A Special Prayer From My College
I went to school at West Point and certainly grew in faith in there.
They had a written prayer that we often prayed that is of benefit to West Point’s culture but also has some good things in it for Christians. Here is the whole thing taken from the West Point website.
Cadet Prayer
O God, our Father, Thou Searcher of human hearts, help us to draw near to Thee in sincerity and truth. May our religion be filled with gladness and may our worship of Thee be natural.
Strengthen and increase our admiration for honest dealing and clean thinking, and suffer not our hatred of hypocrisy and pretence ever to diminish. Encourage us in our endeavor to live above the common level of life. Make us to choose the harder right instead of the easier wrong, and never to be content with a half truth when the whole can be won. Endow us with courage that is born of loyalty to all that is noble and worthy, that scorns to compromise with vice and injustice and knows no fear when truth and right are in jeopardy. Guard us against flippancy and irreverence in the sacred things of life. Grant us new ties of friendship and new opportunities of service. Kindle our hearts in fellowship with those of a cheerful countenance, and soften our hearts with sympathy for those who sorrow and suffer. Help us to maintain the honor of the Corps untarnished and unsullied and to show forth in our lives the ideals of West Point in doing our duty to Thee and to our Country. All of which we ask in the name of the Great Friend and Master of all.
Amen
Prayer From My College Indeed
I have often said to myself, Lord help me to live above the common level of life. Sometimes, that phrase simply spurs me on.
I love its call to reach higher and the implicit call to keep growing. It is a plea and a statement of intent in one. God help us to choose and live so well.
“Help us to draw near to thee in sincerity and truth.” Only prayer can get us there. To be wholly there with God is hard and great. To see Him as he is even as he lets us see who we are is a peek into heaven.
“Harder right instead of easier wrong.” God help us indeed.
Heavenly Father, Thank you for this help to put to words my heart cry to be your man in this dark world.
Thanks for joining me.
