, Mead and Company. The Bible text used in this volume is taken from the American Standard Edition of the Eevised Bible, copy- right 1901 by Thomas Nelson and Sons, and used with permission. CONTENTS PRAYERS FOR LITTLE CHILDREN (under nine years of age) PAGE In the Morning 15 In the Evening 18 At Meal Times 21 In Kindergarten, School and Sunday School 22 PRAYERS FOR BOYS AND GIRLS (from nine to fourteen years of age) For Daily Use at Home 29 For Use at School 34 For Use at Sunday School .... 39 For Use by School Leaders .... 46 PRAYERS FOR YOUNG PEOPLE Personal Prayers 51 Social Prayers 61 FOR USE ON SPECIAL OCCASIONS . . 75 PRAYERS FOR LITTLE CHILDREN Before my words of prayer are said I close my eyes and bow my head, I try to think to whom I pray, And try to mean the words I say. Anonymous PRAYERS FOR LITTLE CHILDREN IN THE MORNING For the new morning with its light, For rest and shelter of the night, We thank our Heavenly Father. For rest and food, for love and friends, For everything his goodness sends, We thank our Heavenly Father, Lord, bless thy little child to-day; Make me good and kind, I pray. Help us in all we do and say To make more beautiful thy day. Father, I thy child would be Loving all things loved by thee. From "The Little Child at the Breakfast Table/' by William and Mary Gannett. 15 16 PEAYEKS FOE LITTLE CHILDEEN Father of all, in Heaven above We thank thee for thy love. Our food, our homes and all we wear Tell of thy loving care. The morning bright with rosy light Has waked me from my sleep, Father, I know thy love and care Thy little one will keep. All through the day, I humbly pray, Be thou my guard and guide, My sins forgive and let me live As ever near thy side. Father, we thank thee for the night And for the pleasant morning light. For rest and food and loving care And all that makes the day so fair. Help us to do the things we should To be to others kind and good; In all we do in work or play To grow more loving every day. Father, help me through this day In all I think or do or say. IN THE MORNING 17 To be like Jesus pure and mild. Thy loving and obedient child. Father, take this heart of mine Make it pure and wholly thine; I thy little child would be Trusting, loving, serving thee. From "The Little Child at the Breakfast Table,' 9 by William and Mary Gannett, We look to thee, dear Lord, and pray (Or, Father, we look to thee and pray) That thou wilt guide us through this day. From all wrong doing keep us free. May we thy loving children be. Lead us, Father, day by day Ever in thine own dear way. From "The Little Child at the Breakfast Table/' by William and Mary Gannett. IN THE EVENING Father, I thank thee for thy love and care All thro ' the day, all thro ' the night. Heavenly Father, thou wilt hear me, Bless thy little child to-night, Through the darkness be thou near me, Keep me safe till morning light. Now I lay me down to sleep I pray thee, Lord, thy child to keep, Thy love be with me through the night, And keep me safe till morning light. Dear Father: If in my work, or in my play I have done any wrong to-day, Forgive me ere I sleep, I pray. keep us all in peace to-night And let us wake at morning light To love thee more, and so do right. 18 IN THE EVENING 19 Be near me, my Father, I ask thee to stay Close by me forever, and help me, I pray. Bless all the dear children in thy tender care And fit me for Heaven to live with thee there ! Heavenly Father, thou wilt hear me Bless thy loving child to-night ; Through the darkness be thou near me, Keep me safe till morning light. All this day thy hand hath led me, And I thank thee for thy care; Thou has clothed me, warmed me, fed me, Listen to my evening prayer. Let my sins be all forgiven ; Bless the friends I love so well; Take us all at last to heaven Happy there with thee to dwell. I thank thee, God, who takest care of little children, for the good things I have had to- day. Forgive me if I have been fretful or disobedient, or have done anything wrong; and help me to do better next time. 20 PRAYERS FOR LITTLE CHILDREN Now I am going to lie down to sleep, I pray thee, God, who seest in the dark as well as in the light, to take care of me and bless me. Amen. The day is thine, the night also is thine. Psalm 74:16 The night shineth as the day, the darkness and the light are both alike to thee. Psalm 136:12 AT MEAL TIMES To thee, Lord, do we give thanks. Amen, Father of all, in Heaven above, We thank thee for thy love. Our food, our homes and all we wear Tell of thy loving care. God is great and God is good And we thank him for this food ; By his hand must all be fed Give us, Lord, our daily bread. Dear Father we thank thee For sending this food; Please bless it, and help us Each one to be good. We thank thee for this bread and meat And all the good things which we eat ; Lord, may we strong and happy be, And always good and true like thee. 21 IN KINDEBGAKTEN, SCHOOL AND SUNDAY SCHOOL Now, before we work to-day, We will not forget to pray- To God, who kept us thro' the night And brought us to the morning light. We thank thee for thy loving care And for the good things that we share. In our work and in our play Be thou with us thro ' this day. Father, hear thy little children As to thee we pray ; Asking for thy loving blessing On this day. Father, make us good; Show us how to love each other As we should. Father, hear thy little children While to thee we pray Asking for thy loving guidance All this day. 22 IN KINDERGARTEN AND SCHOOL 2: Lord, we thank thee for this day, For these hours of work and play, For the shining sun above, For thy great and tender love. Help us, Lord, thy will to do. Make us loving, kind and true. From "The Sunday Kindergarten," by Carrie S. Ferris Father, we thank thee for the night, And for the pleasant morning light ; For rest and food and loving care, And all that makes the day so fair. Help us to do the things we should, To be to others kind and good. In all we do in work or play To grow more loving every day. For air and sunshine pure and sweet We thank our Heavenly Father. For grass that grows beneath our feet We thank our Heavenly Father. For flowers that all around us bloom We thank our Heavenly Father. For birds that sing in joyful tune We thank our Heavenly Father. 24 PEAYEES FOE LITTLE CHILDEEN For things of beauty He has made We thank our Heavenly Father. For daily blessings full and free We thank our Heavenly Father. For all his care o'er you and me We thank our Heavenly Father. Father in Heaven, help thy little children To love, to obey, to be happy this day. So may we please thee in all we do and say. In the day before us, in our work and play, May we all be loving, kind in all we say, Try to please each other, try to do the right, Make the day a glad one and thank thee for its light. Spring Hear us thank thee, kindest Friend, For the spring-time thou dost send, For the warm sunshine and the rain, For the birds that sing again, For the sky so clear and blue, IN KINDERGARTEN AND SCHOOL 25 For our Kindergarten too, (Or for this happy Sunday too,) Hear us thank thee. Summe) Kindest Friend, we thank thee now, While our heads we lowly bow, For the summer sun and shower, For each bright and smiling flower, For grass so green and cloud so white, For rosy morn and dewy night, Hear us thank thee. Autumn Friend so gentle, kind and dear, Listen to thy children here While they thank thee for thy love Shown in stars that shine above, Shown in frost, in cloud o'er head, Shown in leaves of gold and red, Hear us thank thee. Winter Loving Friend, Oh hear our prayer, Take into thy tender care, 26 PRAYERS FOR LITTLE CHILDREN All the leaves and flowers that sleep In their white bed covered deep. Shelter from the wintry storm All the snow birds : keep them warm. From "Stories for Kindergarten and Primary School," by Sara E. Wiltse. PRAYERS FOR BOYS AND GIRLS PRAYERS FOR BOYS AND GIRLS FOE DAILY USE AT HOME Father, lead me day by day Ever in thine own dear way. If I'm tempted to do wrong Make me steadfast, wise and strong; Show me what I ought to do, Teach me to be pure and true. Our Father, help us every day To live more nearly as we pray. Holy Father, hear me ; Thou art my defender. Be Thou ever near me, loving, true and ten- der Amen. From "Worship and Song," by B, S. Winchester and Grace Wilbur Conant. Just as I am, thine own to be, Friend of the young, who lovest me, 29 30 PRAYERS FOR BOYS AND GIRLS To consecrate myself to thee, Jesus Christ, I come. 1 would live ever in the light, I would work ever for the right, I would serve thee with all my might; Therefore, to thee I come. Just as I am, young, strong and free, To be the best that I can be For truth, and righteousness, and thee, Lord of my life, I come. For thy dear sake to win renown And then to take my victor's crown, And at thy feet to cast it down, Master, Lord, I come. Set a watch, Lord, before my mouth. Keep the door of my lips. Psalm 141:3 Show me thy ways, Lord; Teach me thy paths. Psalm 25:4 FOR DAILY USE AT HOME 31 Create in me a clean heart, God; And renew a right spirit within me. Psalm 51 :10 Search me, God, who art so loving and so wise. I thank thee for this new day. Help me to do my work joyfully and faithfully. Teach me to be truthful and generous and thoughtful of others. Make me more gentle. Make me brave to do thy will. Make me sorry when I do wrong. Bless my friends and give them greater happiness. Make the world a better place to live in. Give us all more of the spirit of Jesus. Help us every day to grow more Christlike. Amen. Our Father, when a right way and a wrong way are before us, help us to choose the right. When tempted to take the wrong, make us strong to say no. Give us grace to perse- vere in the right way and not to get discour- aged. Amen. Saviour, Lord, to thee I pray: Guide and guard me through this day. 32 PRAYERS FOR BOYS AND GIRLS As the shepherd tends the sheep, Lord, wilt thou from evil keep. Father of all, who dost never sleep, keep watch over me while I rest. I will put my trust in thee and not be afraid, for no harm can come to me when thou art my keeper. Send thy peace and love into my heart and fill my mind with happy thoughts. Forgive all in me that thou canst not love, and make me like Jesus, — for Jesus ' sake. Amen. God, whose love has kept me through another day I thank thee for all thou hast given me ; for my home, my friends, and all my good times. Help me to be thankful and obedient, and to love Jesus who was once a child like me. Bless all homeless children and all who have never heard of Jesus. And may thy kingdom come, and thy will be done in the hearts of all children everywhere, for Jesus' sake. Glory to thee, my God, this night, For all the blessings of the light ; FOB DAILY USE AT HOME 33 Keep me, keep me, King of kings, Under thine own almighty wings. Forgive me, Lord, for thy dear Son, The ills that I this day have done; That with the world, myself and thee, I, ere I sleep, at peace may be. I thank thee, Lord, that thou hast taken care of me to-day. Forgive me for all that I have done wrong, and watch over me while I sleep. May I awake in the morning to be thy good child. God, my Heavenly Father, I thank thee that thou hast called me by thy name, and that I am thine. Thou hast made me thy child, and I thank thee that I may be a mem- ber of thy family in the church. Help me to live as thy child ought to live. I accept with gladness the privileges and duties of a member of thy church. In the name of Jesus Christ my Master and Saviour. Amen. FOR USE AT SCHOOL God, who art our Father, we thank thee for the greatness of thy love and for the goodness of thy works. May we sing with joy and seek thee truly in all we do and say. Our Father in heaven, we thank thee that thou art our friend. We thank thee that thou art ready to help us in our work. Forgive us for the wrong we have done and guide us in the right way. God, give us grace to be honest all the days of our lives. Keep us from lying, cheat- ing, meanness and rudeness. Help us to with- hold from none what is due. Help us also to see the good that is in all people. God, make us strong to be honest every day. Keep us from lying and cheating. Help 34 FOE USE AT SCHOOL 35 us not to be cowards and not to be lazy but to be thy brave, obedient children. Almighty God, who hast given us grace to love and serve thee and to open our hearts to thee in prayer : Be with us, we beseech thee, through each hour of this day, in our work and in our en- joyments, that in thought, word and deed we may be true to thee through Jesus Christ our Lord. From "The Boys 9 Prayer Boole/ 9 by Alexander Devine. Almighty God, who art the fountain of all wisdom, help us, we beseech thee, so to apply our minds to the studies of this place that we may grow in knowledge and in under- standing, and be prepared for the work which thou shalt give us to do hereafter. From "The Boys 9 Prayer Boole, 99 by Alexander Devine. Deliver us, we pray thee, out of all igno- rance and folly, give us pure hearts and will- ing minds, and reveal to us thy wisdom in the order of heaven and earth and in the guid- ance of men's thoughts and actions, and lead 36 PEAYEKS FOR BOYS AND GIRLS us by thy blessed spirit, through the study of earthly things to the knowledge of thyself. Lord, who knowest our peculiar tempta- tions here, help us by thy Holy Spirit to struggle against them. Save us from being ashamed of thee and of our duty. Save us from the base and degrading fear of one an- other. Give us grace never to approve, or by consent to sanction in others, what our con- sciences tell us is wrong, but to reprove it either by word or by silence. Let us never ourselves act the part of tempter to others, never place a stumbling block in our brother's way, or offend any of our companions, for Jesus Christ's sake. Amen. From "The Boys 9 Prayer Book," by Alexander Deviate. Eternal and ever-loving Father, Lord of the seedtime and the harvest, grant thy bless- ing, we pray thee, to this thy school. May all here standing before thee resolve anew to do thy will and serve thee alike in work or play. May those who teach be endowed with zeal, justice and patience; those who learn with courage, modesty, reverence and truth. FOR USE AT SCHOOL 37 May those who have gone forth from our midst be true and upright in word and deed, loyal to their brother men, knowing neither fear nor reproach. And may we of this school be a company of thy faithful soldiers, remembering that we are debtors to many for their gifts, and ready at all times to give our strength to the weak, our substance to the poor, and our sympathy to the suffering through Jesus Christ, our Leader and our Lord. From "The Boys' Prayer Boole/' by Alexander Devine. Help us to think wisely, to speak rightly, to resolve bravely, to act kindly, to live purely. Keep us, Lord, we beseech thee, from sin in all our recreation and amusements and grant that we may take part in nothing that is harmful. Make us watchful over our tem- pers, kind toward others, honest, fair and manly in all our doings, pure in our conver- sation. Keep us safe in all temptation, help us to resist evil and to act a good example to others in our play, through Jesus Christ our Lord. 38 PRAYERS FOR BOYS AND GIRLS May we be happy with, one another, thoughtful of each other, and kind to all who are with us in this school. Keep us strong to resist wrong. Keep us from following a multitude to do evil. May we choose compan- ions who fear thee and keep thy command- ments. Some of the foregoing prayers are not so well fitted for Public Schools as are others. But these may find a suitable place in private schools. FOR USE AT SUNDAY SCHOOL 1 By Children Nine to Fourteen Years of Age All thy works, Heavenly Father, What thou biddest them fulfil, So may we thy loving children Sing thy praise and do thy will. Hitherto thy hand has led us And hast brought us on our way; Thou hast clothed us, thou hast fed us, Thou hast blest us every day. Amen. God, we thank thee for thy day. We thank thee for this school. Help us each one to do our best in this service of worship and study. Through song and prayer may we feel that thou art near us. Through our 1 In addition to many prayers under the heading For Use at School, some of the following may .be useful for daily school. Some of the Social Prayers for young people will be also desirable for Sunday School, when the younger pupils meet with the older ones. See page 61 et al. 40 PRAYERS FOR BOYS AND GIRLS lessons may we know thee and thy truth more and more. In the Name of Christ. Amen. God, our Father, we ask thee to help us to be strong, to be brave, to be true this day. Amen. Have mercy upon me, (us) God, accord- ing to thy loving kindness : According to the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my (our) transgressions. Psalm 51 :1, 2 Our Father Who Art in Heaven We thank thee that we are thy children. In thought, word and deed may we hallow thy name. Almighty King of kings, may Thy king- dom come. By a cheerful obedience to thy law may we help forward its coming. May Thy will be done by us and concern- ing us. By the obedience of thy people may thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven. FOK USE AT SUNDAY SCHOOL 41 Thou who knowest our needs, Give us this day our daily bread. Thou who dost forgive the sins of the truly penitent, forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors. Lead us not into temptation by trials too great for our strength but deliver us from the evil that is in the world. "We bring this prayer to thee, believing thou art able to do above what we can ask or think, for Thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory. Amen. God, as thou hast given us dominion over the animals and they are often dependent on us, may we be kind and gentle toward them. Keep us from ill-treating or teasing any liv- ing thing that thou hast made. Teach us how to rightly use whatever power thou hast given us and may we be thy true children by showing love and pity to all thy creatures. We thank thee, Lord God, for thy loving kindness. Thou art so great and yet thou carest for every little one. Teach us how kindness may be shown in doing little things 42 PEAYEES FOE BOYS AND GIELS which seem scarce worth doing; lending a hand when another is burdened, speaking a word when some one is discouraged ; giving a cup of cold water to a thirsty child. Help us to be polite to all, rich and poor alike. Give us thy love in our hearts that we may be kind as thou art. Lord, help us to gain self-control and to watch our tongues. May we learn to keep silent when we are provoked or in danger of saying unkind and wrong words. Wilt thou cleanse us from all sins and make us to know that thou art with us; for thy Name's sake. Amen. God, make us true lovers of the land of our fathers. Help us to keep the promise our country has made to the world. As America promised to be the home of freedom, and brotherhood and justice for all, so may we be honourable enough to keep this promise. Put us in mind of the pleasures and the rights of others. Help us to become noble and great-hearted citizens, always brave, truthful FOR USE AT SUNDAY SCHOOL 43 and fair. So may we be an honour to our nation. Heavenly Father, Teach us to learn more of that Saviour who was meek and lowly in heart. May our faith in him grow stronger as our lives advance. May the same mind be in us which was in him. Help us to understand his truth so that our errors may be corrected, and to learn of his life that we may live as his true disciples. Hear us, Author of our Mercies, in his name who loved us and gave himself for us, and to thee will we give glory. Amen. Grant us, Lord, to know that which is worth knowing, to love that which is worth loving, to praise that which pleaseth thee most, to esteem that highly which to thee is precious, to abhor that which is displeasing in thy sight, and above all, to be ever search- ing after the good pleasure of thy will through Jesus Christ our Lord. From Thomas a Kempis (1379-1471 A. B.) 44 PRAYERS FOR BOYS AND GIRLS Help us, God, to be as courageous as the leaders of thy people in the early days. Give us strength to be obedient unto thee and to be thy loyal children. We come to thee, our Father, to give our- selves to the service of Jesus Christ. We take him as our Leader and Master and as his disciples we take the name of Christians. Our Father, now before we go, Again we bow in prayer to thee. We thank thee for this quiet hour And all thy blessings full and free. Oh, help us to be strong and true, Go with us to our homes, we pray; And help us all that we may feel That thou dost keep us day by day. Saviour, again to thy dear name we raise With one accord our parting hymn of praise. We rise to bless thee ere our worship cease ; Then lowly kneeling, wait thy word of peace. FOE USE AT SUNDAY SCHOOL 45 Father, grant thy children's prayer; Keep us ever in thy care. Amen. From "Worship and Song/' by B. S. Winchester and Grace Wilbur Conant. FOE USE BY SCHOOL LEADERS The Lord bless thee and keep thee. Numbers 6:2- Author of all good, let thy blessing rest upon these boys and girls. Make them to go in the path of thy commandments. May they early acquaint themselves with thee, the God of their fathers, and have that fear of thee which is the instruction of wisdom. May Jesus Christ be their chosen model and like him may they increase in wisdom as they increase in age. In his name. Amen. The angel which hath redeemed me from all evil, bless the lads. Genesis 48:16 Lord, deliver the laddies before thee from lying, cheating, cowardice and laziness which 46 FOR USE BY SCHOOL LEADERS 47 are as the devil. Be pleased to put common sense in their hearts and give them grace to be honest men all the days of their life. By Ian Maclaren God be merciful unto us, and bless us, and cause thy face to shine upon us. Psalm 67:1 Confirm, Lord, we pray thee, the hearts of thy children and strengthen them with the power of thy grace; that they may both be devout in prayer to thee and sincere in love for each other; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. From Leonine, A. B. 440. Now that we are to separate for a season, we ask thy blessing, Lord, upon all the pupils of this school. Let thy fatherly hand be over them; let thy Holy Spirit be with them. Lead them in the knowledge and obe- dience of thy word that they may have the life that is everlasting. Amen. 48 PRAYERS FOR BOYS AND GIRLS Now the God of peace make you perfect in every good thing to do his will, working in you that which is well-pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, our Lord, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Hebrews IS: 20 The Lord bless thee and keep thee; the Lord make his face to shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee; the Lord lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace. Numbers 6:24, 25, 26 PRAYERS FOR YOUNG PEOPLE Speak to Him thou, for He hears, and spirit with spirit can meet ; Closer is He than breathing, nearer than hands and feet. Tennyson. Prayer is the soul's sincere desire Uttered and unexpressed; The motion of a hidden fire That trembles in the breast. James Montgomery. PRAYERS FOR YOUNG PEOPLE PERSONAL PRAYERS My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O Lord; in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee and will look up. send out thy light and thy truth that they may lead me. Psalm 43:3 Teach me to do thy will; for thou art my God ; thy spirit is good ; lead me in the paths of uprightness. Psalm 143:10 Just as I am, thou wilt receive, Wilt welcome, pardon, cleanse, relieve, Because thy promise I believe, Lamb of God, I come. 51 52 PRAYERS FOR YOUNG PEOPLE Just as I am, thy love unknown Has broken every barrier down; Now to be thine, yea thine alone, Lamb of God, I come. Thou, Lord, art a God full of compassion and gracious, Slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy and truth turn unto me, and have mercy upon me ; Give thy strength unto thy servant. Psalm 86:15, 16 Dear Saviour, lead thou me on. Take the past and purify and bless it. Guide me into the future and help me to meet its needs and its calls bravely. Step by step, hour by hour, may I walk with thee. And if I lose sight of thee through any peril or sin, still do thou hold me fast, and keep me until I enter that home where time shall be no more. Amen. From "Prayers for the Quiet Hour," by Floyd TomTcins. PERSONAL PRAYERS 53 Father, lead me day by day Ever in thine own sweet way; Teach me to be pure and true Show me what I ought to do. When in danger make me brave; Make me know that thou canst save ; Keep me safe by thy dear side ; Let me in thy love abide. When I'm tempted to do wrong Make me know that thou canst save ; And when all alone I stand Shield me with thy mighty hand. When my work seems hard and dry May I press on cheerily. Help me patiently to bear Pain and hardship, toil and care. May I do the good I know; Be thy loving child below; Then at last go home to thee Evermore thy child to be ! From "Hymns of Worship and Service." 54 PRAYERS FOR YOUNG PEOPLE Lord, in my simple heart I give myself to-day to be tliy servant ever, To listen unto thee and be a sacrifice of ever- lasting praise. Thomas a Kempis. I wake this morning and know that all my life is freshly mine to live. There are new words to speak ; new thoughts to hear. There is new love to give and take. I thank thee, Lord, and ask that these may make the world a brighter, better place. There may be new burdens I may bear to-day for love's sweet sake. Help me to bear them well. Amen. If there be some weaker one, Give me strength to help him on; If a blinder soul there be, Let me guide him nearer thee. Make my mortal dreams come true With the work I fain would do ; Clothe with life the weak intent, Let me be the thing I meant ; Let me find in thy employ Peace that dearer is than joy;, PERSONAL PRAYERS 55 Out of self to love be led And to heaven acclimated, Until all things sweet and good Seem my natural habitude. S)j^\ From "Andrew Bylcman's Prayer," John Greenleaf ™^^£^ * Grant us, Lord, to/pass this day i«~glad- «ess and peace, without stumbling and with- out stain ; that reaching the eventide victori- ous over temptation, we may praise thee, the eternal God, who art blessed and dost govern all things, world without end. Amen. Mozarabic (Before 700 A. D.) By the Love whereby thou didst cause the blind to see enlighten our minds with the spirit of truth. From l ' The Boole of Litanies, ' ' by John Mason Neale. Lord our God, grant us grace to desire thee with our whole heart ; that so desiring we may seek and find thee; and so finding thee may love thee ; and loving thee may hate those sins from which thou hast redeemed us. Amen. Anselm (1033-1109 A. D.) 56 PEAYEES FOE YOUNG PEOPLE God of our lives from thee we receive all that makes the day happy, or the night peace- ful. To thee we would give thanks. We confess our transgressions ; have mercy upon us. We are weary, give us rest. We are ignorant; make us wise to salva- tion. We are helpless, let thy strength be made perfect in our weakness. Lighten our darkness, we beseech thee, Lord, and by thy great mercy defend us from all perils and dangers of this night, for the love of thy only Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. From the Gelasian Sacramentary. God, the light of every heart that sees thee, the life of every soul that loves thee, the strength of every mind that seeks thee, grant me ever to continue steadfast in thy holy love. Cleanse thou me from my secret faults and keep thy servant from presump- tuous sins that they may never get dominion over me. Adapted from St. Augustine. PEESONAL PRAYEES 57 The day returns and brings us the petty round of irritating concerns and duties. Help us to play the man, help us to perform them with laughter and kind faces, let cheerful- ness abound with industry. Give us strength to go blithely on our business all this day, bring us to our resting beds weary and con- tent and undishonoured, and grant us in the end the gift of sleep. Amen. Robert Louis Stevenson. Lord, I have a busy world around me; eye, ear and thought will be needed for all my work to be done in that busy world. Do thou bless them and keep their work thine. "When my mind cannot consciously turn to thee, may it still do thy will. Br. Thomas Arnold (1795-1842). God, thou appointest my work, strengthen me to bring it to a good end. Let me be more anxious to be faithful in little than to have much committed to me. 58 PRAYERS FOR YOUNG PEOPLE Grant me grace to do all things to thy glory. In the name of Jesus Christ. Amen. From "A More Abundant Life," by Phillips Brooks. Lord, renew our spirit and draw our hearts unto thyself that our work may not be to us a burden, but a delight, and give us such a mighty love to thee as may sweeten all our obedience. let us not serve thee with the spirit of bondage as slaves, but with the cheerfulness and gladness of children, de- lighting ourselves in thee and rejoicing in thy work. Benjamin Jeriks (1646-1724). Father, I thank thee for thy mercies which are new every morning. For the gift of sleep ; for health and strength ; for the vision of another day with its fresh opportunities of work and service ; for all these and more than these, I thank thee. Help me to use these gifts in a good way. Amen. Samuel McComb. PERSONAL PRAYERS 59 Dear Lord, teach me to give gladly, gener- ously, believingly. Consecrate all I have to thine own use, and let me look upon my pos- sessions as sacred trusts from thee. Bless all I give, and let me think more of thy bless- ing than of mine own benevolence. Keep me near to thee and fill me with thine own spirit. And 0, let me find my peace and my com- fort, not in what I receive, but in the strength which goes out of me in my giving. For Jesus' sake. Amen. From "Prayers for the Quiet Hour," by Floyd TomTcins. Dear Lord, I cry to thee ; thou knowest the fears and the doubts. Thou knowest the despair and the crying for thou wast man on earth. hold me from gloom and sadness. Make me strong and trustful. Kill my doubts. Hold me near to thee. Speak to me in words of cheer. Draw me out of the mire of sin and unbelief and place my feet upon the rock of faith and love. From "Prayers for the Quiet Hour/' by Floyd TomTcins. Lord, give me, I beseech thee, grace to love thee whom now I see not, and for thy sake to love all whom I see and can help. 60 PRAYERS FOR YOUNG PEOPLE God, who makest all things to work to- gether for good to them that love thee, grant that every temptation may but make me strong in thy strength and rich in thy suffi- cient grace, so that my footsteps slip not, but ever press on in the way that leads to ever- lasting life, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. From "Christ the Life and Light," by Phillips Brooks. ■ God, King of kings and Lord of lords; whose service is perfect freedom, give me grace to serve thee so faithfully here, that hereafter I may enter into the joy of thy serv- ice in the life everlasting; through Jesus Christ our Lord. SOCIAL PBAYEES Let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us; And establish thou the work of our hands upon us; Yea, the work of our hands establish thou it. Psalm 90:17 Our Heavenly Father, thine is the beauty of this fair and friendly day. May all that is beautiful remind us of thee, the Infinite Beauty! May all that is good remind us of thee, the Perfect Goodness ! May all that is true lead us to thee, the Source of all truth! Breathe thy loving Spirit on us all, and make thy morning shine within our hearts as in the skies above. Help us to make more beautiful thy day. From "The Little Child at the Breakfast Table," by William and Mary Gannett. Our Father, we thank thee for the voices that speak to us of thee, in sky and sea, in 61 62 PEAYEES FOE YOUNG PEOPLE field and forest. We thank thee for the beau- tiful things in life. Open our eyes that we may see thy truth in all things thou hast given. A We thank thee that thou art with us wheresoever we go. Keep us from wrong- doing, and grant us thy strength that thy beauty may be seen in our lives day by day. May we serve thee in truth and love and so make the world better for our living. In the name of Jesus Christ. Amen. Almighty and everlasting God who hast safely brought us to the beginning of this day, defend us in the same with thy mighty power; and grant that this day we fall into no sin, neither run into any kind of danger. Through the power of thy holy name. Amen. For all the comforts and gladness of life ; for our homes and all our home blessings ; for our friends and all the pure blessings of so- cial intercourse ; for the love, sympathy and good- will of men ! We praise Thee, God. SOCIAL PRAYERS 63 For the work we are enabled to do, and the truth we are permitted to learn; for what- ever of good there has been in our past lives and for all the hopes and aspirations which lead us on towards better things : We praise Thee, God. From Liturgical Services. God, may no one lead us into temptation this day. May all men help us to keep thy law. Amen. Lead us in the way wherein we should walk and quicken us to do thy will. For thou art Our Father and our God ; we are thy children and we need the touch of thy hand. We thank thee, dear Lord, for thy clear call to men. We know that the Christ dwells not afar but lives among us now and here. Though we see thee not, help us to feel thy presence with us. Speak to our hearts, we pray thee, as thou didst speak to thy disci- 64 PBAYEKS FOR YOUNG PEOPLE pies. And may we, like them, rise up and fol- low thee ! From "Worship and Song," by B. S. Winchester and Grace Wilbur Conant. God, make us kindly in thought, gentle in word, generous in deed. Teach us that it is better to give than to receive; better to for- get ourselves than to put ourselves forward; better to minister than to be ministered unto. And unto the God of Love, be glory and praise, forever. From ' ' Prayers Ancient and Modern. ' ' Grant, Lord, that we may pass this day in gladness, and in the joy of thy pres- ence ; Help us to overcome temptation, that we may be more worthy to sing thy praise ; Make us gentle and obedient, loving, brave and true; May we be quick to learn and eager to be taught, and may thy spirit lead us into all truth; So may we continually praise thee, not only with our lips, but in our lives. Amen. From "Worship and Song," by B. S. Winchester and Grace Wilbur Conant. SOCIAL PRAYERS 65 thou Christ of Galilee, who didst go into the homes and the hearts of many folk and kindle there a light which has burned through all the centuries, make me a humble sharer of thy glory and goodness, that so I may find a purpose and meaning in my life. Teach me to speak and act so that I may cheer and help men. Grant me love for all, that I may every- where see thy children and heed their cries. Make me like thee in all thy great-hearted and divine beauty that I may count it my high privilege to win men from sin to good- ness and from wandering to thee. So shall my gifts be twice blessed since they cheer men and serve thee; so shall I find comfort in earth's shadows by making the shadows less heavy for my friends. Amen. J From "Prayers for the Quiet Hour/' by Floyd Tomfcins. Blessed One ! Spirit of light and love, of truth and beauty, of freedom and joy, we flee to thee from thoughts of ourselves. Be- hold us a company of seekers for the more abundant life. We have heard and believed that in thee is no darkness at all, and that in thy light we shall see. From Prayers by Charles G. Ames in" A Boole of Prayers." 66 PRAYERS FOR YOUNG PEOPLE living and loving One, forever making all things new in heaven and earth and in our little lives! We are together to-day to seek for such renewal, — the renewal of our faith and hope and love ; a clearer sight of truth ; a better understanding of duty; a deeper real- isation of the goodness of the world ; a higher valuation of our own souls and our brother men. Behold thy servants who wait to learn to do thy will. Henceforth may that will be ours. If we have been absorbed and buried alive in poor self-interests, if we have fool- ishly followed paths that lead nowhere, in pursuit of pleasures that weary and gains that turn to losses, thou knowest it was be- cause we were only blind. But now thou dost touch our eyes and we see. Now would we put away our silly pride and pray to enter the Kingdom as little children, as children of the light, and companions of those who walk abroad in the white garments of innocence. From Prayers by Charles G. Ames in " A Book of Prayers." Almighty God, unto whom all hearts are open, all desires known, and from whom no secrets are hid, cleanse the thoughts of our SOCIAL PEAYEES 67 hearts by the inspiration of thy Holy Spirit, that we may perfectly love thee and worthily magnify thy holy name; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. Gregorian Sacrament ary (590 A. D.) God, our Father, give us grace that in all our doubts and uncertainties we may look to thee and ask what thou wouldst have us to do. May thy spirit save us from false choices. Open thou our eyes, Lord, that we may behold wondrous things out of thy law. Adapted from Fsalm 119:18. Forgive our waste of precious moments, our loitering feet, our procrastinating will. teach us to number our days that we may apply our hearts to wisdom. And if there is any kindness we can show, may we not neglect nor defer it, seeing that we pass this way but once. 68 PRAYERS FOR YOUNG PEOPLE God, we have heard thy call sounding in our ears ; in youth and in age, in sickness and in health, in joy and in sorrow, at morning and at eventide ; in the voice of nature, from the page of history, from the lips of men, stirring in our own thoughts, crying from our own hearts, yet we have not yielded ourselves to thee. We have been afraid lest we should lose something dear to us ; our comfort, our content, our pleasure. Yet refusing we have lost our all, love and light and life itself. Save us, we beseech thee. Make us willing to be what we were meant to be. Give us the cour- age to forsake all and yield to thee. thou to whom darkness and light are both alike, come and abide with us through every experience of life. The day is thine when shines the sun and all our path is fair ; the night is thine when stars light up the vast- ness of thy world. Help us neither to weary of the day, nor fear what night may bring. But to trust in thy loving care at all times. Adapted from "Prayers in the Temple," by W. E. Orchard. SOCIAL PEAYERS 69 Once more a new day lies before us, our Father, as we go out among men to do our work, touching the hands and lives of our fel- lows, make us, we pray thee, friends of all the world. Save us from blighting the fresh flower of any heart by the flare of sudden anger or secret hate. May we not bruise the rightful self-respect of any by contempt or malice. Help us to cheer the suffering by our sympathy, to freshen the drooping by our hopefulness and to strengthen in all the wholesome sense of worth and the joy of life. Save us from the deadly poison of class pride. Grant that we may look all men in the face with the eyes of a brother. If any one needs us, make us ready to yield our help ungrudg- ingly, imloss higher duties claim us, and may we rejoice that we have it in us to be helpful to our fellowmen/] From "A Boole of Prayers/' by Edward Horton. Almighty God, help us to realise that we live in a world which is not completed but is growing. Save us from discouragement when we see that human progress is only step by step. Teach us that character is graduated 70 PRAYERS FOR YOUNG PEOPLE from the school of struggle, that truth is the spark of light struck out of discussions, that peace, the only peace worth having, is the fruit of sincerity and conviction. Little by little, every good law on the statute book extends the reign of universal justice. Slowly but surely error and suffering and tyranny are driven back by the great forces of Chris- tian civilisation. Thus faith shall keep us happy and wise in our daily duties. In His name. Amen. From "A Boole of Prayers," by Edward A. Horton. Bestow on us rightly, Lord, the spirit of loyalty, that we may make the most and the best of life — loyalty to convictions, which im- parts strength to character and creates the straight path of action; loyalty to friends, which is the sign and token of a noble heart, loyalty to country, for enlightened patriotism is the very soul of our Eepublic. Inspired by this spirit we shall walk, not in the darkness of indecision and weakness but in the light, as loyal followers of Him who was the Light of the World. From "A Boole of Prayers/' by Edward A. Horton. SOCIAL PRAYERS 71 Lord, our God, great, eternal, wonderful in glory, who keepest covenant and promises for those that love thee with their whole heart; who art the life of all, the help of those that flee unto thee, the hope of those who cry unto thee; cleanse us from our sins, secret and open and from every thought displeasing to thy goodness — cleanse our bodies and souls, our hearts and consciences, that with a pure heart and a clear soul, with perfect love and calm hope, we may venture confidently and fearlessly to pray unto thee. Amen. From tlie Coptic Liturgy of St. Basil. Lord of all power and might, who art the Author and Giver of all good things ; graft in our hearts the love of thy name. Increase in us true religion. Nourish us with all good- ness, and of thy great mercy keep us in the same. Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. From the Gelasian Sacramentary. Grant, we beseech thee, Almighty God, that the words which we hear this day with 72 PRAYERS FOR YOUNG PEOPLE our outward ears, may, through thy grace, be so grafted inwardly in our hearts, that they may bring forth in us the fruit of good living, to the honour and praise of thy name, through Jesus Christ our Lord. From the First Prayer Boole of King Edward VI. Eternal Light, shine into our hearts. Eternal Goodness deliver us from evil. Eternal Power be thou our support. Eternal Wisdom scatter the darkness of our igno- rance. Eternal Pity, have mercy upon us. Grant unto us that with all our hearts and minds and strength, we may evermore seek thy face; and finally bring us, in thine in- finite mercy, to thy holy presence. Alquin (780 A. D.) Lord, give us the grace of thy spirit, early to seek out, and evermore earnestly to follow the work which thou hast appointed for us to do. Amen. From "Prayers Ancient and Modern." FOR USE ON SPECIAL OCCASIONS FOR USE ON SPECIAL OCCASIONS In thee, Lord, our fathers trusted; they trusted and thou didst deliver them. To thee they cried and they were saved; in thee they trusted and were not confounded. As thou deliveredst our fathers in the gen- erations of old, so deliver us also, Lord, who put our trust in thee. May the power of the Father guide and guard us; the wis- dom of the Son enlighten us ; the working of the Spirit quicken us. From Liturgical Services. Creator of all souls, thou hast planted in every human heart the possibility of heroism. Preserve us from looking back to the battle- fields and martyr-stakes of the past for hero- ism. Bravery glorifies the daily duties, and valorous deeds illuminate land and sea. The bold explorer, the patient investigator, the fearless reformer, these are heroes, also. 75 76 FOE USE ON SPECIAL OCCASIONS And we thank thee for the shining examples in other paths. Unselfish souls of home, of business, of friendships. They, too, have the spirit of fortitude and courage. May we al- ways remember the words of the Master when he said to his disciples, "He that is faithful in the least is also faithful in much." In His Name. Amen. From "A Book of Prayers/' by Edward A. Horton. Almighty Father, we are made in thy like- ness to do thy work. Thou hast shown to us what we can do in making this world a part of thy kingdom. May we carry the glad tid- ings of thy love everywhere, that every child may seek thee and find thee, and every na- tion become that happy nation whose God is the Lord. Adapted from a prayer in "Disciples' Services." Almighty God, our Heavenly Father, from whom cometh every good and perfect gift, we lift up to thee the voice of our thanksgiving for the comforts and gladness of life ; for our homes and all our home blessings; for our FOR USE ON SPECIAL OCCASIONS 77 friends and all the pure pleasures of social intercourse; for all true knowledge and the world in which we live; for thy church and its communion ; for prophets and apostles and all earnest seekers after truth ; especially, for the gift of thy Son Jesus Christ. In his name we give thanks to thee. Amen. From Liturgical Services. Bountiful Source of all life, already we seem to feel the inspiring spirit of Easter song and gladness. It tells of new life, larger life, risen life, the life eternal. The sleeping earth shall waken and listen and arise. Sad hearts shall sing, youth and old age shall re- joice together, and the soul of man become more serene. May we welcome the call of Easter, the sacred call which summons us all to deeper faith, larger hope, and wider char- ity. And we ask it all in the name of the Eisen Christ. From " A Boole of Prayers/' by Edward A. Horton. All the earth shall worship thee, the Father everlasting. We praise thee, we bless 78 FOR USE ON SPECIAL OCCASIONS thee, we worship thee, we glorify thee, we give thanks to thee for thy great glory, Lord God, heavenly King, God the Father Almighty. God, convince ns of our sin. Enable us to repent of that evil we still love. Save us, Lord, from wilfulness and weakness and make us strong in thee and in the power of thy might: through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. Searcher of Hearts, thou knowest us better than we know ourselves, and seest the sins which our sinfulness hides from us. Yet even our own conscience beareth witness against us that we often slumber on our ap- pointed watch, that we walk not always lov- ingly with each other and humbly with thee, that we withhold that entire sacrifice of our- selves to thy perfect will. Pardon us, we beseech thee and let the Dayspring yet arise within our hearts and bring us healing, strength and joy. Adapted from James Martineau. FOR USE ON SPECIAL OCCASIONS 79 Lord God, strong and mighty, we would draw near to thee, confessing our weakness, beseeching thee to make us strong. We would be strong in body that we may do our work in life well and cheerfully. We would, Lord, be strong in heart, full of courage, lightly regarding pain and danger when they lie in the way of duty. We would be strong in love, tender-hearted, loving our neighbour as ourselves and thee supremely with all our strength. We would be strong in faith, be- lieving thy word and thy promises; ever trusting in the victory of good over evil ; ever confident that all things work together for good to them that love thee. We would be strong in hope; undaunted by seeming de- feat; ever looking beyond the mists and clouds of time, into the clear shining of the eternal life. Hear our prayer, Lord, our Strength and our Redeemer. From Liturgical Services. Grant that we may praise thee, not only with our lips, but in faithful consecrated lives. And may the words of our mouth and the meditations of our hearts be acceptable in 80 FOR USE ON SPECIAL OCCASIONS thy sight, Lord, our Strength and our Re- deemer. From Liturgical Services. Lord from whom all good things do come, grant to us, thy humble servants, that by the holy inspiration we may think those things that are good and by thy merciful guiding way perform the same, through our Lord Jesus Christ. almighty and most merciful God, of thy bountiful goodness keep us, we beseech Thee, from all things that may hurt us;, that we being ready both in body, and soul, may cheerfully accomplish those things which thou commandest; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Celasian (492 A, D.) God who hast taught us to keep all thy heavenly commandments by loving Thee and our neighbour; grant us the spirit of peace and grace that we may be both devoted to thee with our whole heart and united to each FOR USE ON SPECIAL OCCASIONS 81 other with a pure will ; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. From Leonine Sacramentary (460 A. D.) Light everlasting, Love never failing, our darkness illumine and draw us to thee; may we from thy spirit receive inspiration; in thee may our souls find their peace and salvation. Deacidified using the Bookkeeper process. Neutralizing agent: Magnesium Oxide Treatment Date: August 2005 PreservationTechnologies A WORLD LEADER IN PAPER PRESERVATION 1 1 1 Thomson Park Drive Cranberry Township, PA 16066 (724)779-2111 LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 1 014 626 761