DEVOTIONAL

[walkwithchrist]

TWELFTH DAY EVENING

O LORD, all treasures of wisdom and truth and holiness are stored up in your boundless being. Grant that through our constant fellowship with you, those graces of Christian character may more and more take shape within me.

The grace of a thankful and uncomplaining heart. The grace to await your timing patiently and to answer your call promptly. The grace of courage whether in suffering or in danger. The grace to endure any hardship in the fight against evil. The grace of boldness to stand up for what is right. The grace of being adequately prepared for any temptation. The grace of physical discipline. The grace of truthfulness. The grace to treat others as I would like them to treat me.

The grace of sensitivity, that I may refrain from hasty judgment. The grace of silence, that I may refrain from thoughtless speech. The grace of forgiveness toward all who have wronged me.

The grace of tenderness toward all who are weaker than myself. The grace of faithfulness in continuing to desire that you will answer these prayers. And now, O God, give me a quiet mind as I lie down to rest. Dwell in my thoughts until sleep overtakes me. Do not let me be worried by the small anxieties of this life. Do not let any troubled dreams disturb me, so that I may wake refreshed and ready for all that tomorrow brings. And Thou, O Lord, by whom are seen

Thy creatures as they be, Forgive me if too close I lean My human heart on Thee. Amen.

_John Baillie_

[walkwithchrist]

TWELFTH DAY MORNING

O ETERNAL God, although I cannot see you with my eyes or touch you with my hands, give me today a clear conviction of your reality and power. Do not let me go into my work believing only in the world of sense and time, but give me grace to understand that the world I cannot see or touch is the most real world of all. My life today will be lived in time, but it will involve eternal issues. The needs of my body will shout out, but it is for the needs of my soul that I must care the most. My business will be with material things, but let me be aware of spiritual things behind them. Let me always keep in mind that the things that matter are not money or possessions, not houses or property, not bodily comforts or pleasures, but truth and honor and gentleness and helpfulness and a pure love of you. Thank you, Lord. For the power you have given me to grasp things unseen. For the strong sense I have that this is not my eternal home. For my restless heart which nothing finite can satisfy. Thank you, Lord. For sending your Spirit to fill my heart. For all human love and goodness that speak to me of you. For the fullness of your glory poured out in Jesus Christ. On my pilgrim journey toward eternity, I come before you, the eternal One. Let me not try to deaden or destroy the desire for you that disturbs my heart. Let me rather give myself over to its persuasion and go where it leads me. Make me wise today to see all things within the dimension of eternity and make me brave to face all the changes in my life that come from this vision. through the grace of Christ my Savior. Amen.

_John Baillie_

[walkwithchrist]

ELEVENTH DAY EVENING

O MERCIFUL heart of God, in true penitence and remorse I open my heart to you now. Let me keep nothing hidden from you while I pray. The truth about myself is humbling, but give me courage to speak it out in your presence. What I was not too ashamed to commit, may I not be too ashamed to confess. In your wisdom use this pain of confession as a way of making me hate the sins confessed. I confess to laziness in this ___ and this ___. I confess to vanity in this ___ and this ___. I confess to this ___ and this ___ indulgence in physical desires. I confess to the habit of lying in this ___ and this ___. I confess to this ___ and this ___ dishonesty. I confess to this ___ and this ___ unkind word. I confess to having entertained this ___ and this ___ evil thought. I confess to this ___ and this ___ wrong direction my life has been taking. I confess to this ___ and this ___ lapse from faithful Christian living. O Lord, whose love in the human heart can burn like a fire all that is shameful and evil, let me now grasp your perfect righteousness and make it my own. Blot out all my disobedience and let my sins be covered. Help me to feel your hand upon my life, cleansing me from the stain of past wrongdoings, loosing me from the grip of evil habits, strengthening me in new habits of pure heartedness and guiding my footsteps in the way of eternal life. O God, lead me in battle against my secret sins. Fence around my life with a shield of hope and commitment. And let Christ be formed in my heart through faith. All this I ask for his holy name’s sake. Amen.

_John Baillie_

[walkwithchrist]

ELEVENTH DAY MORNING

LORD, you are everywhere, and it is beneath your eye that all lives are lived. please grant that all my purposes and actions today may be honorable and gracious. May I be just and true in all my dealings. May no mean or unworthy thought have a moment’s place in my mind. May my motives be transparent to all. May my word be my bond. May I not take unfair advantage of anyone. May I be kind in my judgment of others. May I be unbiased in my opinions. May I be loyal to my friends and generous to my opponents. May I face adversity with courage. May I not ask or expect too much for myself. Yet, Lord, do not let me rest content with an ideal of humanity that is less than what was shown to us in Jesus. Give me the mind of Christ. May I not rest until I am like him in all his fullness. May I listen to Jesus’ question. What are you doing more than others. And so may the three Christian graces of faith, hope, and love be more and more formed within me, until all I do and say brings honor to Jesus and his gospel. O God, you proved your love to us in the passion and death of Jesus Christ our Lord. may the power of his cross be with me today. May I love as he loved. May I be obedient even to death. As I lean on his cross may I not refuse my own. but rather may I bear it by the strength of his. O Lord, you have placed the solitary in families. I ask for your heavenly blessing for all the members of my household, all my neighbors, and all my fellow citizens. May Christ rule in every heart and his law be honored in every home. May every knee bend before him and every tongue confess that he is Lord. Amen.

_ John Baillie_

[walkwithchrist]

TENTH DAY EVENING

ALMIGHTY God, thank you for your love which follows me every day of my life. Thank you that you fill my mind with your divine truth and strengthen my will with your divine grace. Thank you for every indication of your Spirit leading me, and for the things that seem like chance or coincidence at the time, but later appear to me as part of your gracious plan for my spiritual growth. Help me to follow where you lead and never quench this light that you have ignited within me, rather let me grow daily in grace and in the knowledge of Jesus my Lord. Yet as I seek your presence I do not want to pray only for myself. I bring before you all my human brothers and sisters who need your help. Especially tonight I think of.

those who are faced with great temptations. those who are faced with tasks too difficult for them. those who stand in any valley of decision. those who are in debt or poverty. those who are suffering the consequences of actions which they repented of long ago. those who through no fault of their own have had little chance in life. all family circles broken by death. all missionaries of the kingdom of heaven in every corner of the earth. those who lift high the lamp of truth in lonely places. and ___ and ___ and ___. Dear Father of all, make me a human channel through which, as far as I am able, your divine love and pity may reach the hearts and lives of some of those who are nearest to me. Amen.

_John Baillie_

[walkwithchrist]

TENTH DAY MORNING

O GOD, you are my God. I seek you, my soul thirsts for you. my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water. So I have looked upon you in the sanctuary, beholding your power and glory. Because your steadfast love is better than life, my lips will praise you. Seven times a day I praise you for your righteous ordinances. Great peace have those who love your law. nothing can make them stumble. How can young people keep their way pure. By guarding it according to your word. Make me to know your ways, O Lord. teach me your paths. Lead me in your truth, and teach me, for you are the God of my salvation. for you I wait all day long. Set a guard over my mouth, O Lord. keep watch over the door of my lips. Keep my steps steady according to your promise, and never let iniquity have dominion over me.

O Lord, who may abide in your tent. Who may dwell on your holy hill. Those who walk blamelessly, and do what is right, and speak the truth from their heart. who do not slander with their tongue, and do no evil to their friends, nor take up a reproach against their neighbors. in whose eyes the wicked are despised, but who honor those who fear the Lord. who stand by their oath even to their hurt. who do not lend money at interest, and do not take a bribe against the innocent. Those who do these things shall never be moved. Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable to you, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer. Amen.

_John Baillie_

[walkwithchrist]

NINTH DAY EVENING

O MERCIFUL Father, you look on the weaknesses of your human children more in pity than in anger, and more in love than in pity. Help me now in your holy presence to examine the secrets of my heart. Have I done anything today to fulfill the purpose for which you brought me into the world. Have I accepted the opportunities of service that in your wisdom you have put before me.

Have I performed the duties of the day without leaving any undone. Give me grace to answer honestly, Lord. Have I done anything today to damage the Christian ideal of true humanity. Have I been lazy in body or listless in spirit. Have I overindulged my bodily appetites. Have I kept my imagination pure and healthy. Have I been scrupulously honorable in all my dealings. Have I been transparently sincere in all I have claimed to be, to feel, or to do.

Give me grace to answer honestly, Lord. Have I tried today to see myself as others see me.

Have I made more excuses for myself than I have been willing to make for others. Have I been a peacemaker in my own home, or have I stirred up trouble. Have I, while professing noble convictions for great causes, failed even in common charity and courtesy toward those nearest to me.

Give me grace to answer honestly, Lord. Lord, it is only your infinite love, demonstrated to us in Jesus Christ, which has the power to destroy the empire of evil in my heart. Grant that with each day that passes I may more and more be delivered from the sins that keep tempting me. Amen.

_ John Baillie_

[walkwithchrist]

NINTH DAY MORNING

HERE I am, O God, humbly yours, lifting up my heart to you, before whom all created things are as dust and mist. You are hidden behind the curtain of our limited sight and hearing, incomprehensible in your greatness, mysterious in your almighty power. yet here am I, speaking to you with the familiarity of a child to a parent, a friend to a friend. If I could not speak to you like this, then I would indeed be without hope in the world. I have little power to do or control anything. it is not by my will that I am here or will one day pass away. Of all that will come to me today, very little will have been what I have chosen for myself. It is you, O hidden One, who has given me my heritage, and you determined the place of my birth. It is you who have given me the power to do one kind of work and have withheld the skill to do another. It is you who hold in your hand the threads of this day’s life and you alone who know what lies before me to do or to suffer. But because you are my Father, I am not afraid. Because it is your Spirit that stirs within my suffering and disease. Grant your blessing on all who are serving others in Christ’s name throughout the world. All ministers of the gospel of Christ. All social workers. All doctors and nurses who faithfully tend the sick. All who work for your mission in every land. Through them accomplish your great purpose of goodwill to all people, and grant them in their own hearts the joy of Christ’s very real presence. Grant to me also, O gracious Father, the joy of a life surrendered to Christ’s service and the peace of forgiveness granted through the power of his cross. Amen.

_John Baillie_

[walkwithchrist]

EIGHTH DAY EVENING

O GOD, the Father of all humankind, I bring before you tonight the burden of the world’s life. I join with the scattered multitudes who are crying out to you in their desperation. Hear us, O God, and look with compassion at our many needs, since you alone are able to satisfy all our desire. I especially commit to you. All who are far from their family and friends tonight. All who must lie down hungry or cold. All who suffer pain. All who are kept awake by anxiety. All who are facing danger. All who must work or keep watch while others sleep. I ask you to give them all such a sense of your presence that their loneliness may turn to comfort and their trouble to peace. O most loving God, you showed your love to us in Jesus your Son, by relieving all kinds of suffering and disease. Grant your blessing on all who are serving others in Christ’s name throughout the world. All ministers of the gospel of Christ. All social workers. All doctors and nurses who faithfully tend the sick. All who work for your mission in every land. Through them accomplish your great purpose of goodwill to all people, and grant them in their own hearts the joy of Christ’s very real presence. Grant to me also, O gracious Father, the joy of a life surrendered to Christ’s service and the peace of forgiveness granted through the power of his cross. Amen.

_John Baillie_

[walkwithchrist]

EIGHTH DAY MORNING

O GOD, who in love and pity sent us Jesus Christ to be the Light in our darkness, give me wisdom to profit from the words he spoke, and grace to follow in his footsteps. Jesus said. Whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone. so that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses. O God, give me the grace to do this now. Jesus said. It is more blessed to give than to receive. O God, give me grace today not to think of what I can get, but of what I can give. Jesus said. When you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing. O God, grant that what I give may be given without self-satisfaction and without thought of praise or reward. Jesus said. Enter through the narrow gate. O God, give me grace today to keep to the narrow path of duty and honest dealing. Jesus said. Do not judge. O God, give me grace today to take the plank out of my own eye before I look at the speck in my brother’s or sister’s eye. Jesus said. What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet lose their own soul. O God, give me grace to live this day in such a way that whatever else I lose, I will not lose my soul, my very life in you. Jesus said. Then this is how you should pray and this, Lord, is how I pray . Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. Forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us. And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For yours is the kingdom, the power, and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen.

_John Baillie_

[walkwithchrist]

SEVENTH DAY EVENING

O ETERNAL Being, you live in everlasting light. now as the world’s light fades, I seek the brightness of your presence. You never get weary. now as my limbs grow heavy and my spirit begins to flag, I commit myself to you. You never sleep. now as I lie down to sleep, I cast myself into your care. You keep watch eternally. now when I lie helpless, I rely on your love. Before I sleep, O God, I look back over today in the light of your eternity. I remember with bitterness the duties I have avoided. I remember with sorrow the hard words I have spoken. I remember with shame the unworthy thoughts I have held in my mind. Use these memories, O God, to save me, and then blot them out forever. I remember with joy the beauties of the world today. I remember with sweetness the kindness of others which I have seen today. I remember with thankful ness the work you have enabled me to do today and the truth you have enabled me to learn. Use these memories, O God, to humble me, and then let them live forever in my soul. Before I sleep, let me spend this moment rejoicing in the love and friendships with which you have blessed my life. I rejoice in the dear memory of ___ and ___. knowing that though they have passed into the mystery beyond death, they have not passed beyond your love and care. I rejoice in my continued friendship with ___ and ___. I entrust them, along with myself, into your care through the hours of darkness. O Father, have compassion on all those who have nowhere to sleep, and those who, though lying down, cannot sleep for pain or anxiety. In the name of our Lord Jesus. Amen.

_John Baillie_

[walkwithchrist]

SEVENTH DAY MORNING

O LORD and Maker of all things, whose creative power made the first ray of light, and who looked on the world’s first morning and saw that it was good, I praise you for this light that now streams through my windows to waken me to the life of another day. I praise you for the life that stirs within me.

I praise you for the bright and beautiful world around me.

I praise you for the earth and sea and sky, for the hurrying clouds and singing birds. I praise you for the work that you have given me to do. for all you have given me to fill my hours of leisure. I praise you for my friends. I praise you for music and books and good company and all harmless and delightful pleasures. O Lord, you yourself are everlasting Mercy. give me a tender heart today toward all those who in this morning light are less joyful than I am.

Those in whom the pulse of life grows weak. Those who are unable to get out of bed to enjoy the sunshine. The blind, who are shut off from the light of day. The overworked, who have no joy of leisure. The unemployed, who have no joy of labor. The bereaved, whose hearts and homes are desolate. Have mercy on them all. O Light that never fades, as the light of day now streams through these windows and floods this room, so let me open to you the windows of my heart, that all my life may be filled with the radiance of your presence. Do not let any corner of my being be left in darkness, but illuminate every part of me by the light of your face. Do not leave anything within me that could darken the brightness of the day. Let the Spirit of Jesus, whose life was the light of all people, rule within my heart until evening. Amen.

_John Baillie_

[walkwithchrist]

SIXTH DAY EVENING

O LORD, you are the only origin of all that is good and fair and true. to you I lift up my soul. O God, send your Spirit now to enter my heart. Now as I pray this prayer, do not let any room within me be secretly closed to keep you out. O God, give me the power to pursue only what is good. Now as I pray this prayer, banish any evil purpose or plan that lurks in my heart waiting for an opportunity to be fulfilled. O God, bless all my plans and work, and help them to prosper. Now as I pray this prayer, do not let me hold on to any plan that I dare not ask you to bless. O God, give me purity of heart, mind, and body. Now as I pray this prayer, do not let me say to myself secretly,

But not yet or But not too much. O God, bless every member of this household. Now as I pray this prayer, do not let me harbor in my heart any jealousy, bitterness, or anger toward any of them. O God, bless my enemies and all those who have done me wrong. Now as I pray this prayer, do not let me cherish in my heart the intention to pay them back as soon as I get an opportunity. O God, let your Kingdom come on earth. Now as I pray this prayer, do not let me still intend in my heart to devote my best hours and years to the service of lesser goals. O Holy Spirit of God, as I finish this time of prayer, do not let me return to evil thoughts and the ways of the world, but let the same mind be in me that was in Christ Jesus. Amen.

_ John Baillie_

[walkwithchrist]

SIXTH DAY MORNING

O GOD, you have proved your love for all people by sending us Jesus Christ our Lord, and you have illuminated our human life with the radiance of his presence. Thank you for this, your greatest gift. Thank you, God. For every day my Lord spent on this earth. For the record of his deeds of love. For the words he spoke for my guidance and help. For his obedience, even to death. For his triumph over death. For the presence of his Spirit with me now. Help me, Lord, to remember the blessed life that was once lived out on this common earth, under these ordinary skies. May I take this memory into each task and duty of today. Help me to remember. His eagerness to help others, rather than be helped. His sympathy with suffering of every kind. His bravery in the face of his own suffering. His gentleness toward others, so that when he was abused he did not retaliate. His steadiness of purpose in keeping to his appointed task. His simplicity. His self-discipline. His serenity of spirit. His complete reliance upon you, his Father in heaven. In each of these ways give me grace to follow in his footsteps. Almighty God, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, I commit all my ways to you. I entrust my soul into your hands. I pledge my life to your service. May this day be for me a day of obedience and love, a day of happiness and peace. May all I do and say be worthy of Christ and his gospel. Amen.

_John Baillie_

[walkwithchrist]

FIFTH DAY EVENING

ALMIGHTY God, in this hour of quiet I seek communion with you. I want to turn away from the worry and fever of today’s work, from the world’s jarring noises, from the praise and blame of other people, from the confused thoughts and fantasies of my own heart, and instead seek the quietness of your presence. All day long I have been working and striving, but now in stillness of heart and in the clear light of your eternity, I want to think about the pattern my life has been weaving. May there fall on me now, O God, a great sense of your power and your glory, so that I may see all earthly things as they really are. Help me to know more deeply that with you one day is like a thousand years and a thousand years are like one day. Give me now such a clear understanding of your perfect holiness that I may no longer be full of pride in my own achievements. Give me now such a clear vision of your uncreated beauty that I may never be satisfied with anything less. Though earth and man were gone,

And suns and universes cease to be,

And Thou wert left alone, Every existence would exist in Thee. Dear Father, I am content to leave my life in your hands, knowing that you have counted every hair of my head. I am content to give over my will to yours, believing I can find in you a righteousness, an integrity, that I could never have obtained on my own. I am content to leave all my loved ones in your care, believing that your love for them is greater than mine. I am content to leave in your hands the causes of truth and justice and the coming of your kingdom, believing that my passion for them is just a feeble shadow of your steady purpose. To you, O God, be glory forever. Amen.

_John Baillie_

[walkwithchrist]

FIFTH DAY MORNING

GOD of my ancestors, I cry out to you. You have been the refuge of good and wise people in every generation. When history began you were the first to enlighten the minds of men and women, and your Spirit was the first to lead them to realize their full humanity. Throughout the ages you have been the Lord and giver of life, the source of all knowledge, and the fountain of all goodness. The patriarchs, like Abraham, trusted you and were not put to shame. The prophets, like Isaiah, sought you and you put your words on their lips. The psalmists, like David, rejoiced in you and you were present in their songs. The apostles, like Peter, waited for you and were filled with your Holy Spirit. The martyrs, like Stephen, called upon you and you were with them in the flames. This poor soul called, and was heard by the Lord, and was saved from every trouble. O God, you have always been there, you are with us now, and you endure forever. I thank you for this well-worn Christian path, a road beaten hard by the footsteps of saints, apostles, prophets, and martyrs. Thank you for the signposts and warning signals which are there at every corner and which I can understand through the study of the Bible, and history, and all the great literature of the world. Above all, I give you sincere and humble thanks for the great gift of Jesus Christ, the pioneer of our faith. I praise you that I have been born in an age and a land that have known his name, and that I am not called to face any temptation or trial which he did not first endure. Holy Lord, help me to profit from these great memories of the ages gone by, and help me to enter into the glorious inheritance which you have prepared for me. through Jesus Christ my Lord. Amen.

_John Baillie_

[walkwithchrist]

FOURTH DAY EVENING

O LORD, all human hearts lie revealed and open before you. Forbid that I should seek to hide from you anything that I have done or thought or imagined today. All these things that are hidden from others, let me now openly acknowledge in your presence. Let no false shame keep me from confessing the wrongs that proper shame should have kept me from committing. O Lord, whose tender mercies cover us all, humbly and sorrowfully I crave your forgiveness for the sins of this day. For every weakening and degrading thought that I have allowed to dwell in my mind. For every hasty and thoughtless word. For every failure of self-control. For every stumbling block I have put in someone else’s way, whether by wrongdoing or bad example. For every lost opportunity. For lazy feet and a procrastinating will.

For ___. And ___. And ___. Grant that as the days go by, your Spirit may more and more rule in my heart, giving me victory over these and other sinful ways. Into your loving care I commit all those who are dear to me, especially ___ and ___. Bless all those with whom I live and work and worship. Grant them a satisfying sense of your reality and power. Be with all those who are in danger or distress tonight. Be in every sore heart, every grief-stricken or broken home, and beside every sickbed giving to all the blessing of your peace. Amen.

_John Baillie_