A Prayer

O God, you are our refuge.

When we are exhausted by life's efforts;

When we are bewildered by life's problems;

When we are wounded by life's sorrows:

We come for refuge to you.

O God, you are our strength.

When our tasks are beyond our powers;

When our temptations are too strong for us;

When duty calls for more than we have to give to it:

We come for strength to you.

O God, it is from you that all goodness comes.

It is from you that our ideals come;

It is from you that there comes to us the spur of high desire and the restraint of conscience.

It is from you that there has come the strength to resist any temptation,

and to do any good thing.

And now as we pray to you,

Help us to believe in your love,

so that we may be certain

that you will hear our prayer;

Help us to believe in your power,

so that we may be certain

that you are able to do for us

above all that we ask or think;

Help us to believe in your wisdom,

so that we may be certain

that you will answer,

not as our ignorance asks,

but as your perfect wisdom knows best.

All this we ask through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

-From Prayers for the Christian Year by William Barclay