Building One Another

SERVE Vol 10 No 1

January 4, 2011

Dear Friend,

What is your prayer to our Lord as you enter into the New Year?  I find the words of John Baille from his Diary of Private Devotion (Day 3), immensely helpful.  I encourage you to pray this prayer making his words your words.

Quicken my heart, I beseech Thee, the desire to avail
myself richly of this day’s (year’s) opportunity.

Let me not break faith with any of yesterday’s promises,
nor leave unrepaired any of yesterday’s wrongs.

Let me see no fellow traveler in distress and pass by on
the other side.

Let me leave no height of duty behind me un-attempted,
or any evil habit un-assaulted.

Where deed of mine can help make this world a better place
for men to live in, where word of mine can cheer a despondent
heart or brace a weak will, where prayer of mine cans serve the
extension of Christ’s Kingdom, there let me do and speak and
pray.

You may also find these prayers from Scripture helpful as you enter this New Year.

Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know
my thoughts. See if there is any wicked way in me, and lead
me in the way everlasting. Psalm 139:23-24

Create in me a clean heart, O God, and put a new and right
spirit within me. Psalm 51:10

Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
be acceptable to you, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.
Psalm 19:14

With joy - E. Stanley Ott

Copyright 2011 E. Stanley Ott

*Scripture from the NRSV