A Morning Prayer

(by S. E. Pierce, 1820)

We again draw near unto You, O Lord our God, beseeching You to grant us audience with Your Divine majesty. We appear before You in the name and Person, righteousness and sacrifice, intercession and advocacy of the holy and immaculate Lamb. At Your throne of grace, as the monuments of Your sacred mercy, we desire to extol and praise Your most holy name.

O Lord, we have nothing in ourselves--but sin. We are all impurity--to us belong shame and confusion of face. We are in the uttermost sense--lost, undone, sinful, guilty, and vile. We entreat You to behold us in Christ Jesus. View us in Him, O Lord.

O let our souls be under the mighty, all-constraining, all-conquering influence of Your everlasting love today. We beg You to keep us this day from sinning against You. Lord, we are in ourselves, and when left to ourselves--as unstable as water. O support us. O defend us. O be near unto us this day, and uphold us with the right hand of Your righteousness.

Lord, we are full of sin; O lead us to the fountain opened for sin and impurity! We are all emptiness in ourselves. Lord, lead us to the fullness of Jesus for the supply of all our needs.

Blessed God and Father, do most graciously sympathize with us. Guide us with Your eye. O keep us near Yourself. Allow no iniquity to have dominion over us; save us from ourselves! Save us, O Lord, from our constitutional sins, tempers, and corruptions. O let them be kept under control, and subdued by the omnipotent power of Your grace.

We beseech You, O Holy Spirit, to bring our minds and hearts under the mighty power of all-conquering grace. O Lord, let not sin, nor Satan, prevail against us. We leave ourselves with You, Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit, to whom be glory forever. Amen.