When God is a Refuge

This morning I came across this prayer by William Barclay.  (I actually came across this prayer as I was reading through a part of A Guide to Prayer for Ministers and Other Servants by Job and Shawchuck.)  I read through this prayer once and then read it again.  This is a prayer that reminded me today of God’s provision through the stress of life.

 
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.

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