O LORD, Remind Us That All Below Is Passing Away

O merciful and heavenly Father, receive us graciously as we kneel before You this day. 

Every day we have to thank You for Your unfailing goodness toward us, and to confess before You our perpetual backslidings.

Deliver us, O Lord, from being burdened by earthly cares and anxieties, and may we cast them continually on You.

Deliver us from making an idol of worldly gain, for we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out.

Break every chain that binds us too closely to the world, and knit our hearts to You, that we may love You above all.

O Lord, remind us that all below is passing away, and that we must soon enter upon our eternal state.

O that we may ever keep eternity in view!

It will profit us nothing to gain the whole world, if we lose our own souls and Your everlasting kingdom.

Keep us, we beseech You, in the way of life. 

Cleanse us from all our iniquities in the blood of the Lamb.

We bless You for every comfort and every mercy which You have provided for us.

But we beseech You to enable us to set our affections on those things which are above, and not on things below.

Keep us from being dazzled by the world's attractions, or turned away from You by its riches or its honors.

We would choose the pearl of great price as our treasure, and be willing to sell all rather than lose it.

Help us to count all things but loss that we may win Christ, and reckon His reproach greater riches than any earthly good.

If by one sinful word or deed we might gain the whole world, give us grace to refuse the tempting prize.

May we love You with supreme affection, and long for nothing in comparison of Your presence here and Your glory hereafter.

Teach us to seek those things which are above, and may we live as strangers and sojourners on earth.

Most gracious Father, teach us that we are strangers and sojourners upon earth. 

Here we have no continuing city. But lead us onward to the better country.

We shall soon lie down to rest awhile beneath the sod but You will call us forth from the grave to live forever in Your Presence!

O teach us to look forward in blessed hope.

Enrich us with all the grace of Your Holy Spirit, and in due season receive us to Your glory and kingdom, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

~George Everard~