Following Lines of Action - Prayers of our Predecessors (May 25)

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever. - Psalm 23 (ESV)

The Prayer:

Our Heavenly Father, give us renewed power to overcome all our faults. Give us a renewed spirit of good will toward all our fellow beings. Give us a firmer faith in You, and in all the promises of Your Holy Word. Help us to follow those lines of action which bring peace, honor, and prosperity. And, by the guidance of Your Holy Spirit, guide us ever in the way that goes upward, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. 

Dean Charles R. Brown, New Haven, Connecticut 

The Author:

Dean Charles R. Brown was a Congregational Minister and a dean at Yale Divinity School. Born in October 1, 1862 and died in November 28, 1950. He authored a number of books and paper while at Yale. 

Thoughts:

In this short prayer, Brown prays, "Help us to follow those lines of action which bring peace, honor, and prosperity."  Don't get tripped up on the word prosperity. Predating the ills of the Prosperity Gospel his use of the word seems more about our entire well-being. I was able to dig up some references that contextualize these words from his prayer a bit more. It seems Brown was a firm believer in "faith-in-action". And while he does pray for a "firmer faith" and trust in the promises of God, to him (as it should be to all of us) there is a sense in which faith must become action. As the old adage goes, "If I was to be accused of being a Christian, would there be enough evidence to convict me?" The Gospel calls us to follow "lines of action toward Christ and toward others".