Prayer by F.L. Battles

"O Father, we have not always been faithful to Thy Word;
We have not always taken up Thy cross to follow Thy Son;
And too often we have forgotten the church we are called to serve.
Renew in our hearts and in our minds
The faith that was in Peter and Paul,
The faith that strengthened the ancient martyres,
The faith that moved the pens and lips of the fathers,
The faith that built cathedrals and universities,
The faith that moved the Reformers to renew the church in their time.
O Father, teach us how to impart that faith to Thy people.
These petitions we lay before Thy presence in the name of Thy Son our Lord.
Amen"

Ford Lewis Battles (1915-79)