Prayer for the government of the thoughts.

Teach me, O Almighty Father,
so to govern my wild thoughts,
that the inclinations of my heart
may not gain too great an ascendancy over them.

I am a weak and helpless being, O my God,
and every day I feel,
that without Thy merciful goodness upholding me,
I should sink and be no more.

O add to Thy manifold blessings, my Heavenly Father,
and show me the means of governing my thoughts,
and grant me strength to resist
when they dwell too much
on the wishes and desires of this world.

Without Thy divine aid, O my God,
I know not how to govern my ever-varying thoughts,
I know not how to lead them in the mght way,
nor can I turn them from their favourite objects.

O teach me how to govern them
so as to enable me to prevent them
from following too much the wishes and inclinations of my heart,
and then trifling sorrows and disappointments
will be less often mine,
for I am but a weak and sinful child of Earth,
and my wild thoughts will become wild desires,
if I know not how to govern them.

Grant me, O my God,
so to guide them in the right way,
that they may be free from guilt or even folly,
and that could my heart be open to the eye of man
as it is to Thee, O God,
I might not be ashamed of the thought contained therein.

Hear me, O my God,
for I put my trust in Thee,
for I know, weak, sinful as I am
without Thy divine assistance
I shall have no light to guide me
in my dark and difficult path,
and my strength will fail me
ere I reach that destined spot
where peace and joy will be my blest reward.

Then through Thine infinite mercy hear me,
O most merciful and Almighty God.
Hear me, and answer me
from Thy throne of resplendent brightness,
and for the sake of Thy Holy and Awful Name
O grant my prayer!
Amen.