L227 
 j eC Cao 
 
 GQnited Braper 
 
 FOR 
 MIss1ons ABROAD 
 
 During the Week 
 April 5th-rath 
 190 3 
 
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Digitized by the Internet Archive 
 | in 2021 with funding from 
 Columbia University Libraries 
 
 https://archive.org/details/weekofprayerformOOQunse 
 
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A Week of Pravper for 
 
 fltsstons Abroad 
 ae 5th to 12th, 1903 
 
 iC ‘ Officers and Members of the Foreign 
 u| Missions Boards in the United States 
 <a and Canada, meeting in New York 
 City | in January, 1903, decided toask all Christian 
 people in the United States and Canada to join in 
 a week of special prayer for the non-Christian 
 world, for the men and women who are giving 
 their lives to missionary work, and for the wider 
 recognition by Christians everywhere of the duty 
 and privilege of sharing more fully in the great task 
 of world evangelization, 
 
 The period selected for this year, April 5th to 
 12th, both inclusive, is that which commemorates 
 the Redeeming Death and Glorious Resurrection 
 of Our Lord, Jesus Christ, 
 
 It will be apparent to everyone how appropriate 
 it is to use these days for offering prayers and gifts, 
 that the message of love revealed in the Incarnation 
 of Our Lord, and the message of Life revealed in 
 His Resurrection, may be fully proclaimed through- 
 out the world for which He died. 
 
 The following suggestions for the observance of 
 the week are respectfully offered to ministers and 
 people; it being understood that it is the principle, 
 
 3 
 
 
 
rather than the particular method which it is im- 
 portant to emphasize, and that the latter should be 
 modified to meet local conditions, as may be 
 thought best. 
 
 I. BY CONGREGATIONS 
 
 In congregations having a daily service during the 
 appointed week, it is suggested that special prayer 
 for missions be offered as a part of the service; and 
 that wherever practicable mention be made each 
 day in sermons, addresses and intercessions of one 
 or more of the topics included in the Common 
 Daily Prayer and the Prayer Cycle suggested on 
 pages 5,6, €& 7 of this leaflet. 
 
 In congregations having occasional services dur- 
 ing the appointed week this plan may be modified 
 as the conditions require. 
 
 II. BY INDIVIDUALS 
 
 It is hoped that all persons receiving a copy of 
 this leaflet will share in this week of common 
 prayer for the extension of Christ’s Kingdom: 
 
 (1) By following in connection with their 
 daily private devotions the cycle on pages 6 & 7, or 
 any adaptation of it that may seem desirable; 
 
 (2) By endeavoring to pause for a moment at 
 noon each day of the week to offer prayer for 
 missions and missionaries throughout the world. 
 
 TI]. PARLOR MEETINGS 
 By joining with a few friends, in the home of one 
 of them, on one or more evenings of the week for 
 united prayer for missions and missionaries. 
 
 4 
 
Common Daily Braver 
 1H 
 
 For a realization of the need of the non-Christian 
 world, its helplessness, its materialism, lust, and 
 superstition; the inadequacy of its religions ; its 
 spiritual hopelessness. 
 
 For political righteousness and stability; for re- 
 ligious liberty and peace. 
 
 For missionaries, that they may be preserved in 
 body and spirit, and may have greater access to the 
 
 hearts of the people. 
 
 Q For the establishment of native churches and 
 Christian homes, and for the elevation of woman. 
 
 For more consecration and sacrifice ; for a full sur- 
 render to the Lordship of Christ; for a truer concep- 
 tion of the Mission of the Church. 
 
 For the evangelization of the whole world and the 
 establishment of the Kingdom of Christ. 
 
 iH 
 
 ««That they might know Thee, the only 
 true God, and Jesus Christ whom 
 Thou hast sent.”’ 
 
Braver Cycle 
 
 Ms 
 
 . The Empires of Eastern Asia, Japan, China, 
 Korea, Thibet and Siam. For friendship and 
 the decay of distrust; for continued progress; for 
 openness of mind and heart on the part of Con- 
 fucianist, Buddbist and Hindu toward the Gospel. 
 
 . Central and Western Asia, India, Afghanistan, 
 Persia, Turkey, Arabia. For religious liberty; 
 for the elevation of woman; for freedom from 
 famine; for the conversion of Mohammedans. 
 
 . The Continent of Africa. For the extinction of 
 the slave trade and the liquor trafic ; for peace; 
 for the evangelization of the Soudan, and all 
 unreached tribes. 
 
 . The Countries at our doors, Mexico and Cen- 
 tral and South America. For the spread of 
 purity of doctrine and of life; for the unreached 
 Indians; for political righteousness and stability. 
 
 5. The Islands of the Sea,the Philippines, Hawaii, 
 
 Cuba, Porto Rico, the South Seas, Madagas- 
 car. For the purification of American influ- 
 ence from all vice and irreligion, for confidence 
 
Prayer Cycle 
 iH 
 and service; for justice and peace ; for the end 
 
 of slavery and impurity, and the conquest of 
 Christianity. 
 
 6. The Evangelization of the World. For mission- 
 
 7° 
 
 aries; for the Native Churches; for all in- 
 quirers and catechumens ; for greater faith in 
 God, for the establishment everywhere of 
 Christian homes and the Christian Church, 
 and the preaching of the Gospel to every 
 
 creature. 
 
 The Church at Home. For ministers and peo- 
 ple; for forgiveness for lethargy and indiffer- 
 
 ENCE. 
 
 8. The Church at Home. For more prayer and 
 
 more faith in God’s desire to hear and answer 
 prayer; for more love and obedience. 
 
 ri 
 
 «<Pray ye the Lord of the harvest to send 
 forth laborers.’”’ 
 <<Say, Thy kingdom come.’’ 
 
NASMUCH as this leaflet isto be used 
 by the Christians of many communions 
 in our land, and for the help of such as 
 
 may desire it, the following prayers are sug- 
 gested : 
 
 od 
 
 <4] GOD, who hast made of one blood all 
 \| nations of men for to dwell on the face 
 t| of the whole earth, and didst send thy 
 AA blessed Son to preach peace to them 
 that are far off and to them that are nigh; Grant 
 that all men everywhere may seek after thee and 
 find thee. Bring the nations into thy fold, and 
 add the heathen to thine inheritance. And we 
 pray thee shortly to accomplish the number of 
 thine elect, and to hasten thy kingdom; through 
 the same Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. 
 
 
 
 
 
 a 
 
 
 
 
 
 ez ATHER of mercies, forgive, we pray 
 thee, our unbelief, and so enlarge our 
 )| hearts and enkindle our zeal that we 
 fe 23) may fervently desire the salvation of 
 alls men, man may with ready diligence labor in the 
 extension of thy kingdom ; for his sake who gave 
 himself for the life of the world, thy Son our 
 Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen. 
 
 8 
 
 
 

 
 
 SSeS LMIGHTY and everlasting God, who 
 / 4| dost govern all things in heaven and 
 earth, we commend to thy fatherly care 
 ===) all whom thou hast called to take part 
 in the missionary work of thy Church. Watch 
 over them, we beseech thee, for good; defend 
 them from all dangers both of body and soul, from 
 the pestilence that walketh in darkness and the 
 sickness that destroyeth at the noonday ; give thine 
 Angels charge concerning them, and let thy Holy 
 Spirit rule in their hearts, and prosper all their 
 work to the glory of thy Holy Name; through 
 Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. 
 
 "H 
 
 GOD, the Father of our Lord Jesus 
 Christ, our only Saviour, the Prince of 
 | Peace ; Give us grace seriously to lay 
 ===) to heart the great dangers we are in by 
 our aus divisions. ‘Take away all hatred and 
 prejudice, and whatsoever else may hinder us from 
 godly union and concord : that as there is but one 
 Body and one Spirit, and one hope of our calling, 
 one Lord, one Faith, one Baptism, one God and 
 Father of us all, so we may henceforth be all of 
 one heart and of one soul, united in one holy bond 
 of truth and peace, of faith and charity, and may 
 with one mind and one mouth glorify thee ; through 
 Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen, 
 
 9 
 
 
 
RAYER is essentially active and expansive. It 
 
 we pray for the attainment of an object, we shall 
 work for it also. If we learn to say, not with the 
 lips only, but with the heart and the understand- 
 ing, ‘‘Thy Kingdom come:’’ if we intensify our 
 prayers by due reflection on the vastness and 
 variety of the work for which we pray; if we take 
 pains to gain a detailed knowledge of some part of 
 the whole mission field; then we shall soon speak 
 one to another of that which burns within us. 
 Zeal will kindle zeal, where before silence chilled 
 it; and devotion will pass into deed. 
 
 Brooke Foss Westcorr 
 
 eS 
 
 FEEL sure that, as long as we look on prayer 
 
 chiefly as the means of maintaining our own 
 Christian life, we shall not know fully what it ismeant 
 to be. But when we learn to regard it as the 
 highest part of the work entrusted to us, the root and 
 strength of all other work, we shall see that there 
 is nothing that we so need to study and practice 
 as the artof praying aright. * * * It isonly 
 when the Church gives herself up to this holy work 
 of intercession that we can expect the power of 
 Christ to manifest itself in her behalf. * * * 
 With disciples full of faith in Himself, and bold in 
 prayer to ask great things, Christ can conquer the 
 world, <‘Lord, teach us to pray.”’ 
 
 Anprew Murray 
 10 
 
F all true believers on earth could only unite, 
 not in repeating the words merely, but in utter- 
 ing from the heart, and laying it asa daily burden on 
 the heart, the first petition of Our Lord’s Prayer, 
 ‘Thy Kingdom Come,’ the nations would be 
 shaken, and the Kingdom of God would begin to 
 advance with mighty strides towards universal 
 triumph. | 
 James M. THosurn 
 i 3 | 
 ‘N January,1793,after hearing the account of Mr. 
 Thomas, a medical officer just returned from 
 India, Mr. Fuller said, «¢We saw there was a gold 
 mine in India, but it seemed almost as deep as the 
 centre of the earth. Who will venture to explore 
 it? <I will go down,’ said Mr. Carey, ‘but re- 
 member that you must hold the ropes.? We 
 solemnly engaged to do so;_ nor while we live shall 
 we desert him.”’ 
 
COMMITTEE UNITED PRAYER 
 FOR MISSIONS ABROAD 
 25 BIBLE HOUSE, ASTOR PLACE 
 NEW YORK 
 
 <a 
 
 Copies of this leaflet may be 
 
 obtained in any quantiry at two 
 
 cents each or fifty cents per 
 hundred copies postpaid. 
 
 
 
 Printed by Louis F. EGGERS 
 The Calumet Press, New York