Pulpit Notes: An Evening Prayer

Normally, I’m a morning devotion person. I like to get up before anyone else, sip coffee, and read Scripture. But I remember one night in particular when I was reminded of the great need for evening prayer and devotion.

It had been a very long, hard day. The demands of the day seemed to have taken a toll, and my heart ached for those I knew who sat at home alone, or those who were facing for the first time the reality that their marriage was in grave danger, or those who had just heard that the lab reports were not good.

I had a tremendous need for solitude. Lauren had retired for the night, and I sat and turned to a book that I’ve come to love: The Prayers of Peter Marshall, edited by his wife, Catherine. As I ran my finger down the table of contents, I saw an entry titled “Evening Prayer.” Perhaps the words of this humble servant could provide the balm I needed.

I offer just a portion of this prayer in the hope that it might touch you in the same manner it moved my weary spirit that evening:

“Lord Jesus, we come to Thee for an evening blessing, to seal within our hearts the inspirations and memories of this day.

We ask Thee for the blessing of
quietness for every troubled heart,
rest for every weary soul,
new faith and courage for all who have faced exhausting tasks this day.

We would rest now in Thee and find in this evening hour Thy stillness and Thy peace to bring us into quiet harmony with Thy will.

We give thanks for
every challenge that this day has brought,
every new vision of God that winged its way across our skies,
every whisper of God that we have sensed in the beauty of Thy world,
every thought of God that comes in quiet moments,
every need of Thee that brought us back again to Thee in prayer… .”

What about your day? Is it a day that might require dedication to the divine for ultimate understanding and meaning? If it is, spend some time alone in quiet meditation. Read an evening prayer that seeks God’s blessings and peace, as well as offering the thanks that every day deserves when it is seen as a precious gift from God.

Perhaps then — no matter what you have faced — you will be granted the peace the Psalmist knew when he wrote: “I will lie down and sleep in peace, for You alone, O God, make me dwell in safety.”  (Psalm 4:8)

Soli Deo Gloria,
Conrad

Reverend Dr. Conrad C. Sharps
Senior Pastor