Service and Prayers for Church and Home 1918

For Light to Follow You

O Lord,
direct our steps this day
into the way of peace,
and strengthen our hearts
to obey your commandments.
May the Dayspring visit us from on high,
and give light
to those who sit in darkness
and the shadow of death,
that they may adore you for your mercy,
follow you for your truth,
desire you for your sweetness,
for you are the blessed Lord God of Israel,
now and forever. Amen.

Source: An ancient Collect, A. D. 440
Source of this version: Freely modified from Service and Prayers for Church and Home, Ed. Wilbur Patterson Thirkield, Methodist Book Concern, 1918

Version in traditional English:

DIRECT our steps this day, O Lord, into the way of peace, and strengthen our hearts to obey thy commandments; may the Dayspring visit us from on high, and give light to those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death, that they may adore thee for thy mercy, follow thee for thy truth, desire thee for thy sweetness, who art the blessed Lord God of Israel, both now and evermore. Amen.

Morning Thanksgiving

We give you sincere thanks
for the rest of the past night
and for the gift of a new day,
with its opportunities for pleasing you.
Grant that we may pass its hours
in the perfect freedom of your service,
that at evening,
we may again give you thanks;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Source: Daybreak Office of the Eastern Church
Source of this version: Freely modified from Service and Prayers for Church and Home, Ed. Wilbur Patterson Thirkield, Methodist Book Concern, 1918

Version in traditional English:

WE give thee hearty thanks for the rest of the past night and for the gift of a new day, with its opportunities of pleasing thee. Grant that we may so pass its hours in the perfect freedom of thy service, that at eventide we may again give thanks unto thee; through Jesus Christ our Lord.

For Cheerfulness

O God,
you have have folded back
the mantle of the night
to clothe us in the golden glory of the day.
Drive from our hearts
all gloomy thoughts,
and make us glad
with the brightness of your hope,
that we may aspire
to heavenly virtues;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Source: An Ancient Collect, A. D. 590
Source of this version: Freely modified from Service and Prayers for Church and Home, Ed. Wilbur Patterson Thirkield, Methodist Book Concern, 1918

Version in traditional English:

O GOD, who hast folded back the mantle of the night to clothe us in the golden glory of the day, chase from our hearts all gloomy thoughts, and make us glad with the brightness of hope, that we may effectively aspire to unwon virtues, through Jesus Christ our Lord.

For Spiritual Light

Almighty God,
in you there is no darkness at all.
Give us your eternal light.
When we cannot see the way before us,
may we continue to put our trust in you,
that under your guidance and protection
we may be kept from falling this day,
and finally, by your mercy,
enter into our rest;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Source: Unknown
Source of this version: Freely modified from Service and Prayers for Church and Home, Ed. Wilbur Patterson Thirkield, Methodist Book Concern, 1918

Original in traditional English:

ALMIGHTY GOD, in whom is no darkness at all, grant us thy light perpetually, and when we cannot see the way before us, may we continue to put our trust in thee, that so being guided and guarded, we may be kept from falling this day, and finally, by thy mercy, enter into our rest; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.