Cadets Prayer

Dear Brig Gangadharan,
In response to your 'The Soldier', I am enclosing a copy of the prayers that we in JSW, way back over half a century, used to recite, during first period of our indoor classes; thinking that it might interest you. The contents, free from any religious leanings, are so aptly worded, that even today, when rest of this world is on the run of a different kind, these continue to guide the older lot like us, on wholesome lines.
Regards
Col R S Kashyap (Retd)

Cadets Prayer
O God, our father, Thou searcher of men’s heart, help us to draw nearer to Thee in sincerity and truth. May our religion be filled with gladness and may our worship of Thee be natural.

Strengthen and increase our admiration for honest dealing and clean thinking, and suffer not our hatred of hypocrisy and pretence ever to diminish. Encourage us to endeavour to live above the common level of life. Wake us to choose the harder right instead of the easier wrong, and never to be content with a half truth when the whole can be one.

Endow us with courage that is born out of loyalty to all that is noble and worthy, that scorns compromise with vice and injustice, and knows no fear when truth and right are in jeopardy. Guard us against flippancy and irreverence in sacred things of life. Grant us new ties of friendship and new opportunities of service. Kindle our hearts with fellowship with those of cheerful countenance and soften our hearts with sympathy for those who sorrow and suffer.

May we find genuine pleasure in clean and wholesome mirth and feel inherent disgust for all coarse minded humour. Help us in our work and in our play to keep ourselves physically strong, mentally awake and morally straight, that we may better maintain the honour of the service, untarnished and unsullied, and acquit ourselves like men in our effort to realize the ideals of our Armed Forces, in doing our duty to Thee and our country. All of which we ask in the name of the Great Friend and Master of men.

We thank veteran Brigadier PT Gangadharan for sharing the cadets prayer with the blog readers