Our Father in Heaven, hallowed be Your name. May Your kingdom come. May Your will be done on earth as it is in Heaven. This is our prayer this morning. We would have Your kingdom come into our own hearts so fully, that everything in us shall submit to Your sway. We would indeed have You as the King of our lives, seated on our heart's throne, and ruling over our affections, feelings, and desires! So we pray that Your kingdom may come in our own lives. May everything in us that opposes You, be brought to submit to You. May our ways that are not right, be changed to conform to Your holy ways.
Sometimes we chafe and fret when we do not find things to our liking, when our work is hard for us, when we are not prospered in our plans as we had hoped. Father, You forgive all this discontent and rebellion. We know You are training us, and that we are in Your school all the time. We know that when we complain and annoy ourselves about our circumstances, we not only grieve You — but also mar Your work in us. Help us, therefore, to humbly submit to all Your ways, and learn well the lesson of submission and trust in Your sovereign plan for us. We want to be truly able always to say, "May Your will be done." Give us grace to say it every day and every hour. Help us to look up into Your face . . .
when the path is rough,
when the tasks are hard,
when it hurts us to go on —
and to say with love, "Not my will — but may Your will be done."
We now commit ourselves to You for the day. It may not bring us all sunshine, gladness, and ease. It may have clouds, and pain, and hardship. But, Father, we want to make it a sweet, beautiful day — whether it shall be bright or dark. Give us much of Your Spirit, and may we live near You all day. We ask all in Jesus' precious name. Amen.
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MONDAY EVENING
Lord, we come to You; may You give ear to our voice when we call upon You. Let our prayer be set forth before You as incense; and the lifting up of our hands, as the evening sacrifice. Give us Your divine peace. In the quiet evening time, may Your blessing rest upon our home. Forgive the sins and failures of this day. If we did not live together in all ways affectionately as a family, if we were impatient the one toward the other, or lacking in Christly kindness — we beg Your forgiveness. If any of us have hurt the heart of another by a sharp word or unkind act — may You heal the wounds by Your own grace. May we forgive one another, even as You forgive us; and pour out Your love in return for the things that grieve You.
Our hearts long tonight to enter more deeply into the experiences of Your wonderful love. Help us to know more and more of it. Pour it into our souls, filling us with its tenderness and grace. May we bathe in the ocean of Your love, as one bathes in the sea. May its blessedness flow about us like the air in which we move. Teach us more and more by Your Spirit, the deep meaning, the infinite riches, of Your love. May we be so filled with Your love, that we shall love others, just as You love us.
We are afraid of the darkness — since You are with us. The darkness and the light are both alike to You. You are present in the gloom of night, as truly as in the brightness of noonday. So we are not afraid in the darkness, with You by us. We will lie down on our beds in peace, because You will be our keeper.
Remember our neighbors tonight. Comfort the dying and console the sorrowing. We ask all this in the name of our Redeemer. Amen.
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J.R. Miller (1840 - 1912)
Prolific author and pastor of Presbyterian churches in Pennsylvania and Illinois, Rev. James Russell Miller served the USCC as a field agent in the Army of the Potomac and Army of the Cumberland.J.R. Miller began contributing articles to religious papers while at Allegheny Seminary. This continued while he was at the First United, Bethany, and New Broadway churches. In 1875, Miller took over from Henry C. McCook, D.D. when the latter discontinued his weekly articles in The Presbyterian, which was published in Philadelphia. J.R. Miller D.D.'s lasting fame is through his over 50 books. Many are still in publication.
James Russell Miller (March 20, 1840 - July 2, 1912) was a popular Christian author, Editorial Superintendent of the Presbyterian Board of Publication, and pastor of several churches in Pennsylvania and Illinois.
In 1857, James entered Beaver Academy and in 1862 he progressed to Westminster College, Pennsylvania, which he graduated in June, 1862. Then in the autumn of that year he entered the theological seminary of the United Presbyterian Church at Allegheny, Pennsylvania. Mr. Miller resumed his interrupted studies at the Allegheny Theological Seminary in the fall of 1865 and completed them in the spring of 1867. That summer he accepted a call from the First United Presbyterian Church of New Wilmington, Pennsylvania. He was ordained and installed on September 11, 1867.
J.R. Miller began contributing articles to religious papers while at Allegheny Seminary. This continued while he was at the First United, Bethany, and New Broadway churches. In 1875, Miller took over from Henry C. McCook, D.D. when the latter discontinued his weekly articles in The Presbyterian, which was published in Philadelphia.
Five years later, in 1880, Dr. Miller became assistant to the Editorial Secretary at the The Presbyterian Board of Publication, also in Philadelphia.