Another Saturday Evening Prayer
On the evening before the Lord’s Day, prepare yourself through prayer.
Though the sun will rise tomorrow in the same way it does on every other day of the week, let us remember that tomorrow is the Sabbath of the Lord. Help us to recognize that it is a high day, blessed, holy and honourable to you. Give us an abundance of grace to sanctify the day even as you have sanctified it from creation. Do wonders among us tomorrow. Enable us to set our minds on a proper work of preparation, since the Sabbath is now drawing near. [Exod 16:23; John 19:31; Isa 58:13; Gen 2:3; Josh 3:5; Luke 23:54]
When you saw everything you had made in six days, you declared that all was very good. But despite the perfections of our first father, we have all offended in many ways. Yet as we come to worship in repentance and trust in Christ’s blood, wash not only our feet, but also our hands, our head, and our heart. Cleanse us so we can teach transgressors your ways. Let us use this day to the fullest, encircling your altar, declaring our thanksgiving and recounting all your wondrous works. [Gen 1:31; James 3:2; John 13:9; Psa 51:3, 7, 13; 26:6-7]
Give us rest from all our works for this whole day. Let us leave all our worldly cares at the bottom of your holy hill as we do up the mountain to worship you. Then let us return refreshed to our labours. [Heb 4:10; Gen 22:5]
[Excerpted from Matthew Henry’s A Way to Pray]
