PRAYER AND THANKSGIVINGS

Waiapu Church Gazette, Volume 27, Issue 1, 1 January 1937, Page 8

PRAYER AND THANKSGIVINGS

FOR THE NEW YEAR.*

Lord of all new life, we pray Thee for this New Year that m it we may be renewed m Thine own life, and walk through it m Thine own companionship. We' •pray Thee for new freedom of spirit, new zeal m Thy service, new f orgetfulness of ourselves, new power to forsake the lower path, and to climb ever upward to the heights. We pray Thee for a new breaking down 6T barriers, this year, between man and man, race and race, nation and nation.

We pray Thee for a hew thinning of the obscurity which hides Thee from the dim eyes of men. 6 Father, m this new year lift us out of this stagnant morass of delusion, where we are choked m the muddy depths, content with an exisr tence which is one long death. Lift us out and away into the clear glory of Thy presence, where the darkness is cleansed from our eyes, where our form is chariged, and — whilst still dwelling m the flesh — we meet . Thee, day by day, face to face, m Eternity. v; :■ v A mellj THANKSGIVING FOR GODiS „Vf;>; love. , ;. ■'■ : - : - ■ ■ Father, we thank Thee that; we can imagine no good thingj no generous love, no forgiving mercy, no redeeming, purity, ithat hps not ' a place m Thee. We thank Thee that our highest ideals are but faint reflections of the reality m Thyself: We thank Thee that we can never hope to conceive how willingly Thou givest Thy children all good things. We thank Thee that no human thought can ever exaggerate Thy love, or the richness of the gifts it would shower upon us. Amen. THANKSGIVING FOR NEW OPPORTUNITIES. Master Divine, we thank Thee for all new beginnings; for this New Year, with its new -opportunities of service for Thee and communion with Thee. We thank Thee for landmarks passed, and new vistas opening ahead; for hew hope and new inspiration, new national awakening, and new desire to serve our time and our country. We' thank Thee that, to those who love Thee, the best is ever yet to be. We thank Thee for the sacred elixir of Thy Spirit, which wardeth for ever from those who love Thee, all weariness of soul, all carking anxiety, all discouragement m failure, all old-age for the soul.. Glory be to the Most Holy Trinity, Father, Son and Spirit, One God, for ever and ever. Amen.