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PRAYERS FOR FELLOW PRISONERS
Christmas 1943
MORNING
PRAYERS
0 God,
Early in the
morning do I cry unto thee.
Help me to pray,
And to think only
of thee.
I cannot pray alone.
In me there' is
darkness,
But with thee there
is light.
I am lonely, but
thou leavest me not.
1 am feeble in
heart, but thou leavest me not.
I am restless, but
with thee there is peace.
In me there is
bitterness, but with thee there is
patience;
The ways are past
understanding, but
Thou knowest the way for me.
0 heavenly Father,
I praise and
thank thank thee
For the peace of
the night.
I praise and thank
thee for this new day.
1 praise and thank
thee for all thy goodness
and faithfulness
throughout my life.
Thou hast granted
me many blessings:
Now let me
accept tribulation
from thy
hand.
Thou wilt not
lay on me more than I can bear.
Thou makest
all things work together for good
for thy
children.
Lord Jesus Christ
Thou wast poor
and in misery, a
captive and forsaken as I am.
Thou knowest all
man's distress;
Thou abidest with
me
when all others
have deserted me;
Thou doest not
forget me, but seekest me.
Thou willest that I
should know thee and
turn to thee.
Lord, I hear thy
call and follow thee;
Do thou help me.
0 Holy Spirit,
Grant me the faith
that will protect me from
despair: deliver me
from the lusts of the flesh.
Pour into my heart
such love for thee and for men,
that all hatred and
bitterness may be blotted out.
Grant me the hope
that will deliver me from fear
and timidity.
O
Holy, merciful God,
my
Creator and Redeemer,
my
Judge and my Saviour,
Thou
knowest me and all that I do.
Thou
hatest and dost punish evil without respect of
persons
in this world and the next.
Thou
forgivest the sins of them
that
heartily pray for forgiveness,
Thou
lovest goodness and rewardest it on this earth
with
a clear conscience, and in the world to come
with
the crown of righteousness.
Chiefly
do I remember all my loved ones,
my
fellow-prisoners, and all who
in
this house perform their hard service.
Lord
have mercy.
Restore
me to liberty,
and
enable me so to live now,
that
I may answer before thee and before the world.
Lord,
whatever this day may bring,
Thy
Name be praised.
Amen.
*
* *
In
my sleep He watches yearning
and
restores my soul
so
that each recurring morning
love
and goodness make me whole.
Were
God not there,
his
face not near,
He
had not led me out of fear.
All
things have their time and sphere:
God's
love lasts for ever.
(Paul Gerhardt)
EVENING PRAYERS
O
Lord my God, I thank thee that thou
hast
brought this day to a close;
I
thank thee that thou hast given me peace
in
body and in soul.
Thy
hand has been over me and has protected
and
preserved me,
Forgive
my puny faith,
the
ill that I this day have done,
and
help me to forgive all who
have wronged
me.
Grant
me a quiet night's sleep beneath
thy
tender care.
And
defend me from all the temptations
of
darkness.
Into
thy hands I commend my loved ones,
and
all who dwell in this house;
I
commend my body and soul.
O
God, thy holy Name be praised.
Amen.
*
* *
Each
day tells the other
my
life is but a journey
to
great and endless life.
o
sweetness of eternity
may
my heart grow to love thee:
my
home is not in time's strife.
(Tersteegen)
PRAYERS
IN TIME OF DISTR£S5
O
Lord God,
Great
is the misery that has come upon me;
My
cares would overwhelm me,
I
know not what to do.
0
God, be gracious unto me and help me.
Grant
me strength to bear what thou dost send)
and
let not fear rule over me.
As
a loving Father, take care of my loved ones
My
wife and children.
0
merciful God, forgive me all
the
sins I have committed against thee,
and
against my fellowmen.
I
trust in thy grace, and commit my
life
wholly into thy hands,
Do
with me as seemeth best to thee, and as
is
best for me.
Whether
I live or die, I am with thee)
and
thou art with me, my God.
Lord,
I wait for thy salvation,
and
for thy Kingdom.
Amen.
*
* *
Every
Christian in his place
should
be brave and free,
with
the world face to face,
Though
death strikes, his spirit should
persevere,
without fear
calm
and good.
For
death cannot destroy
but
from grief brings relief and opens gates to joy.
Closed
the door of bitter pain,
bright the way
where we may all heaven gain.
(Paul Gerhardt)
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