Praise to the Lord, the Almighty, the King of creation!

June 7

Praise to the Lord, the Almighty, the King of creation!
O my soul, praise Him, for He is thy health and salvation!
All ye who hear, now to His temple draw near;
Praise Him in glad adoration.

Praise to the Lord!  Who o’er all things so wondrously reigneth,
Shelters thee under His wings, yea, so gently sustaineth;
Hast thou not seen how thy desires ever have been
Granted in what He ordaineth?

Praise to the Lord!  Who doth prosper thy work and defend thee;
Surely His goodness and mercy here daily attend thee.
Ponder anew what the Almighty can do,
If with His love He befriend thee!

Praise to the Lord!  O let all that is in me adore Him!
All that hath life and breath, come now with praises before Him!
Let the Amen sound from His people again;
Gladly for aye we adore Him.
     Joachim Neander Tr Catherine Winkworth

Lord, teach us how to pray aright

June 6

Lord, teach us how to pray aright
With reverence and with fear;
Though dust and ashes in Thy sight,
We may, we must draw near.

Burdened with guilt, convinced of sin,
In weakness, want, and woe,
Fightings without and fears within,
Lord, whither shall we go?

God of all grace, we come to Thee
With broken, contrite hearts;
Give, what Thine eye delights to see,
Truth in the inward parts.

Give deep humility; the sense
Of godly sorrow give;
A strong desire, with confidence,
To hear Thy voice and live;

Faith in the only Sacrifice
That can for sin atone;
To cast our hopes, to fix our eyes,
On Christ, on Christ alone.

Give these, and then Thy will be done;
Thus strengthened with all might,
We, through Thy Spirit and Thy Son,
Shall pray, and pray aright.
     James Montgomery

God of pity, God of grace

June 5

God of pity, God of grace:
When we humbly seek Thy face,
Bend from heaven, Thy dwelling place:
Hear, forgive, and save.

When we in Thy temple meet,
Spread our wants before Thy feet,
Pleading at Thy mercy-seat:
Look from heaven and save.

Should we wander from Thy fold,
And our love to Thee grow cold,
With a pitying eye behold:
Lord, forgive and save.

And whate’er our cry may be,
When we lift our hearts to Thee,
From our burden set us free:
Hear, forgive, and save.
     Eliza Fanny Morris

O that the Lord would guide my ways

June 4

O that the Lord would guide my ways
To keep His statutes still!
O that my God would grant me grace
To know and do His will!

Order my footsteps by Thy Word,
And make my heart sincere;
Let sin have no dominion, Lord,
But keep my conscience clear.

Assist my soul, too apt to stray,
A stricter watch to keep;
And should I e’er forget Thy way,
Restore Thy wandering sheep.

Make me to walk in Thy commands;
‘Tis a delightful road;
Nor let my head, or heart, or hands
Offend against my God.
     Isaac Watts

Lead us, heavenly Father, lead us

June 3

Lead us, heavenly Father, lead us
  O’er the world’s tempestuous sea;
Guard us, guide us, keep us, feed us,
  For we have no help but Thee;
          Yet possessing
          Ev’ry blessing,
  If our God our Father be.

Saviour, breathe forgiveness o’er us;
  All our weakness Thou dost know;
Thou didst tread this earth before us,
  Thou didst feel its keenest woe;
          Lone and dreary,
          Faint and weary,
  Through the desert Thou didst go.

Spirit of our God, descending,
  Fill our hearts with heavenly joy,
Love all other love transcending,
  Pleasure that can never cloy;
          Thus provided,
          Pardoned, guided,
  Nothing can our peace destroy.
     James Edmeston, altered

Here behold me, as I cast me

June 2

Here behold me, as I cast me
‘Neath Thy throne, O glorious King!
Sorrows thronging, childlike longing,
Son of Man, to Thee I bring.
Let me find Thee!  Let me find Thee!
Me, a poor and worthless thing.

Look upon me, Lord, I pray Thee,
Let Thy Spirit dwell in mine;
Thou hast sought me, Thou hast bought me,
Only Thee to know I pine.
Let me find Thee!  Let me find Thee!
Take my heart, and own me Thine!

Naught I ask for, naught I strive for,
But Thy grace, so rich and free,
That Thou givest whom Thou lovest,
And who truly cleave to Thee.
Let me find Thee!  Let me find Thee!
He hath all things who hath Thee.

Earthly treasure, mirth and pleasure,
Glorious name, or golden hoard
Are but weary, void and dreary,
To the heart that longs for God.
Let me find Thee!  Let me find Thee!
I am Thine, O mighty Lord!
     Joachim Neander Tr. Catherine Winkworth altered

Teach me, my God and King

June 1

Teach me, my God and King,
In all things Thee to see,
And what I do in anything,
To do it as for Thee;

To scorn the senses’ sway,
While still to Thee I tend;
In all I do be Thou the Way,
In all be Thou the End!

All may of Thee partake;
Nothing so small can be,
But draws, when acted for Thy sake,
Greatness and worth from Thee.

If done to obey Thy laws,
E’en servile labors shine;
Hallowed is toil, if this the cause,
The meanest work divine.
     George Herbert, Revised by John Wesley