Heavenly Wisdom

O God of the ages, grant that I, who am the heir of all the ages, may not fail to profit by the heavenly wisdom which in time past Thou didst grant to Thy servants.

A wise man wrote,
The world is too much with us; late and soon,
Getting and spending, we lay waste our powers.
O God, give me grace to profit by this word.

A wise man wrote,
Our wills are ours to make them Thine.
O God, give me grace to profit by this word.

A wise king said,
Nothing for me is too early or too late which is in due time for Thee.
O God, give me grace to profit by this word.

A wise man said,
Expect great things from God, attempt great things for God.
O God, give me grace to profit by this word.

A wise man said,
In His Will is our peace.
O God, give me grace to profit by this word.

A wise woman said,
The divine moment is the present moment.
O God, give me grace to profit by this word.

A wise woman said,
He asks too much to whom God is not sufficient.
O God, give me grace to profit by this word.

A wise man prayed,
Give what Thou commandest, and command what Thou wilt.
O God, give me grace to profit by this word.

A wise man wrote,
My past life hide; my future guide.
(Quod vixi tege, quod vivam rege.)
O God, give me grace to profit by this word.

Grant, O Father, that I may go about this day's business with an ever-present remembrance of the great traditions wherein I stand and the great cloud of witnesses which at all times surround me, that thereby I may be kept from evil ways and inspired to high endeavor. So keep me until evening in the might of Jesus Christ my Lord. Amen.

(a prayer of John Baillie, from the book A Diary of Private Prayer; photo via everystockphoto.com)