EVENING PRAYER.
O Lord, we give thee thanks that thou hast preserved us through the past day; that thou hast helped us to do our work, and hast not suffered us to fall into any hurtful evils. Yet, Lord, we know and feel that the day has not been without its temptations and sins. We have done many things which we ought not to have done, and have left undone many things which we ought to have done; and for these sins, O Lord, we ask thy forgiveness. Oh, wash them all away in the blood of Jesus. Give us hearts to love and obey thee more perfectly hereafter.
Keep us, O Lord, through the night, from all harm. Give us peaceful sleep. And when the night of death shall come, may we sleep in Jesus, and awake in heaven. This we ask through Jesus Christ, our blessed Redeemer. Amen.
Learn also the Lord’s prayer, and help your children to learn it. You should often say it as a morning prayer; going down upon your knees with your little ones, and all repeating it aloud together.
THE LORD’S PRAYER.
“Our Father which art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil; for thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.”
As soon as you learn to read, let your prayers be accompanied by the reading daily of at least a few verses out of the Bible. Take great pains also to teach your children to pray. There are a great many pretty little prayers they can learn, and some of them are in verse. I will give two of these, though I dare say some of you know them already.
PRAYER FOR A LITTLE CHILD ON GOING TO BED.
“Now I lay me down to sleep,