Small Group Prayers

In poverty, be riches,
In hunger, living food,
In dry and barren deserts,
The fount of every good;
In nakedness and sickness,
Be robes of righteous white
And health upon the sojourn
To New Jerusalem’s light.

In sorrow, be our helper;
In grief, be ever near;
In trial, be our patience;
When tempted, egress clear.
O teach us in the valley,
Though death’s deep shade be there,
To follow without fearing
And trust your perfect care.

Our many friends and family
Who yet contend with thee,
Have mercy and compassion
Upon them; let them see
That you alone can save them
From every grief and pride,
That every good they grope for
Is only at your side.

Let us be ever grateful
For every gift you send;
Both spiritual and earthly,
We get them from your hand.
Assured that all successes
Your providence doth raise,
As sacrifice we offer
Our grateful lips in praise.

As we your word do open,
Upon us now bestow
To hear and understand it
And application know,
But most of all enlighten
Those eyes within our heart,
To raise us up to glory
And see thee as thou art.

O Father in the highest,
O Son who intercedes,
And thou, O Holy Spirit
Who helps us in our need,
We now yet feebly praise thee—
Give pow’r to thee adore!—
To thee be all the glory
Now and forevermore.

—To “All Sufficient Merit,” 4/3/25

Most of this is self-explanatory—it’s prayer time during my small group—but I am pretty pleased with how the second-to-last stanza captures my pastor’s stated goal in exposition: to ask what does the text say, what does it mean by what it says, and how do we walk it out in light of the finished work of Jesus Christ?