Family Prayers By Ashton Oxenden & C. H. Ramsden   FIRST WEEK—FRIDAY EVENING   ALMIGHTY GOD, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, look favorably upon us, we beseech Thee, while in His name we kneel before Thee. We come to Thee confessing our sins, acknowledging Thy goodness and loving-kindness, and imploring afresh Thy gracious protection and favor.   We praise and bless Thee, O our God, for the many mercies of another day. Grant that all Thy goodness may draw our hearts closer to Thyself. Make us more anxious to serve and please Thee. Pardon our past ingratitude and unprofitableness, our wasted time and neglected talents. We mourn over the weakness of our faith, and the coldness and feebleness of our love. May Thy Holy Spirit take of the things of Christ and reveal them unto us, showing us the exceeding greatness of His love; and thus may our hearts be softened and melted into a deeper and more fervent love to Him. And as Christ pleased not Himself, so, O Lord, enable us by Thy grace to deny ourselves, and take up our cross, and follow Him.   Thou knows, O Heavenly Father, that we are greatly hindered in running our heavenly race. Our enemies are strong and subtle; our own strength is utter weakness; and our hearts are deceitful above all things. Send us help from above. Clothe us with Thy whole armor. Make us strong in Thee, and in the power of Thy might. And if at any time, through our weakness and frailty, we should fall into sin, do Thou restore our souls; bring us back to Thy paths; and let us neither be swallowed up by over-much sorrow, nor hardened into indifference by the deceitfulness of sin.   Lord, we humbly seek Thy blessing on behalf of all whom we love. We pray Thee to lead them in Thy way. Let Thy good Spirit enlighten and sanctify them, bring them to the knowledge of the Savior, and build them up in their most holy faith. May we, and all dear to us, be united to each other and to Thee in bonds which shall never he broken.   We are once more about to lie down to rest. Watch over us through the hours of darkness. Refresh us with peaceful sleep, and keep our minds free from anxious care and murmuring thoughts.   O Thou keeper of Thy Church, who never slumbers nor sleeps, preserve our bodies and souls in safety. And when we lie down in the last sleep of death, may we have the presence of our good Shepherd with us, and when He appears wake up in His glorious likeness.   Grant unto us now, and whenever we pray to Thee, an answer of mercy and peace for the sake of Jesus Christ our Redeemer. Amen.   Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be honor and glory, for ever and ever. Amen. ____________________________________________________ Family Prayers, Ashton Oxenden & C.H. Ramsden Edited & Reprinted by Chuck Long.  Website: www.Godsgwg.com. Email: Godsgwg@juno.com