A Writer’s Evening Prayer
(based on “An Evening Prayer” by C. Maud Battersby)
__________
If I have failed to heed your voice today,
If I have driven any of your thoughts away,
If I have written my own willful way:
Dear Lord, forgive!
If I have written idle words or vain,
If I have worked for earthly gain,
If my words should bring one soul pain,
Dear Lord, forgive!
If I appropriated words not mine,
If I failed to give a credit line,
If I’ve cast my pearls before swine,
Dear Lord, forgive!
If I’ve failed in substance or in style,
If in anything I’ve stooped to guile,
If I’ve failed at all to win your smile,
Dear Lord, forgive!
Forgive the sins I have confessed to you,
Forgive the sins I don’t know I do,
And make my writing both good and true;
All else forgive.
Amen.
Printing this out to finish my writing day with from now on. Thank you!
I appreciate this so much. I will have to print this and keep it by my writing desk. Thank you!
That is beautiful, Bob. Thank you for sharing it.
I found An Evening Prayer in an old Cokesbury hymnal years ago and it became an instant favorite to play on the piano and sing with my husband. Bob, thank you for converting this beautiful hymn into a prayer for writers.
Bob, this is beautiful, a gift.
Lord, I am a working man,
with character beset by burls
and writing to economy plan;
my words are words, they are not pearls.
I write to those who are, like me,
not to Your Manor born.
They only gain the victory
when from the mire they’re torn.
And so I write to piper’s tune,
that passes thro’ swinery bars
so those within might see the moon
and start to wonder at the stars.
Perhaps, by Your grace, by and by,
my words may teach a pig to fly.
Thank you, Andrew. Sending hugs and prayers.
Thank you so much, Judith!
If you could offer some prayers for Barb, her Da died this morning. Not unexpected, but still very hard.
Thanks, Bob. This says it all for me.
Thanks, Steve! What a great way to end a day!
Good one. The antidote:
Quiet time, O precious silence
Time for those with ears to hear
Speak to me, O God of Israel
Speak to me as I draw near
Son of Man and Son of David
Son Eternal that Thou art
Give me eyes with which to see, and
Show the ending from the start
Disclose the things which once were written
For instruction – for our sake
Dim precursors of the future
Shadows of the heavenly make
Show me parables of Jesus
Show the heart of teachings all
Veiled from those who, unbelieving
Know not over what they fall
But grant that I might have compassion
Lovingkindness, justice too
Grant that in my meditation
Prayerful, I become like You
For I was once the same as they are
Child of wrath as all the rest
Hard of heart and dull of hearing
Deaf to each Divine request
But in compassion everlasting
You saw fit to grant the grace,
Mercy, love, and light I needed
In the darkness of my place
And like the dawning of the new day
Shining brightly, brighter still
Understanding grew and beckoned
Like the lamp upon the hill
So speak to me, O Lord of heaven
Speak to me, O Lord of light
That I might hear You in the silence
I might see You in the night
Lewis, this is OUTSTANDING!
Thank you very much.
Thank you for sharing this prayer.
Thank you! My heart’s desire is to do His will.
This “prayers for writers” series is my favorite of all the recurring posts on this blog. Thanks so much, Bob!
Bob, thank you so much for sharing your heart and prayer with us. You are an inspiration. I have the feeling that God finds little in you that needs forgiveness.
Thanks for this. Blessings
Wow Wow Wow
AWESOME!!!:-)
WHAT MORE CAN I SAY…
Amen!
A very wonderful prayer!