O kind Creator, bend Thine ear
To mark the cry, to know the tear
Before Thy throne of mercy spent
In this Thy holy fast of Lent.

Our hearts are open, Lord, to Thee;
Thou knowest our infirmity;
Pour out on all who seek Thy face
Abundance of Thy pardoning grace.

Our sins are many, this we know;
Spare us, good Lord, Thy mercy show;
And for the honor of Thy Name
Our fainting souls to life reclaim.

Give us the self control that springs
From discipline of outward things,
That fasting inward secretly
The soul may purely dwell with Thee.

We pray Thee, Holy Trinity,
One God, unchanging Unity,
That we from this our abstinence
May reap the fruits of penitence.

O Lord, make haste to hear my cry,
To Thee I call, on Thee rely.
Incline to me a gracious ear,
And, when I call, in mercy hear.

When in the morning unto Thee
I lift my voice and bring my plea,
Then let my prayer as incense rise
To God enthroned above the skies.

When unto Thee I look and pray
With lifted hands at close of day,
Then as the evening sacrifice
Let my request accepted rise.

Guard Thou my thoughts, I Thee implore,
And of my lips keep Thou the door;
Nor leave my sinful heart to stray
Where evil footsteps lead the way.

O righteous God, Thy chastisement,
Though sent through foes, in love is sent;
Though grievous, it will profit me,
A healing ointment it shall be.

While wickedness my foes devise,
To Thee my constant prayer shall rise,
When their injustice is o’erthrown,
My gentleness shall still be shown.

Brought nigh to death and sore distressed,
O Lord, my God, in Thee I rest;
Forsake me not, I look to Thee,
Let me Thy great salvation see.

Themselves entangled in their snare,
Their own defeat my foes prepare,
O keep me, Lord, nor let me fall,
Protect and lead me safe through all.

O merciful Creator, hear;
In tender pity bow Thine ear:
Accept the tearful prayer we raise
In this our fast of forty days.

Each heart is manifest to Thee;
Thou knowest our infirmity:
Repentant now we seek Thy face;
Impart to us Thy pardoning grace.

Our sins are manifold and sore,
But spare Thou them who sin deplore;
And for Thine own Name’s sake make whole
The fainting and the weary soul.

Grant us to mortify each sense
By means of outward abstinence,
That so from every stain of sin
The soul may keep her fast within.

Blest Three in One, and One in Three
Almighty God, we pray to Thee,
That Thou wouldst now vouchsafe to bless
Our fast with fruits of righteousness.

A holy air is breathing round,
A fragrance from above;
Be every soul from sense unbound,
Be every spirit love.

O God, unite us heart to heart,
In sympathy divine,
That we be never drawn apart,
To love not Thee nor Thine.

But by the cross of Jesus taught,
And all His gracious word,
Be nearer to each other brought,
And nearer Thee, O Lord.

Lord, in Thy sight, O let my prayer
Like morning incense rise;
My lifted hands accepted be
An evening sacrifice.

From hasty language curb my tongue,
And let a constant guard
Still keep the portal of my lips
With wary silence barred.

From wicked men’s designs and deeds
My heart and hands restrain;
Nor let me share their evil works,
Or their unrighteous gain.

Let upright men reprove my faults,
And I shall think them kind;
Like healing oil upon my head
I their reproof shall find.

O the precious, precious moments
That we spend before the throne,
And to Jesus, our Redeemer,
Make our wants and wishes known.

Refrain

O the peace that like a river
From the mount of blessing flows;
How it calms the weary spirit
To a gentle, soft repose!

O the precious, precious moments,
When a loving voice we hear,
In a whisper, low and tender,
Breathing words of happy cheer.

Refrain

O the precious, precious moments,
When the eye of faith shall see
Visions of eternal glory,
Endless raptures yet to be.

Refrain

There’s a balm for every trial,
And a rest from every care,
There’s a joy for every sorrow,
At the golden gate of prayer.

Refrain