1. In our morning prayers.
Our voice shalt thou now hear in the morning, in the morning will we direct our prayer unto thee, and look up; for our souls wait for thee, O Lord, more than they that watch for the morning, yea, more than they that watch for the morning; and we will sing aloud of thy mercy in the morning ; for thou hast been our defence. Ps 5:3; Ps 130:6; Ps 59:16.
It is thou, O God, that hast commanded the morning, and caused the day-spring to know its place, that it might take hold of the ends of the earth, and it is turned as clay to the seal. Job 38:12–14.
The day is thine, the night also is thine, thou hast prepared the light and the sun. Ps 74:16.
With the light of the morning, let the day-spring from on high visit us, to give us the knowledge of salvation through the tender mercies of our God ; and let the Sun of righteousness arise upon our souls with healing under his wings; and our path be as the shining light, which shines more and more to the perfect day. Luke 1:77, 78. Mal 4:2. Prov 4:18.
It is of thy mercy, O Lord, that we are not consumed, even because thy compassions fail not ; they are new every morning, great is thy faithfulness ; and if weeping sometimes endures for a night, joy comes in the morning. Lam 3:22, 23. Ps 36:5
We thank thee that we have laid us down; have had where to lay our head, and have not been wandering in deserts and mountains, in dens and caves of the earth; and that we have slept, and have not been full of tossings to and fro till the dawning of the day; that wearisome nights are not appointed to us, and we are not saying at our lying down, When shall we arise, and the night be gone? But our bed comforts us, and our couch ease our complaint. Thou givest us sleep as thou givest it to thy beloved. And that having laid us down and slept, we have waked again ; thou hast enlightened our eyes, so that we have not slept the sleep of death. Ps 3:5. Matt 8:20. Heb 11:38. Job 7:3, 4, 13. Ps 127:2; Ps 13:3.
Thou hast preserved us from the pestilence that walketh in darkness, and from the malice of the rulers of the darkness of this world, the roaring lion that goes about seeking to devour. He that keeps Israel, and neither slumbers nor sleeps, has kept us, and so we have been safe. Ps 91:6. Eph 6:12. 1 Pet 5:8. Ps 121:4. But we cannot say with thy servant David, that when we awake we are still with thee, or that our eyes have prevented the night-watches, that we might meditate on thy word ; but vain thoughts still lodge within us. O pardon our sins, and cause us to hear thy loving-kindness this morning, for in thee do we trust; cause us to know the way wherein we should walk, for we lift up our souls unto thee. Teach us to do thy will, for thou art our God, thy Spirit is good, lead us into the way and land of uprightness. Ps 139:18; Ps 119:148. Jer 4:14. Ps 143:8, 10.
And now let the Lord preserve and keep us from all evil this day, yea, let the Lord preserve our souls. Lord preserve our going out, and coming in; give thine angels charge concerning us, to bear us up in their hands, and keep us in all our ways. And give us grace to do the work of the day in its day, as the duty of the day requires. Ps 121:7, 8; Ps 91:11, 12. Hara iii.
Pray now: a guided prayer in six parts, with the next heads each day.
Henry’s text is in the public domain. Philadelphia: Presbyterian Board of Publication, No. 265 Chestnut Street. Undated, about 1840 to 1860. The preface is dated Chester, March 25, 1710. From the Internet Archive scan. The KJV text is in the public domain.