Knocking at God’s Door - Chambers, Oswald

Knocking at God’s Door
A Little Book of Prayers
Oswald Chambers

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Copyright 1957 Oswald Chambers Publications Association
Scripture versions quoted: kjv, rv

Introduction

Source

The material in knocking at gods door is from the prayers oswald chambers recorded in his personal diary.

The prayers from january through october reflect oswalds years as principal of the bible training college,1 london (191115).

The prayers from November and December reflect the final two years of chambers life, in which he served as a YMCA chaplain to British troops in egypt (191517).

Publication history

 . First published as a book: in 1937, Mrs. Chambers was compiling oswalds talks on prayer for the book, if ye shall ask. Mr. C. Rae griffin, a close friend and member of her advisory council (the Oswald chambers publications association), expressed his belief that there was also a great need for a book of personal, spiritual prayers. Mrs. Chambers turned to oswalds diaries, in which he often wrote out his prayers at the beginning of each day.

 . In 1938, she published a little book of prayers, containing seventy-two of her husbands personal prayers. In 1957, additional prayers were added and some of the original prayers were divided to create a book with a prayer for each day of the year. It was retitled knocking at gods door.

The mention of this house, students and the college refers to the bible training college, London, during the years 191115. The prayers listed in september reflect oswalds struggle to find gods guidance early in 1915. For a more complete chronology of these events, see Oswald chambers: abandoned to god, chapter 15.

These prayers, selected and arranged by the woman who knew him best, provide a unique glimpse into the spiritual heartbeat of oswald chambers

1. Bible Training College (BTC): a residential school near Clapham Common in southwest London, sponsored and operated by the Pentecostal League of Prayer from 1911 until it closed in July 1915 because of World War I; Oswald Chambers was
principal and main teacher; Biddy Chambers, his wife, was lady superintendent.

Foreword

Knock, and it shall be opened unto you. Matthew 7:7 this collection of prayers, though meant for no human eye, will help many others to express them- selves in love and trust and petition to god. When the disciples saw their lord praying, one of them said, lord, teach us to pray, (luke 11:1). He spoke for all of them, and the lords answer was for them all and for us. They felt they needed to know that secret track to god. They wanted to pray like their lord, and so they began to be grounded in the principles and practice of true praying. In this little book of prayers we are overhearing one of gods servants at prayer. These are some of the prayers that he breathed out to god, penning the very words in exactness of his intention, in every- thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving to let his requests be made known unto god. They can teach us much about the simplicity, the range, the power and the perseverance of spirit-born praying, and there is no service more worthy of our deepest attention.

David lambert2

Thy hand be on the latch to open the door at His first knock.
Shouldst thou open the door and not see Him, do not say He
did not knock, but understand that He is there, and wants thee
to go out to Him. It may be He has something for thee to do for
Him. Go and do it, and perhaps thou wilt return with a new
prayer, to find a new window in thy soul.
George MacDonald

January

1 o lord, i praise thee for the revelation of thy supreme fatherhood that dawns on me through the grace of the lord Jesus. Oh, that i may be the child of my father in heaven!

2 o lord, enchain me to thyself with great bonds of adoring love; enwheel me around with thy providence for thy purposes; enlarge me until i am more and more capable of being of use to thee.

3 the lord god omnipotent reigneth. Lord, the very sound of that phrase is great and inspiring. May i be full of the calm peace which comes from knowing thou dost reign.

4 lord, how easily the mind wanders when thy domination is not in the ascendant! Keep the lordship of body and soul and spirit in thy hands.

5 o lord, grant that in sweet and gracious likeness to thyself i might delight thy heart this day, perfect my own life, and be an unalloyed blessing to all around me.

6 what a joyous life the life hid with Christ in god is! But, my god, i dare not for one moment think how far short of it i fall in spite of all thy grace and patience. But thou art making me, and i thank thee.

7 and ye yourselves like unto men that wait for their lord might i be like that, waiting, eager, dutiful, alert, and full of power and presence of mind.

8 lord, unto thee do i look up. How i know that in me dwelleth no good thing; and how marvel- lous is thy grace that i now find in my heart no motive save for thy glory.

9 lord, bring the sweetness and fullness of thy power to bear on me this day. Oh, for the big, the generous, the gracious, the grave-gay life of god!

10 send forth thy light, o lord, brood over this college as thou didst brood (rv mg) over chaos; work mightily in thy spiritual domains, and help me to erect mountain peaks of prayer that the clouds may be rent and bring themselves down in blessing.

11 lord, the hilarious simplicity of trust in thee seems almost levity until i remember thee, and dare not not be glad! Spread joy and gladness all around us this day.

12 lord, this day is peculiarly thy day; help us to remember only thee. Bless thy servants and handmaidens all over the world.

13 o lord, how excellent it is to commune with thee in the early morning hours. Enable me by patience to reproduce these exalted moments of calm into the activities of the day.

14 oft shall that flesh imperil and out weary yet what indignation does this bear in me! As i rouse myself, meet my rousing with the inspiration of thy spirit.

15 lord, lift up the light of thy countenance upon me and give me peace, thy peace, deep as the unfathomed sea, high as the unscaled heights of heaven. Touch me now, till light and life and liberty course through me.

16 lord, i would worship thee in the psalmists words unto the upright there ariseth light in the darkness: o lord, how supreme a darkness i am! Therefore thou must be the light.

17 lord, unto thee i come in helplessness, yet in hopefulness inwrought by thy spirit, that i might be filled with thy love, thy divine un-egoistic nature, thy passionate patience, unwounded by personal considerations.

18 o lord, this day put thou thy touch, great and ennobling and inspiring, upon us all. Save com- pletely our minds from panic and our spirits from undue haste.

19 lord, how i realise the peril of work and activ- ity equally with that of quiet and retirement, and that the only secure haven is thyself. Help me to be taken up altogether with thee.

20 o lord, i look to thee so utterly that i am worse than useless without thee. Be made wisdom and discernment and understanding unto me today.

21 o lord, this day keep us so well that we never need to think of ourselves at all, but joyously spend and be spent for thee.

22 o lord, if i am strong in any wise it is only in thee, and this morning my soul rejoices because of the recalling of the wordbe strong in the lord, and in the power of his might.

23 o lord, in simple dependence on thy holy spirit indwelling in me and uniting me with thy nature, i look to thee; cause me to be all thou wouldst have me be.

24 o lord, lift up the light of thy countenance upon us, let thy great and glorious voice and presence sweep through this College. On those
of us who teach send the anointing unction and
gracious insight into Thy truth.Presence sweep through this college. On those of us who teach send the anointing unction and gracious insight into thy truth.

25 lord, how dim and distant and dreary my physical life seems, and is, without thee; fill the outer courts with thy divine life.

26 o lord, as this thy day unfolds be our peculiar treasure in everything. Permeate us with thy spirit that all may be transfigured with sweet complacent spiritual power.

27 o lord, unto thee do i come; consciously and unconsciously, i draw near in uttermost need. Lift me, lead me, fill me for thy glory, make me harmoniously one with thy purpose and will.

28 o god, increase my sense of thee and my sensible understanding of thy son, my lord and master. Grant that i may more and more realise thy dominance and rule, and more and more rejoice in simple joy in thee.

29 o lord, thou art ever well, and all my fresh springs are in thee (pbv ).3 to thee i come; may thy mighty life spring up in me, a veritable influx into body as well as spirit.

30 lord, today let thy praise abound, let joy and gladness resound everywhere. How i long for joy great bounding liberating joy: joy in god, joy in the holy ghost, joy in life, and joy in love. Cause this to be a joyous house today, all day.

31 lord, thy ways are like thy self perfect: my ways are like myself imperfect. Touch me into effectual identity with thy consciousness, and with thy ways for this day.

February

1 lord god almighty, thou are holy; but more wonderful than praise can tell, thou dost under- take to make me holy by thy grace.

2 o lord, how little i realise what it means to watch with thee, to continue with thee in thy temptations. Draw me nearer this morning and insulate me by thy mighty power until i speak and live only for thee.

3 lord, breathe on me until my frame is knit to thy thought. Lift me until i see thy face and trust thine almightiness without fear or insidious unbelief.

4 lord, i praise thee for thy word in your patience possess ye your souls, and i praise thee for thy grace which waits while i laboriously acquire the soul thou wouldst have me acquire.

5 o lord, unto thee do i turn, unto thee. I am but a homeless waif until thou dost touch me with the security of thy peace, the sweet sense of thy love.

6 lord, thy word comes so quietly and all pervadingly if any man serve me, let him follow me: and, if any man serve me, him will my father honour. Take me as thy servant in this sense.

7 o lord, how wholesome and grand a thing it is to be willing towards thee. I am willing, eagerly willing for thy will to be done, and i feel all deeply joyful at the prospect for nothing can be so glorious as just thy will.

8 how i long to be so full of thee, burning and shining and irradiating thee, that there is no room for anything but just thy gracious light.

9 o lord, speak with power and graciousness in to days services. Conduct me into the inner secret of fellowship with thee that thou mayest be able to convey thyself aright.

10 o lord, in some moods it seems so easy to slip away from thee and thy purposes, and yet, lord, i do not believe it is; but i do believe it is possible to enter into thy purposes like a beast of the field, with no discernment and no vision. Lord, i would be a son of thine.

11 o lord, how i need infilling and invigorating by thy presence. Give me that buoyant, quiet confidence in thee which is the witness of the spirit.

12 o lord, my soul doth praise thee for its trust in thee. My soul hangeth on thy touch and smile lest any distemper of mind or imagination arise and i be corrupted from the simplicity that is in christ.

13 o lord, i would crave more and more to put on love like a garment, that in my contact with men that is what they will most lastingly recognise.

14 o lord, that the most absorbing sensing of thee might be mine, that thy will should be done in and through me unhinderedly.

15 o lord, how i adore thee, but how i long for more conscious adoration and communion and God-praisingness. Cleanse me from the defilement of distance from thee.

16 here is the day, o lord, thy day, cause it to shine for ever in our individual lives like a jewel.

17 o lord, i do thank thee for the condition of heart and motive thy grace has wrought in me, but, oh, when in my actual life shall i express before the world the beauty of thy peace?

18 guard my central life from corrosion, o lord; keep me secretly so right with thee that i may redound to thy glory.

19 i praise thee for that word like as a father pitieth his children, so the l ord pitieth them that fear him. How i realise that i owe nothing to thy severity but all to thy love. Oh, that thy love and gentleness and patience toward me were expressed through me to others!

20 o lord, one thing amazes me, and that is my almost total deficiency in letting thee manifest thyself and thy beauty in my outward life. Let the beauty of the lord our god be upon me this day.

21 o lord, with much dimness i draw nigh to thee, clear the dimness away from me and flood me with the light of thy countenance.

22 o lord, i beseech thee for sustaining strength and simple joy. Keep me humble-minded in motive and design that nothing of the superior person may be mine.

23 o lord, how much of a lift i need this morning! Thou knowest. In my preaching, cause thy glorious voice to be heard, thy lovely face to be seen, thy pervasive spirit felt.

24 cleanse me, o lord, from all complicity of spirit, and may thy radiant beauty be in and upon me this day.

25 how depressed and appalled i am at the prospect of sinking to the commonplace! Lord, help me to live purely and powerfully and fascinatedly thine.

26 oh, for one of those touches of thy spirit that, as the wind, quicken and awaken, loosen and inspire!

27 how my heart and my flesh cry out for the living god! Oh, the enervation of myself ! And oh, the refreshment and joy of the lord!

28 o lord, in complete need i turn to thee. Come to me physically, mentally, morally, and spiritually, and cause me to effect the manifestation of thyself that is glorifying to thee.

29 oh, how i long to be all taken up by thee, all my body, soul and spirit enthused by thee; so many lurking things of the darkness still remain. What a gracious humiliation these things are.

March

1 i praise thee that all i am is thine. Oh, that i could delight thee as the lily does, or the tree, or even the sparrows, just living the life thou has granted!

2 o lord god, what thou art to me i dimly begin to discernmore than morning light, more than joy and health, more than all thy blessings. Dawn on me afresh this morning and make me light all through with thy light.

12 ah lord, thy face, thy touch, thy blessing, i seek today. Touch me, lord, till every part of my being vibrates and thrills with thy gracious and powerful well-being.

13 lord, my chief desire is to be rooted and grounded in thee god-centred and god- absorbed, god-enthused and god-loved. How eager my soul is to know thee and be still!

14 o lord, how wonderful are thy ways! When i recall the way thou has led me and borne with me, i am lost in wonder, love and praise.

15 bless us here today, o lord, so many need thee. Go in and out amongst us, controlling and lifting with thy saving power.

16 o lord, what a wonder of perfect confidence it would create could i but hear some clear disposing word of thine! Lord, speak it today.

17 o lord, by thy grace open my vision to thee and thine infinite horizons, and take me into thy counsels regarding thy work in this college.

18 o lord, i would that i had a livelier sense of thee and of thy bounties continually with me.

19 o lord, bless me this hour with the glow of thy presence and sense of thy nearness. I do trust only in thee, yet i long for conscious delight in thy presence, if thou wilt vouchsafe it to me.

20 o lord, may this day be right glorious with thy presence and blessing. May we see thee causing the place of thy feet to be glorious.

21 o lord, i do praise thee for the mighty lines of thought that come as i think of membership in thy mystical body. How i long to be quickened enough to realise the wonder of it more.

22 o lord, thou art my god, i know no god beside thee. My sense of unworthiness is so great that i do not waste any time in telling thee of it. It is to thyself i comeyearningly, eagerly, completely.

23 o lord, for supplies of thy grace today, grace so divine and mighty that many may glorify thee through my ministry.

24 lord god almighty, who wast manifested in jesus christ, i come before thee now with the unpretentiousness of a human being needing thee absolutely and rejoicing in my need.

25 o lord, when i awake, i am still with thee. Quicken my mortal body with thy mighty res- urrection life; rouse me this hour with a gracious influx of power.

26 clouds and darkness are round about him: righteousness and judgement are the foundation of his throne (rv). Commune with me, o lord, that i may know i am light in thee.

27 o lord, the multitudes will be coming and going today. Help me to keep, like my master, in the lonely places and pray.

28 o lord, visit with thy tenderness every heart and life that has been experiencing the shattering which the penetration of thy word brings.

29 o lord, be such a disposer of the lot that is cast into the lap that our mouths shall be filled with laughter at what thou wilt bring to pass!

30 o lord, be very present to day the great joyous presence of the holy ghost permeating every- where.

31 o lord, i seem an incarnate desert before thee, unbeautiful and arid; but, praise thy name, thou canst make the desert rejoice, and blossom as the rose.

April

1 o lord, the truth that presses its way through all else this morning is the truth about sanctification. Forgive me if i have imperceptibly shifted from this great purpose of thine.

2 o lord, blessed be the tone and power of thy voice, its tones of tenderness and love in grace; its tones of power in the great gales of nature. Lord, cause thy glorious voice to be heard in this college, and in my soul.

3 draw me, o lord, into vital communion with thyself. What a difference the sun makes in the natural world: and what a difference it makes when thou dost dawn upon us! Press through till we are thrilled with thy presence.

4 o lord, how niggardly is my appreciation of thine atonement and perfect salvation. Lord, draw me into fuller gratitude; let me ever be a passionate lover of the lord Jesus christ.

5 o lord, my lord, make this day right glorious. For myself in thy service, i ask surcease from all distracting.

6 o lord, i would praise thee for thy mighty redemption at the heart of all our problems. By thy great power raise us up to newness of life this easter day.

7 o lord, the wonder of being one with thee as thou art one with the father! Grant us this oneness for thy glory, and to that end lift up the light of thy countenance upon us and give us peace.

8 o lord, cause my intellect to glow with thy holy spirits teaching.

9 o lord, thy graciousness is fresh to my soul, but how slow is my growth in thine almighty grace! Quicken thou me, open my nature to grander horizons this day.

10 o lord, i praise thee for the prayers of the saints which have surrounded me like an atmosphere of heaven, and for the unspeakable grace which comes to me through thy redemption.

11 be radiant through me, o lord. Give me thine approving smile and benediction, and help me to be altogether taken up with thee.

12 how we need just thee! Make it a day for ever memorable for intimacy with thyself.

13 o lord, how reluctant my nature seems to brood on the profound truths of thy grace, and yet do not i know the power and purity of communion with thee?

14 o lord, bless us in this college. Today; save from indolence and spiritual sloth, and cause thine undertakings to be almighty.

15 lord, i make petition to see thee, i have been preoccupied and away from thee in outer court life; forgive me, and draw me near to thyself that i may have rare communion with thee again.

16 o lord, i have a great implicit yearning for a token of thy notice. Give just a sign that thou art using me for something in thy purpose.

17 o lord my god, my strength, my hope, and my joy, slowly but surely i seem to be emerging into a clearer discernment of thee. Dawn through all earth-born clouds and mists today.

18 o lord, so many to pray for, so many in need of deliverance. Unto thee how hungrily i look up.

19 lord, put thy mouth to our college life and breathe the invigorating breath of thy recreating life through us all, putting sickness far from us.

20 o lord, i do rejoice at thy word, as one that findeth great spoil. As i speak today put thy words in my mouth; be so present that it shall be manifest to all that it is thy word.

21 o lord, with the coming of spring in nature my spirit longs that thy energising life may flow in and through me more, and still yet more. But how un-beautiful i am, how un-christlike! And yet it is not in depression, but in amazing hope i see this.

22 o lord, draw me to thee; give me the glorious sensing of thyself that makes a mere sinner like me worthy as thy servant.

23 o lord, that thine eyes may be open toward this house night and day. Keep it and guard it from all that is not in thine order, and cause each one of us to be all that thy secret heart desires.

24 o lord, in humbled guise i pray this morning, full of adoration and worship, but full of humility when i remember how shielded my life is.

25 o lord, disentangle me, i have a great longing for a simplicity of relationship with thee that shall transfigure everything and shed blessing and benediction all around.

26 o lord, restore the keen edge of all spiritual sensibilities; lift me into thy light by thine abounding grace through our lord jesus christ. How slow i am to apprehend more of thee and of thy ways!

27 o lord, this day i have to speak in thy name three times, and i am un-moved and un-inspired till now. If thou canst convey thy mind to me in my spiritual dullness, oh, for jesus christs sake, do it.

28 o lord my god, assist me to worship thee. I praise thee that thou remainest evermore the same. Touch me, o lord, and by thy power renew me spiritually to keenness and apprecia- tion of thee and of thy truth.

29 o lord, dawn on us and draw us into thyself today; begin with me. Cleanse me, o lord, from all the imperfections which are clear to thee though not to me.

30 the lord reigneth; o lord, let thy reigning power be manifested this day in the bodies of thy servants for thy glory.

May

1 lord, i praise thee for this days glad opportunity of serving thee acceptably. I bless thee for the revealing of the truth that thine order comes moment by moment in the days life.

2 but when the kindness of god our saviour, and his love toward man, appeared . . . (rv )o lord, that word haunts me; yet how little of thy kindness and thy love do i exhibit toward others!

3 may the power and tone and health of god be all- pervading this day. How i long for thy generous- heartedness to be realised in and through all things! Keep the sense of thy call in me fresh and vivid.

4 o lord, i praise thee for the throne of grace, and that in jesus christ i can draw near with boldness to receive mercy, and grace for this days glorifying of thee.

5 i praise thee, o lord, for thy gift of salvation; for the benefit and blessing of the prayers of the saints. But how i slip into thy favours and slowly begin to think i merit them, or act as though i did. Forgive me, lord.

6 i would, o lord, cleanse myself from all defilement of flesh and spirit, from every coarsening of the fibre of the spiritual life, so that i may dwell in thee in fulness of joy.

7 o lord, i do praise thee that through christ jesus our lord it is mercy and loving-kindness, graciousness and wonders, all along the way; i would i were more sensitive to thee and thy doings, more christlike in my gratitude.

8 o lord, by thy grace, i see so much with my mind and speak so muchcause my heart and my conduct not only to keep pace with my mind but go far beyond it.

9 o lord, i thank thee for thy word, not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the lord of hosts. I ask for such aid of thy spirit that thou mayest be satisfied with me today.

10 lord, through all the multitudinous duties of the day keep me calm; ennoble me by thy touch and tenderness. Settle and quieten me down in thee.

11 o lord, i lift up my eyes, my hopes, and my prayers to thee. Re-energise me from thy heights by the indwelling of thy holy spirit that the light of god may arise around and in us today. Fill up the day with sweetness and glory for thine own delight.

12 o lord, for more love, passionate, devout and earnest love to thee to show itself in my con- scious life. Oh for grace to show and to feel patience and gentleness to those around me!

13 o lord, thou art what i am longing for! My soul thirsteth for god, for the living god: when shall i come and appear before god? Oh, for thy touch, thy life, thy beauty; let it come now, lord, even as i pray.

14 o lord, how clearly thou hast shown me that it is god, and god alone, who matters. May i never stumble any in this great realisation.

15 o lord, i realise how little of the hidden life of believing in jesus i have exercised of late, ulte- rior motives seem to creep in all the time. Bring the simplicity that is in christ into my life and outlook in deeper wayscareful only of thine approval.

16 o lord, touch all our lives with thine energising power and loving-kindness and beauty; make it a time of the unveiling of thy face. This seems to be all my prayer.

17 o lord this day, cause thy glorious voice to be heard, and heard by me. Oh speak to me, produce thy stillness in my heart and mind and speak with thrilling power.

18 lord, this sabbath morning, insulate me from sights and sounds unusual; loosen me from the bands that bind me to the present and the recent, and fill with thy spirit the whole limit of this day.

19 like rain upon the mown grass; as the dew unto israelo lord, these phrases come to my mind this morning with sweet insistence. Be as rain and as dew unto us this day, refreshing, remoulding, and blessing us. Unto thee do i come in great and glad expectancy.

20 o lord, how complete is my need of thee! To thee i come, give me a gracious renewing of thy life till my reasoning powers, my imagina- tion, and my speaking are all of thee. I seek thy touch and thrilling grace today.

21 lord, i would like to pour out my heart before theemy soul is not brilliant in experience just now, nor my intellect vigorous, both are jaded; but i adore thee that thou art never dull nor jaded, and that thou knowest our frame.

22 o lord, speak to me now. Inspire me for today; dullness, deep and devastating, seems to hold fast to my powers.

23 o lord, how complete is my need of thee! Come into our actual circumstances this day in the plenitude of thy power.

24 o lord, how slow i am to show in my manners and ways the gracious grace of god! When shall thy beauty be upon me for thine honour?

25 lord god omnipotent, how my soul delights to know that thou carest for sparrows, and num- berest the hairs of our head! Lord, breathe on me till i am in the frame of mind and body to wor- ship thee.

26 o lord, rise in grandeur into our lives and ways and goings. Be a strong presence of healing and hope and grace and beauty this day

27 breathe on me, breath of god, until my mind and spirit are in suitable adjustment to thy- self. Shed abroad liberty and purity and power amongst and in us all.

28 o lord, how all things are simple and glorious when thou art seen! This day let me see thy face and be alone with thee.

29 o lord, make this a right royal day with thee. Touch us, o lord, that all our spiritual and material life may be attuned to thy purposes. Just thy touch, and all will be well.

30 whoso is wise, . . . Even they shall understand the lovingkindness of the lord. Lord, that would be beautiful! Give me this token for thy glory. Unto thee do i look for this day; cause the abundance of thy bounty and beauty to be upon us.

31 o lord, how essentially necessary it is for me to draw nigh to thee. How can i falter when thou art my life?

June

1 o lord, how i realise my need of a worthier conception of thyself. All lesser things i would merge in this petitionthat i might worthily magnify thee.

2 light is sown for the righteous. Lord, what a harvest! How wonderful are thy ways.

3 o lord, i marvel at my slowness in praise; quicken me to praise thee aright. Give me a due sense, a powerful realisation of thy goodness, that i might be a joyous satisfaction to thine own heart.

4 lord, in complete dependence i look to thee; it is good for me to feel wandered till thou dost appear.

5 o lord, i rejoice that the if need be is thine! And i praise thee for the counsel to think it not strange concerning the fiery trial, but to rejoice.

6 o lord, for the power of thy spirit to adore thee in fuller ways. Keep my spirit brightly infused by thy holy spirit that thus energised, the lord jesus and his perfections may be manifested in my mortal flesh.

7 o lord, with what abundant relief i turn to thee, i need thee in unfathomable ways, and with what amazed relief and joy i find all i need is thyself.

8 o lord, this morning disperse every mist, and shine forth clear and strong and invigoratingly.

9 thou hast enlarged me when i was in distress: oh that the thoughts of my heart were more and more a well-spring of gracious treasure without ceasing!

10 lord, thy goodness is so beyond comparison that we are like unto them that dream, our mouth is filled with laughter, and our tongue with sing- ing (rv ); we praise thee for the time when we shall come again with joy, bringing our sheaves with us.

11 o lord, draw near, press into my conscious pos- session until i am all taken up with thee. Make this day radiant with thy power.

12 o lord, there is no time with thee for a thou- sand years in thy sight are but as yesterday when it is past; but with me it is necessarily different. How thou hast restored the years the canker- worm hath eaten and created me a new creature in christ jesus! Accept my thanksgiving.

13 o lord, in might and majesty prevail in many more ways today. Keep me from secularisation of soul or spirit.

14 o lord, i know thy blessing and i praise thee, but it is the indescribable touch and enwheeling as thy servant that i seek fori know not what i seek for, but thou knowest. How i long for thee!

15 o lord, this day lead me into some more of thy gracious and wondrous doings. Put thy loving hand of grace and power upon me this day.

16 o lord, give me the disposition of mind that delights in thee. Cleanse me from all fog and flurry and fuss, that clear-eyed i may see thy way this day.

17 o lord, i do thank thee for the relief and inspi- ration, the almost effulgence of joy, that has flowed into me and visited my inner kingdom. Fill me now with thy calm peace.

18 o lord, grant that this day may end for ever the self-consciousness that enfeebles us in thy ser- vice, and may we be conscious only of jesus.

19 o lord, how i long for thee to bring me face to face with thyself ! My soul thirsteth for thee, for the touch of thy grace, the breathing of thy spirit.

20 o lord, anoint the college to praise thee; anoint all of us here to praise thee. Bring the buoyant breezes of thy holy spirit upon us now

21 o lord, rouse and quicken me so that my mortal flesh may indeed be the obedient, docile servant of thy spirit.

22 lord, what an intense need of thee i realise this morning; supply that need according to thy riches in christ jesus until i am wholly transfig- ured by the supply.

23 o lord, draw thy powerful presence around me this day as a curtain, and be the glory in the midst.

24 o lord, remove this bondage of thought, and bring peace and purity and power. Fill me this day with thy tenderness and compassion and grace.

25 o lord, breathe on me till i am one with thee in the temper of my mind and heart and disposition. Unto thee do i turn. Again, how completely i realise my lost-ness without thee!

26 o lord, to praise thee aright is a great desire of mine, created and fostered by thy spirit and grace.

27 lord, so much activity, so many things, so num- berless the people! Bless today with largeness of heart and beauty of character for thy glory.

28 lord, i would bless and praise thee, but how hard i find it to praise thee when i am not physi- cally fit, yet why should it be so? This means that i praise thee only when it is a pleasure to me. I would that my soul were one continual praise to thee!

29 o lord, lift up the light of thy countenance upon us this day and make us fit in with thy plans with great sweetness and liberty, and a lilt to thee all day.

30 lord, how i desire to see thee, to hear thee, to meditate on thee, and manifestly grow like thee! And thou hast said, delight thyself in the lord; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.

July

1 casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you. O lord, what a wonder these words are! The miasmas that at times lie around the margins of the mind need thy constant care to keep them away. I look to thee that i may be renewed in the spirit of my mind.

2 keep this house, 4 o lord, spiritually and in all ways, exceeding magnifical. Give us the light and illumination thou dost delight in.

3 o lord, this day prevail to bless. These students, o lord, into thy hands i commend them. Thou knowest it is with a clear definite plan of my own i meet them day by day, but i thank thee thou hast thine own great plans; carry them out, o lord, with power and grace.

4 lord, my mind is dim in relation to _____. Lord, be thou their strong tower; none seem to regard them or care. Prevent the enemy from exacting on them. They are as they are because of their loyalty to thee. Lord, undertake mightily.

5 lord, i bless thee for this college, that in it thou art proving a strength to the poor, a strength to the needy in his distress, a refuge from the storm, a shadow from the heat.

6 o lord, unto thee do i come with praise and thanksgiving, but with a yearning for a deeper con- scious appreciation of thy goodness. Bless me this day with an enlarged capacity and power to praise.

7 so foolish was i, and ignorant: i was as a beast before thee. O lord, those words express me to myself before thee. I am ashamed of my temper of mind, so foolish, so beast-ly, when looked at in the light of the pure and holy god-likeness our lord demands.

8 o lord, what great and glorious outlines have passed and are passing before the vision of our personal spirits about thy plans. Lord, we do not see the way, but we know thee and trust. Keep our minds and hearts strong and quiet in thee.

9 o lord, how much the margins of my mind are taken up with surrounding interests of late so that the surroundings seem the centre. Be thou thy- self my strong centre and surrounding.

10 bless us all this day, garrison minds and hearts from vague fancies and false emotions, from spectres of the imagination, and keep us whole- somely thine.

11 send us more students, o lord, until this place is filled with men and women through whom thou canst glorify thyself throughout the world.

12 touch my spirit till it be filled with thee to over- flowing. Think through my mind till i form the mind which was also in christ jesus.

13 oh, by thy indwelling spirit knit me together into worship and beauty and holiness. Lord, touch my body and spirit till both are sweeping in one for thee.

14 lord, that i might see thee, feel thee, faith thee, and fully realise thee in the manner and measure thou seest i am capable of. What wait i for but thee only?

15 o lord, i would thank thee for the nameless forebodings and spectres of the mind which hover around when not sufficient time is being given to prayer. Lord, i look up to thee now; descend, o gracious lord, descend, and give me grace to rejoice in thee this day.

16 lord, touch with energising power and sweet loving-kindness and beauty all our lives today; make it a time of the unveiling of thy face and power.

17 unite my heart to fear thy name. My soul is all abroad because of the meanness, 5 the self- consciousness, the less-than-the-best, which hover around and prevent me as i pray. Lord, be almighty for me!

18 o lord, i do praise thee that thou art, and that by thy divine omnipotent grace i am learn- ing to come into thy presence. Touch my body and spirit with thy grace and light and wisdom; bright and vivid make thy touches.

19 cause it to be light and sweetness and joy all day. Undertake with thy easy power and might; gra- ciously dawn on us physically and mentally and spiritually.

20 o lord, that i might be brought into thy pres- ence, and see things from thy standpoint. I have to speak to thy people this morning, anoint me afresh, o lord, with thy gracious spirit.

21 o lord, as we consider the fifty-third chapter of isaiah this morning, light it up with thy glory; soften and subdue, inspire and thrill, and raise us on to the level of such glorious service that we may catch thy likeness.

22 lord, bless the devotional meeting today, may it break with soft beauty and sure blessing and special bounty upon us all.

23 o lord, for greater sweetness and beauty of character; for the gift of spiritual energy and full- patienced life towards others. Thy sweetness, thy beauty, manifest them, o lord; instinct with thee i would be indeed.

24 unto thee, o lord, i come, may thy beauty and grace and soothing peace be in and upon me this day, and may no wind or weather or anxiety ever touch thy peace in my life or in this place.

25 o lord, i would seek thy face, but what avail is my seeking if thou revealest not thyself ? Shew me thy face, o lord. Keep me ever seeing thee.

26 o god, my father, the clouds are but the dust of thy feet! Let me discover in every cloud of providence or nature or grace no man save jesus only after the fear, till there be no fear.

27 detach me, o lord, from the things of sense and time, and usher me into the presence of the king. Keep the precincts of my mind and heart entirely thine.

28 o lord, save us from the murmuring spirit which with the majority of us is merely skin-deep, but is harmful, hurting the bloom of spiritual com- munion.

29 lord, the range of thy power, the touch of thy grace, the breathing of thy spirithow i long for these to bring me face to face with thee. For- give my tardinessit takes me so long to awaken to some things.

30 this morning, o lord, i praise thee for all the pastso wayward on my part, so gracious and long-suffering and forgiving and tender on thine.

31 o lord, my soul lives before thee in adoration for thy mighty grace bestowed on me, so that my eyes see and my ears hear and my heart under- stands thy goings behind all circumstances.

August

1 my spirits weatherhow aptly that describes my condition today! Do thou control it, and help me to rise in it and above it.

2 lord, call me by name that i may thrill with that wonderful calling! What a difference a little thing for thee to do does makea calling by name, a passing touch, and we are in ecstasy! Oh, why dost thou not do it oftener?

3 lord, this day i have to preach in thy name; make it radiant with thy power. Draw out my soul into the great realisation of thyself, keep me centralised in thee in every deep and final sense.

4 lord, how like i am to the man who had noth- ing to set before the friend who came to him at midnight! So many are in need of emancipation and deliverance, undertake completely. Sweep Through the whole college with thy gracious presence.

5 o lord, my god, how wonderfully and power- fully thou hast caused me to know with a knowl- edge that passes knowledge that redemption is the one great revelation reality.

6 lord, i adore thee for the past session. How many thou hast allowed me to see enter glori- ously into a right relationship with thee! It is too wonderful for me to praise thee adequately.

7 lord, extricating and beautifying are the two things my soul most needs today. To thee i come as an incarnate need of thee as saviour and lord. Repair all the loss of spiritual bloom and sensitiveness to thee that i may be the right influence for thee here.

8 lord, as i speak at the sermon class on the workers staying power, bring thy light and grace to bear upon us. May we adorn the doc- trine of god our saviour in all things.

9 lord, how completely i need thee and ache for thee. Return unto me in completeness, and as thy life fills up the limits of mind and spirit and overflows, glory will be to thy name.

10 with worshipping reverence i would draw nigh thee this morning in the consciousness that thou art my father, and dost fully know the patience thou hast had with me in my unreality. But, lord, i do not seem to care now if i am real or not because thou thyself art the great reality.

11 lord, i praise thee for this place i am in; but the wonder has begun to stir in meis this thy place for me? Hold me steady doing thy will. It may be only restlessness; if so, calm me to strength that i sin not against thee by doubting.

12 how helpless i am in bringing forth fruit, thy kind of fruit in the world, so ungenerous and unlike thee am i. Forgive me, and by abiding in jesus may i bear much fruit and so glorify the father.

13 lord, gather my powers to thyself, save from dis- sipation of energy and cure all distempers with thy perfect health. Come and make the whole limit of this bodily temple shine with thy presence.

14 holiness, without which no man shall see the lord: lord, i thank thee for that word. How awful if thou wert not holy! How easy it would seem at times to decline into a lesser, baser life; i thank thee for the warning.

15 lord, i feel myself longing for thee and thy life, and i am turning to the 91st psalm for assur- ancesurely he shall deliver thee. Lord, i am assured of it, and would thank thee for the sweet sense of thy protecting care. 16 lord, have us all completely in thy hand, enabling us to choose thy leading that our god may count us worthy of our calling.

17 i would, o lord, see thy face and know thy power and thrilling grace. Draw nigh my life in full recuperation, and forgive me for the neglect of thy ways in external details.

18 lord, with thy purity permeate our minds and bodies and affections; let us realise and quickly manifest the bracing and enlivening of thy goings. Come into our circumstances in the plenitude of thy power.

19 if ye shall ask me anything in my name, that will i do (rv ). It is all so mysterious, o lord, and all so simplei pray, and believe that thou dost create something in answer to and by the very means of my prayer, that was not in existence before.

20 lord, i praise thee thou hast prevented my seeking things immediately for myself, but just thy touch i do seek, a token for good; but not if it will hinder thy welfare in me.

21 lord, touch me physically that that well-being of thine may lave the shores of my life and i be filled with praise.

22 lord, i am writing the discipline of prayer, instinct and inspire me, and cause the little book- let to be all thou dost desire it should be.

23 lord, lift me as i lift myself up to thee. Give me the light of thy countenance that i may irradiate it back to thee.

24 lord, visit us with the manifestation of thy life today. Cause a breath of emancipation to begin and flow on unto thee, confirming in godliness and grace each one of us here.

25 lord, so much truth revealed, so many things to say, and so little do i feel i live up to what thou dost show me. Lord, empower me for thy glory.

26 lord, i know that thou dost abound in grace and art always well; grant me that grace and well- being. Thou knowest how much our spiritual life depends on our feeling well physically.

27 fill the college with thy glorious benediction and blessing. Go in and out among us today, charging the atmosphere with thy gracious presence.

28 lord, how complete and entire and absolute is my need of thee in every way and in all ways. I am a vast cavity for thee to fill; fill me to over- flowing with thy glory and beauty.

29 lord, bring mighty showers of grace and glory upon all the classes today, and for the mens meeting tonight, i beseech thee make it a time of great power and blessing.

30 bless the whole college with waves of health and power. Show us more love that radiantly in thy care we may go forth this day. Bless the strangers within our gates.

31 lord, unto thee i look up, help me to worship thee aright. I praise thee that my nature does worship thee, but my conscious life is slow to respond to thee and thy beauty as it might. Lord, help me.

September

1 lord, i have decided before thee to offer for work with the forces; undertake and guide me in each particular. I know thou wilt, but i am fearful of my own precipitate judgement.

2 o lord, swamp me with thy grace and glory that the ample tide of thyself may be all in all.

3 lord, be unto me a place of broad rivers, full of life and restful activity. Show each one of us more love and gentleness today, and to me, because so many are influenced directly by me.

4 lord, cause thy loving-kindness to be known by me this day by thine inevitably powerful touches, and use me in thy gentle almightiness for thy purposes.

5 for the devotional meeting, make it a time, i pray thee, of the unveiling of thy face. We need just thee, and thine ineffable sweetness and beauty.

6 how unrelieved my mind has been about the future, i praise thee that this is not always so, or scarcely ever so. How there is nothing to hold to but just thyself ! Keep me from flagging and slacking.

7 lord, i feel myself craving for the external sense of thy presence, the hundredfold more of thy joyous benediction. Lord, i leave this desire with thee, grant it as thou seest best.

8 my mind is still vague regarding the way i am to take, lord; so much has gone beyond my own discernment in this decision. It is not that i doubt thee, but all is so completely shrouded.

9 lord, a vague desolation seems around my life, it is nebulous, i cannot define it. I have no misgiving over my decision for i have done what thou didst indicate i should do, but still the sense of uncer- tainty remains. Touch this nebulous nimbus and turn it into a firmament of ordered beauty and form.

10 lord, as we begin intercession for our country at our morning prayers, i ask that thy spirit will direct us.

11 lord, thou knowest the strangeness of the lull in the opening up of the future; nothing manifests itself. Such a great need just now for exaltation of mood and mind and manner. Bring confirmation to my mind.

12 my souls horizon reports, like elijahs servant, there is nothing. Every door of opportunity seems closed. Keep me unhurried.

13 how complete must be my hold on thee else through sheer futility i wilt and wander and am only weak. In my present mood i am inclined to give way to the feeling of having missed the mark. Lord, deal with my mind and outlook.

14 o lord, i turn to thee, nothing to perceive but just thee. Take the elaborate and the heroic and the impulsive, and give me quietly to wait on thee.

15 lord, yesterday the y. M. C. A. Accepted me for their work in the desert camps in egypt, and thy word came this morning with great empha- sissent before his face into every city and place whither he himself was about to come.

16 lord, how i praise thee for this college. It has been four years of unique loveliness, and now i give it up because i believe i do so in answer to thy call.

17 lord, guide our hearts into thy purposes. So many have come into the glorious, but perilous condition of open-ness towards thee. Lord, inwork with a mighty influx of thy power in cor- recting and health-giving fulness of life.

18 lord, for the college, permeate it today with thy presence and salvation from the top room to the basement. Bless with vigour and keenness men- tally and spiritually.

19 lord, what manner of man ought i to be! The graciousness of my life under thy rule is so mar- vellous, and yet i find myself so ungenerous and ungracious. Lord, what shall i say?

20 lord, come and touch all our lives and the atmo- sphere of the college with energising power and sweetness.

21 how i need to see thee working in majesty and might and glory! We all need just that touch of thine making all things new and wonderful, coun- tering any influence or standard other than thine own. Purify and empower us with thy presence.

22 o lord, the sternness, the unrelieved sternness, of my morning subject with the students [jer- emiah]. Soften the truths to our understanding, and keep us strong in thee.

23 lord, i would thank thee for the profound and eager joy with which i find myself looking for thy second coming! Oh that i might find grace in thy sight, and behave more worthily of thy great salvation!

24 o lord, i thank thee for the fulness of tone and health thou dost give us these days. Continue it, o lord. Save from all false emotion and senti- mentality and sadness, and with vigour and glad- ness bless each one of us this day.

25 o lord, for the days of this holiday i praise and thank theefor the majesty of this crowded iso- lation, the leagues of moor, the radiant air, the tonic of naturalness, and the sweet tonic of spiri- tual instruction as i lie fallow to thy grace.

26 lord, of late i feel a dim uncertainty as if thou art leading me into a domain of truth that as yet i have not entered or penetrated. Lord, lift me up till i see thee; hold me till i fulfil thy purpose.

27 lord, this day glorify thyself. Light up this house, my body, with thy glory so that from all windows thou mightest look forth unhindered and radiant.

28 lord, bring me closer and nearer to thee until i am more and more useful to thee in thine enterprises.

29 lord, touch me again in body, soul and spirit. If my food and drink are hindering thy ways in and through me, reveal this to me and keep me thine, so that whether i eat or drink, or whatso- ever i do, may it be to thy glory.

30 lord, when i remember all thy goodness, thy wonders and thy grace, i alternate between praise and apprehension. O lord, that all thou seekest in me should be carried out in experimen- tal life is my prayer.

October

1 lord, carry me into thy counsels and use me for thy glory. For this college, may no fever of energy obstruct thy working. Correct us in mea- sure and in tenderness till we make it easy for thee to carry out thy plans through us.

2 when he hideth his face, who then can behold him? There is so little sign of thy being with us in these days of waiting. I pray not for any sign of outward success, but i do seek the sense of thy blessing and approval.

3 lord, i have no inkling of thy ways in external details, but i have the expectancy of thy wonders soon to be made visible. How completely at rest i am, and how free from seeing thy way.

4 lord, i praise thee for the joy of my life here for the love of wife and child, for the students, for the favours of the holy spirit. What a wonder of joy and radiant blessing this place has been!

5 lord god omnipotent, give me wisdom this day to worship thee aright and be well-pleasing to thee. Interpret thyself to me more and more in thy fulness and beauty.

6 lord, how wondrous is the thought of thee! But when shall i find my willing heart all taken up by thee? I seem to be paralysed by my own littleness and meanness and sinfulness.

7 but surely, lord, i do not need more verification of the truth of thy words concerning the human heart; if it be thy will, i do not want to know any more along that line: i want to know more of the great and gracious reality of thy redemption.

8 lo, these are but the outskirts of his ways. . . . But the thunder of his power who can under- stand? (rv ). So many homeless moods float through my soul; i have no wisdom, no under- standing of things pertaining to thee until thou dost lighten my darkness.

9 lord, the present position presses most on my consciousness this morning. Cause my mind, my emotions, my whole nature, to want what thou has ordained for me, that thereby i may know i have done aright.

10 clear thou me from hidden faults. Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous sins (rv ). Oh that i could find thee exhibiting in me thy peace and purity!

11 lord, i praise thee for the sense of well-being which is mine this morning. How i praise thee for the deep revelation of redemption! Shine with unclouded ray upon us all.

12 lord, thy servants words state my inmost prayer

My God, I look to Thee for tenderness
Such as I could not seek from any man,
Or in a human heart fancy or plan.

13 lord, increase my certainty that i am taken up into thy consciousness, and not that i take thee into mine. For in all the world there is none but thee, my god, there is none but thee.

14 lord, i come to thee this morning with a sense of spiritual failure. Cleanse me by thy grace, and restore me to the heavenly places in christ jesus.

15 lord, cause it to be proven that i shall be like a tree planted by the streams of water, bringing forth its fruit in its season.

16 lord, i praise thee that thou art, and that thou performest thy perfect will in and through the lives of individual men.

17 lord, let me see thee today fully and freely. Keep a clear space between thee and me that i may see the way whereby i should go.

18 lord, give me discernment and inspiration for todays classes, especially for the soul of a christian talk this afternoon. Bless this day and make it radiant with thy power.

19 o lord, i have to preach in thy name today. Shall i, must i, speak on god is love? Am i to do it without thy mighty inspiration and thrill- ing power? Nay, lord, forbid it.

20 lord, what need is mine! What weaknesses lurk in hidden places and mar my whole being. O lord, i turn to thee. How i need to realise that apart from thee i can do nothing.

21 lord, i thank thee for the word this morning the lord upholdeth him with his hand. Ah lord, and thou dost talk to me with the pressure of thy hand.

22 o lord, restore the unique joy of thy presence to me and make me thine and of thee in this place. I seem unsuited for anything but just waiting on thee. Show me a token for good, o lord.

23 ye shall not fear them: for the lord your god, he it is that fighteth for you (rv ). Lord, this word came to me insistently in my reading this morning. How entirely i look to thee!

24 lord, dawn on me this day, draw me, direct me into all the beauty of thy divine purposes; touch my senses that i may see thy ways and delight in them.

25 o lord, unto thee do i come with an over- whelming sense of spiritual dryness and dearth; quicken me, o lord, for thy names sake. I will not mourn before thee, but be filled with thy spirit.

26 lord, with praise and adoration i come to thee this sunday morning. I bless thee for the inspir- ing association of my life and upbringing with sunday.

27 lord, this day be god, so great, so kind, so full of life and liberty; come in grace and power. I praise thee for the beauty of the morning.

28 lord, i thank thee for the past nights sleep; i bless thee that thou dost neither slumber nor sleep, but dost keep us by day and by night.

29 lord, unto thee do i come. Give me a gra- cious incoming of thy life till my reasoning, my imagination, and my speaking are all of thee. How grandly thou hast renewed my spirit and restored to me the joy of thy salvation!

30 lord, what powerful words come in daily light this morning: be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the l ord thy god is with thee whithersoever thou goest. Amen! Hallelujah!

31 we thank thee that there is no good-bye. We ask thee that thy crown and seal may be upon us every one until we see thee face to face.

November

1 lord, this day be the restraining one in the midst of these thousands of men; many of them are godlessthou didst die for the ungodly. Cause them to turn to thee.

2 o lord, i would beseech thee to bring me into living union with thy purpose for these huts i am in charge of. Anoint me afresh for this day in all its opportunity. Let me see thy salvation at work.

3 lord, these words come with the dawning power of thy spirits mighthe taketh away the first, that he may establish the second. How i praise thee for every remembrance of the college, it is never far from my thoughtsthat is the first, and what will be the second?

4 today, o lord, cleanse me from flurried busy- ness, and keep me calmly and purely thine. Make this hut the house of god, and the gate of heaven to mens souls.

5 lord, i do praise thee for the inestimable privi- lege of this early morning communion with thee; So work in me that i may both will and work (rv ) for thy good pleasure this day.

6 in all matters, o lord, i would acknowledge thee. Keep us in tune with thee that others may catch the joyousness and gladness of god.

7 lord, quicken my sense of thee, my discernment of thee, my concentration on thee, so that i am carefully careless about every relationship saving that in which i stand to thee.

8 lord, be manifest in our midst today, give us the great objective certainty of thy presence. This bungalow, make it bethany indeed, a house beau- tiful with god.

9 o lord, fill this hut, our bodies, this encamp- ment, the whole earth, with thy glorious self this day. Bless with flooding tides of spiritual life all of us today, just for the delight of it!

10 lord, cause this day to be filled with thy praise. Give me release from this medley of distractions, from attentiveness of nerves to all the details that press. I praise thee that my mind is stayed on thee, but i do desire thy beauty to be upon me.

11 lord, bless this day with great evidence of thy thoughts to us-ward. I praise thee for thy word this morning for i know the thoughts that i think towards you, saith the l ord , thoughts of peace, and not of evil.

12 lord, lift me up to thee so that the bloom, the radiant joy of thy salvation, visits me and shines forth for thy glory. Keep me in flowing interces- sion with thee.

13 o lord, how completely true of me is the psalm- ists wordmy soul cleaveth unto the dust. My soul is very dust-y, lord, quicken me according to thy word. One word made living by thy spirit and how exquisite is the life that comes! Lord, speak it now.

14 lord, i seem to drift around, just living dimly before thee until thou dost spring up within me. I adore thee that i have faith in thy mighty redemption, but oh, it makes such a difference to realise thy touch!

15 o lord, be so really present here in this hut that every man coming in may realise that it is gods house in deed and in truth.

16 o lord, this sense of being choked with immedi- ately present things is suffocating to our realisa- tion of thyself; come and deliver and delight us.

17 o lord, i thank thee for yesterday, and for the fleeting realisation of thy deeps in me; enable me this day to join heart and mind to thee in steady and constant prayer.

18 lord, bless with significant blessing the opening of the study classes tonight. Bring keenness of interest and spiritual power to bear strongly and mightily upon us all.

19 lord, i thank thee for the counsel in the text this morning (and let it be . . . That thou do as occasion serve thee; for god is with thee) not to fret myself into conscious usefulness, but just do as the occasion thou hast engineered shall serve.

20 lord, today give me the intuitive, instinctive inspiration of thy holy spirit that i may discern thee in all things. Fill the whole day with thy gracious presence and peace.

21 let me hear thy voicethat is my prayer. I am willing beyond all my expression to hear thee, to perceive thee, to be thrilled with thy presence.

22 lord, this day give me the most supreme absorp- tion in theesuch deflections, such leakages! I would return home to thee, living again the life of entire dependence on thee.

23 lord, how little nourishment i have been giving to the indwelling christ in me; o lord, forgive me. Fill me with the ample sense of thy forgive- ness that i may not only joy in thy salvation, but be filled with thy spirit for the work here.

24 o lord, i fully realise that i am but a little child, i know not how to go out or come in; give me therefore an understanding heart, and increase my sense of thee this day.

25 thy touch has still its ancient power; touch me, lord, into fellowship with thyself till my whole being glows with thy peace and joy.

26 o lord, unto thee do i come for this day. The degenerating tendencies of this country are sub- tle to a degree of amazement! Restore the joy of life which makes all around radiant.

27 lord, i am conscious of a lack of proportion things that are the merest trifles loom, and the glorious things retire. Give me a way out that i may be to thy glory.

28 lord, i do thank thee for the touch thou hast given me this morningbut what amazing leth- argy has been mine, what un-beautifulness! Yet this is only a revelation of what i know myself to be apart from thy life in me.

29 lord, give me a fresh anointing of thy spirit for today, in prayer, in worship, and in work, so that in all things thou mightest have the pre- eminence.

30 lord, unto thee do i come, absolutely come. I feel so entire a sense of need of thyself that i just wait for thee to speak to me, for what can i say to thee? Let me lie spread out before thee even as the desert sand beneath the sun.

December

1 lord, how dense and foggy it still is on my spiri- tual, or rather my mental horizon, so that details take portentous dimensions and crowd out the great issues of life. Emancipate me with thy deliverance.

2 o lord, cause this rod to bud. Make the study classes in this new marquee flourish before thee, even as the rod of aaron . . . Put forth buds, and bloomed blossoms (rv ).

3 how often i find it is the ass in me rather than my intelligence that turns aside and sees the angel of the lord. Lord, increase my spiri- tual sensitiveness that i may detect thy slightest goings and drawings.

4 lord, unto thee do i come, entrench me around with thyself as a wall of fire and be the glory in the midst. This sounds entirely selfish, but i know not how else to put it. O lord, thou knowest.

5 lord, not with any sense of unworthiness (how can unworthiness indulge in any sense of worthi- ness? ), not any thought of my insufficiency, nor any thought of myself at all, i come just because thou art thyself.

6 o lord, explore down to the deepest springs of my spirit where the spirit maketh intercession for us, and read the prayers i cannot utter.

7 i praise thee, o lord, for the word this sabbath morningand when moses went into the tent of meeting to speak with him, then he heard the voice speaking unto him from above the mercy- seat, . . . And he spake unto him (rv ).

8 lord, for all who are taxed physically, undertake with thy sustaining. Prevent the exacting of the enemy, and may the joy of the lord be their strength in a marvellous manner.

9 lord, i rejoice that with thee, the father of lights, there can be no variableness, neither shadow that is cast by [rv] turning. Give me to discern thy rule and government.

10 lord, in my consciousness this morning a crowd of little actual things press and i bring them straight to thy presence. In thy wisdom, say, peace, be still! And may our ordered lives con- fess the beauty of thy peace.

11 but now, o god, strengthen thou my hands lord, now! Come to me, fill me with thyself, then there will be no yearning unsatisfied.

12 lord, i do praise thee for this sense of joyful fellowship with thee again. Give me calmness of mind and keenness of purpose; keep me thine, undoubtedly and undeflectedly.

13 lord, unto thee do i turn, and on the ground of thy mighty redemption i pray great triumphing prayers with the boldness which we have toward him, that, if we ask anything according to his will, he heareth us (rv ).

14 lord, i look to thee, touch my body till it is all radiant with thy life. Bless the morning service with the men, make it right glorious with thy presence.

15 lord, i turn implicitly to thee. Be such an atmo- sphere in and around us that we may be those out of whom the rivers of living water flow.

16 lord, how eager is my growing desire for thee, not in any small parochial manner, but in the glo- rious manner of a fuller realisation of thy holi- ness.

17 lord, my approach to thee is dulled because of physical dimness, but my heart is glad, and my flesh also shall rest in hope.

18 great is our lord, and mighty in power; his understanding is infinite (rv). How certainly all might and wisdom is thine, and how certainly by thy grace i am eager for thee to have thy way through me.

19 lord, this one thingmy utterable and unutter- able need of thee. Poor in spirit describes my certain knowledge of myself. In entire necessity i come to thee.

20 speak, lord, that i may hear and understand. There seems so much outwardness in my spiritual life, so little gracious power realised; quicken me until i am incandescent with thee.

21 lord, be such a reviving and refreshing presence in our midst today that we can only rejoice as fresh hopes of eternity walking the actual ways of time open before our eyes.

22 o lord, i thank thee for the verse this morn- ingtherefore turn thou to thy god; keep mercy and judgement, and wait on thy god con- tinually. Fill all this vast encampment with thy glorious presence; restrain, and inspire godliness.

23 lord jesus, in thee dwelleth all the fulness of god; all things have been delivered unto thee; all power is given unto thee in heaven and in eartho god, my heavenly father, supply my every need according to thy riches in glory in christ jesus.

24 lord, the word that strikes me so intimately in my reading this morning is thisthus did moses; as the lord commanded him, so did he.

25 lord jesus, nineteen centuries ago thou wast here on this earth, manifested in the flesh (rv ). Be here again today, manifested in my flesh christ in you, the hope of glory.

26 o lord, my lord and master, may i be so con- sciously thine today that i am at home with thee, and joyous in my childlike delight in thy possession of me.

27 lord, fill every space around us with thyself this day. Control everything right marvellously by thy guiding hand; lift us up into thy wonderful pur- poses, and keep us from impulsive precipitancy.

28 o lord, this is thy day, and i beseech thee to bless me with thy exceeding great blessing and benediction. How wonderful it is to be able to approach thee!

29 after these things the word of the lord came saying, fear not, i am thy shield, and thy exceed- ing great reward. O lord, after these things! How i praise thee.

30 it is time, o my god, for a touch from thee, one of those great transfiguring touches in which thou dost stand out plainly and clearly from all else, brilliant moments in which i see thee and worship and wonder.

31 lord, in this land of brooding silences, of great generating winds, and fiercely-killing sun, i seem to be brooded over by theeand what will be the result? Keep me watching and waiting at thy threshold.