Perseverance

Grant us, O God, the strength to persevere:
honesty, humility and endurance therein.
So govern our desires that we may ever seek You;
never be content with less than You;
never decline from You
from weariness, self-indulgence or indifference;
never mistake the beauty of Your works for You, the perfect beauty.

When the way is too hard, give us courage.
When the landscape is too fair, give us purity of sight.
Give us, above all, strength to give ourselves back to You,
for we know that only thus we can achieve You.

And when our powers are dim and we can no longer seek You, seek us of Your infinite mercy and open our eyes on the light of Your love. Ask for the peace of God. 

--Evelyn Underhill (1875-1941), English Anglo-Catholic mystic, writer, and retreat leader, from Evelyn Underhill's Prayer Book.