Glory be to you, O Lord our God, who in our extreme need of a redeemer, made such gracious provision for our souls by sending your Son to die for our sins and to save us when we were lost. Blessed be your name, for he who offered himself upon the cross for us is pleased to offer himself to us at his table. There I have been tasting the fruits of his love and receiving my share among the redeemed of the Lord. O blessed be God for so great a mercy!
I bless you, my God, for your mercy in sending us a Savior. Without him, all other mercies would be of no avail and would do me no good. I bless you that you did not withhold your son, your only Son from us, but made him atone for our sins and become the life and food of our souls.
I sat down in his presence and it was a delight to me. I have been entertained at the table of the Lord who spread his love over me. It was love that gave me the Savior who I have been receiving and the opportunity to rest and feast my soul upon him.
Return to your rest, O my soul, for the Lord has dealt bountifully with you. You received life at the hands of him who forgives all your sins and heals your diseases. He not only saves you from destruction but crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies. He fills your mouth with tender utterances, with pardon and peace, with the riches of his grace and the pledges of his glory.
Blessed be my God for the Bread which came down from heaven to give life to the world. Blessed be your name, O gracious Lord, for my share in this highest expression of your wonderful love and bounty.
Eternal thanks and praise be to you, O blessed God, my Savior, for all your glorious achievements in laying a sure foundation for our hope and everlasting comfort.
You have loved us and redeemed us and washed us from our sins in your own blood. O how infinitely indebted I am to your mercy that you should call me to such a heavenly state which you purchased and provided for us at so great a price!
O make me more aware of your love and more thankful for all its blessed effects. Let me now find the happy fruits of strength and refreshment for my soul. Let it be strength against all the temptations which would draw me away from you, and refreshment which would render all the pleasures of sin distasteful to me, and make it my primary joy to do the will of my heavenly Father.
After I have experienced the pleasures of my Father's house, O do not let me feed upon what is useless. Let nothing destroy the sweet desire I have for heavnly things nor let the owrld come between me and the blessed Savior of the world.
Let me not depart from the Lord who has been so good and kind to my soul. O let me never rebel against my heavenly Sovereign to whom I once again have vowed allegiance.
O blessed Jesus, to whom shall I go? You have the words and the gift of eternal life. All is in your hands. You are the best of all lords for you rule us only that you may bless us. You have commanded us to obey your laws only that you may keep us from ruining ourselves. You secure for us the highest happiness.
I will admire and love and praise my Lord. I will believe and trust in his unfailing mercy. I will rejoice and glory in his great salvation. Who shall pluck me out of his hands? What shall separate me from his love? My beloved is mine and I am his. I am yours, O Lord, and yours I will be while I live.
Yet, Lord of all power and love, I beseech you to keep your servant from falling and preserve me during every occasion of danger. O do not allow me to destroy myself but pity my frailty and relieve my weakness and infirmity. In your hands let me be safe and never perish but attain everlasting life through Jesus Christ, my great Redeemer and only Savior. Amen.
[by Benjamin Jenks, from Prayers for Families]
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