But there is another parallel. Try this one on for size. You can bet nobody (except perhaps Mr. Collins) appreciated Lady Catherine’s officious advice, her watchful interference. And people often feel the same way about God. They think they’re managing pretty well on their own. They don’t want or need anybody telling them what to do. God, if he exists, should leave them alone and mind his own business.
Those who think this way don’t know what they’re asking. God’s active presence is the only thing that makes our lives possible. Without him, we could do nothing (John 15:5). Without God – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit – we wouldn’t even exist. At any moment, if the triune God were to withdraw his hand of protection, the world would literally fly apart, because it’s Jesus who holds everything together.
For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For… all things were created by him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. (Colossians 1: 13-17)
Thank God that he is constantly watching over us. Rejoice that he sees everything – what we experience, feel, and need. Praise him that he hears our prayers, that he answers them according to what he knows is best, that he never slumbers or sleeps. His eye is always on the sparrow, and his hand is ready to catch us, lest we fall.
Let Us Pray
Heavenly Father, you made every creature and know each one, through and through. We thank and praise you that you love us so much that you keep an unwavering watch over each of us, that you care about even the smallest details of our lives. Without you, we can do nothing. Without Jesus, we would be lost. So it is in his name we pray. Amen.
Let Us Praise
I LIFT up my eyes to the hills – where does my help come from? My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth. He will not let your foot slip – he who watches over you will not slumber; indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep… The LORD will keep you from all harm – he will watch over your life; the LORD will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore. (Psalms 121:1-4, 7-8)
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A Body United
May we be equally united in Thy Faith & Fear, in fervent devotion towards Thee, & in Thy merciful Protection this night.
One of the first things you probably noticed when reading through a Jane Austen prayer is that she always writes ‘we,’ ‘our,’ and ‘us,’ and not ‘I,’ ‘my,’ and ‘me.’ So we know that these prayers were intended to be offered up to God by a group rather than by an individual. They were almost certainly designed for and used by her own family during evening prayers. Picture the whole Austen family reverently kneeling together before wending their way upstairs, blowing their candles out, and climbing into their beds for the night.
“…It is a handsome chapel, and was formerly in constant use both morning and evening. Prayers were always read in it by the domestic chaplain, within the memory of many; but the late Mr. Rushworth left it off.” …“It is a pity,” cried Fanny, “that the custom should have been discontinued. It was a valuable part of former times. There is something in a chapel and chaplain so much in character with a great house, with one’s ideas of what such a household should be! A whole family assembling regularly for the purpose of prayer is fine!” (Mansfield Park, chapter 9)
Corporate prayer isn’t just a charming custom, modeled for us here by Austen and carried on in a church or home as a mere tradition. It’s something taught by Jesus himself. Consider the Lord’s Prayer (Matthew 6:9-13). We say, “Our Father… Give us… Forgive us… as we… lead us… deliver us.” All plural.
Saying we and our reminds us that each Christian is part of something larger. Together, we are the body of Christ. We are a family of believers, millions strong, all linked by our common faith in Jesus and our mission to see him known and glorified. Paul reminds us,
Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit… one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all… It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. (Ephesians 4:3-6, 11-13)
We are to strive for unity in the Holy Spirit. We are to contribute to the body according to our various gifts, to build each other up, with the goal that all reach unity and maturity of faith. Doesn’t that sound a lot like Austen’s prayer petition for today? – united in faith and in fervent devotion to God.
Satan would prefer to see us divided and distracted, however. He would limit our effectiveness by stirring up dissension and conflict within our ranks – often over nonessentials. How many church bodies have become bogged down (or even permanently split) by questions such as what time their Sunday services ought to be held, who should head up a certain committee, or whether to stick with traditional music or go contemporary? How many congregants have become so busy with serving that they no longer have time for the thing most necessary: sitting at the Lord’s feet, listening to his words (Luke 10:39-42).
What did the early church focus on?
They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer… Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved. (Acts 2:42, 46-47)
Were they successful spreading the gospel because of their many programs and strenuous individual efforts? Did they attract new converts because they had awesome music that catered to current tastes? No. They were united and focused on what mattered most – the teachings of Jesus, joyful fellowship, the sacraments, and prayer – and the Lord added to their numbers.
Have you experienced firsthand a case of division within a church? Perhaps you even found yourself at the heart of the conflict – either as an instigator or the one under attack. If so, then you know all too well the destructive effects of that sort of infighting. The damage done is often incalculable and the scars agonizingly slow to heal.
Unless it’s a point of essential doctrine at stake, why not rather be wronged (1 Corinthians 6:7) than destroy unity? Why not bear with each other and forgive as the Lord forgave you (Colossians 3:13) rather than breaking that precious fellowship? If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone (Romans 12:18), especially your brothers and sisters in Christ.
Read through the Ephesians passage again. Unity is a thing worth making every effort to preserve and strengthen, and nothing strengthens unity more than praying together. If that practice has been left off in your home or church (as with the Rushworths), will you be bold enough to invite the others to join you in reinstating it for the sake of stronger, sweeter fellowship? How good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in unity! (Psalms 133:1)
Let Us Pray
Thank you, Oh Lord, for the gift of the fellowship of the body of Christ and for the unity with you and other believers that you offer through your Spirit. Strengthen those bonds, we pray, and forgive us for when we have been responsible for breaking them. Grant healing and restoration where needed, and help us find our way back to oneness through our mutual devotion to Jesus, in whose name we pray. Amen.
Let Us Praise
COME, LET us sing for joy to the LORD; let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation. Let us come before him with thanksgiving and extol him with music and song. For the LORD is the great God, the great King above all gods. (Psalms 95:1-3)
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Pe
rfect Mediator
Pardon Oh Lord! the imperfections of these our Prayers, & accept them through the mediation of our Blessed Saviour, in whose Holy Words, we farther address thee.
Late in the story of Mansfield Park, Henry Crawford does a dramatic reading from Shakespeare that amazes everybody. Edmund declares such reading no every-day talent, and even the languid Lady Bertram rouses herself to praise Crawford’s performance. The discussion between the two young men then moves on to how advantageous it would be if clergymen were more skilled in the art of public speaking, in how they read and lead worship services.
“Our liturgy,” observed Crawford, “has beauties, which not even a careless, slovenly style of reading can destroy; but it has also redundancies and repetitions, which require good reading not to be felt. For myself, at least, I must confess being not always so attentive as I ought to be… that nineteen times out of twenty I am thinking how such a prayer ought to be read, and longing to have it to read myself… A sermon, well delivered, is more uncommon even than prayers well read.” (Mansfield Park, chapter 34)
At this point in the story, Henry Crawford is truly trying to win Fanny Price to be his wife. He’s saying all these things within her hearing, hoping to impress her with his serious thoughts on serious subjects. Even so, he manages to once again betray the shallowness of his character, showing that he is all style and no substance. He admits he cannot focus on worship in church because he is distracted by imperfections in how the prayers are read. He brags that he would have delivered them much more skillfully.
In one way, I can relate. No, I don’t mentally critique the pastor’s prayers or sermon in church. But as a writer, I’ve discovered it’s difficult to turn off the editor in my head when I’m reading. Whether it’s my own work or someone else’s, I constantly find myself rewording sentences or passages to “improve” them, or thinking, “I would have said it this way instead.” It’s an ugly habit. My punishment is that this kind of background chatter tends to detract from the pure enjoyment reading should give.
However, I’m confident that Jane Austen wasn’t thinking of awkward wording or bad delivery when she wrote about the imperfections of our prayers in today’s petition. No doubt she was simply acknowledging the fact that any human prayer or act of worship cannot possibly measure up to what our holy and perfect God deserves. But she doesn’t stop at that; she goes on to give the reason we have hope that our flawed prayers will be acceptable anyway. They will be found acceptable through the mediation of our Blessed Saviour. We read in Hebrews about Jesus as our perfect high priest.
The former regulation is set aside because it was weak and useless (for the law made nothing perfect), and a better hope is introduced, by which we draw near to God… Jesus has become the guarantee of a better covenant. Now there have been many of those priests, since death prevented them from continuing in office; but because Jesus lives forever, he has a permanent priesthood. Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them. Such a high priest meets our need – one who is holy, blameless, pure, set apart from sinners, exalted above the heavens. Unlike the other high priests, he does not need to offer sacrifices day after day, first for his own sins, and then for the sins of the people. He sacrificed for their sins once for all when he offered himself. For the law appoints as high priests men who are weak; but the oath, which came after the law, appointed the Son, who has been made perfect forever. (Hebrews 7:18-19, 22-28)
This passage pairs nicely with today’s petition, for both speak of Jesus as our mediator/intercessor as well as the concept of perfect/imperfect. We are the imperfect (and our prayers are consequently imperfect as well), and Jesus is the perfect one, both in his own sinlessness and also in his qualifications to act as high priest for sinners. On the basis of the perfect sacrifice of his own life offered up on the cross, he mediates and intercedes for us, saving completely those who come to God through him.
To mediate is to intervene in order to resolve a conflict, to help the two sides in a dispute reach agreement. To intercede is to plead with somebody in authority on behalf of somebody else, especially for one who is to be punished. Both words are appropriate here. Unregenerated mankind is at war with God, the relationship broken by human sin. We all would receive the just punishment of death were it not for Jesus, who intervened on our behalf to plead for our forgiveness. Having paid our debt himself, Jesus reconciled the two parties who had been at odds, restoring us to right relationship with God again. And even now, he continues to intercede for us.
Because of Jesus, our prayers are acceptable in God’s sight as well. God is not going to critique them for style, deducting points for poor delivery or awarding extra credit for every high-sounding word we contrive to include. He cares only that the content comes from the heart.
Our prayers will never be perfect, but Jesus is.
Let Us Pray
Gracious God, we are so grateful that you sent your Son Jesus to intervene on our behalf, bridging the chasm created by sin and restoring us to right relationship with you through his perfect sacrifice. Thank you for hearing our imperfect prayers, offered by imperfect people but in Jesus’ precious name. Amen.
Let Us Praise
Praise the Savior, now and ever; praise him, all beneath the skies. Come before him and adore him, God’s own perfect sacrifice. Victory gaining, life obtaining, now in glory see him rise! ...Christ our Savior lives forever. (traditional hymn: “Praise the Savior, Now and Ever,” text by V.H.Fortunatus, 530-609)
Prayer Three
Another Day Gone
Father of Heaven! whose goodness has brought us in safety to the close of this day, dispose our Hearts in fervent prayer. Another day is now gone, & added to those, for which we were before accountable. Teach us Almighty Father, to consider this solemn Truth, as we should do, that we may feel the importance of every day, & every hour as it passes, & earnestly strive to make a better use of what Thy Goodness may yet bestow on us, than we have done of the Time past.
Give us Grace to endeavour after a truly christian spirit to seek to attain that temper of Forbearance & Patience of which our Blessed Saviour has set us the highest Example; and which, while it prepares us for the spiritual Happiness of the life to come, will secure to us the best enjoyment of what this World can give. Incline us Oh God! to think humbly of ourselves, to be severe only in the examination of our own conduct, to consider our fellow-creatures with kindness, & to judge of all they say & do with that Charity which we would desire from men ourselves.
We thank thee with all our hearts for every gracious dispensation, for all the Blessings that have attended our Lives, for every hour of safety, health & peace, of domestic comfort & innocent enjoyment. We feel that we have been blessed far beyond any thing that we have deserved; and though we cannot but pray for a continuance of all these Mercies, we acknowledge our unworthiness of them & implore Thee to pardon the presumption of our desires.
Keep us oh! Heavenly Father from Evil this night. Bring us in safety to the beginning of another day & grant that we may rise again with every serious & religious feeling which now directs us.
May thy mercy be extended over all Mankind, bringing the Ignorant to the knowledge of thy Truth, awakening the Impenitent, touching the Hardened. Look with compassion upon the afflicted of every condition, assuage the pangs of disease, comfort the broken in spirit.
More particularly do we pray for the safety and welfare of our own family & friends wheresoever dispersed, beseeching Thee to avert from them all material & lasting Evil of Body or Mind; & may we by the assistance of thy Holy Spirit so conduct ourselves on Earth as to secure an Eternity of Happiness with each other in thy Heavenly Kingdom. Grant this most merciful Father, for the sake of our Blessed Saviour in whose Holy Name & Words we further address Thee.
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 da
ily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive them that trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen.
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An Ounce of Wisdom…
Father of Heaven! whose goodness has brought us in safety to the close of this day, dispose our Hearts in fervent prayer.
We can never fully take for granted that we will make it safely through any particular day. Although experience has taught us that we usually do, accidents can happen, sudden illness may occur (even to a person who seemed perfectly healthy a moment before), and random violence is always at least a remote possibility.
When I wrote the lines above, little did I realize that I would an hour later be living out the truth of them as my husband was taken to the hospital with what turned out to be a mild heart attack. Thankfully, he’s going to be okay, but it came as quite a shock, especially since he was exactly what I had just described: a person who seemed perfectly healthy a moment before!
In much the same way, when in Persuasion a group of friends decided to take one last walk on the Cobb at Lyme, they had no suspicion that one of them would barely make it back alive. And in Sense and Sensibility, when a lovely young woman set out one day for a rather wet ramble over the grounds of the Cleveland estate, she had no idea it would result in a violent fever that would pursue her to the brink of death.
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