Grace In Trials

Father of Mercies,

Please listen to me for Jesus sake.
I am sinful even in my closest walk with you;
   it is a testimony to your mercy that I did not die long ago.
Your grace has enabled me to trust in the cross
   by which you have reconciled yourself to me
      and me to you,
   drawing me by your great love,
   counting me as innocent in Christ though I am guilty in myself.
Giver of all graces,
I look to you for strength to keep those graces in me,
   for it is hard to practice what I believe.
Please strengthen me against temptations.
My heart is an endless fountain of sin,
   it has been a river of corruption since I was a child,
   flowing on in every pattern of behavior;
You have taken away from me the things in which I used to trust
   and I have no strength but in you.
You alone are able to hold back my evil ways,
   but without your grace to sustain me I fall.
Satan's fiery darts quickly inflame me,
   and the shield that should quench them
      easily drops from my hand:
Will you empower me against his wiles and assaults
   and keep me aware of my weakness,
      and of my dependence upon your strength?
Let every trial teach me more of your peace,
   more of your love.
You Holy Spirit is given to increase your graces,
   and I cannot preserve or improve them
      unless he works continually in me.
May he confirm my trust in your promised help,
   and let me walk humbly in dependence upon you,
   for Jesus' sake.

Truth in Jesus

Life-Giving God,

Please make me alive so I can call on your name,
      for my mind is ignorant,
      my thoughts wandering,
      my affections worldly,
      my heart unbelieving,
   and only your Spirit can help my infirmities.
I approach you as Father and Friend,
   my portion forever,
   my exceeding joy,
   my strength of heart.
I believe in you as the God of nature,
   the ordainer of providence,
   the sender of Jesus my Savior.
My guilty fears discourage me from coming to you,
   but I praise you for the blessed news
      that Jesus reconciles you to me.
May the truth that is in him
   illuminate in me all that is dark,
   establish in me all that is wavering,
   comfort in me all that is wretched,
   accomplish in me all that is of your goodness,
   and glorify in me the name of Jesus.
I pass through a valley of tears
   but bless you for the opening gate of glory at its end.
Help me to realize as mine the better, heavenly country.
Prepare me for every part of my pilgrimage.
Uphold my steps by your Word.
Let no iniquity dominate me.
Teach me that Christ cannot be the way
      if I am the end,
   that he cannot be Redeemer
      if I am my own savior
   that there can be not true union with him
      while created things have my heart,
   that faith accepts him as Redeemer and Lord
      or not at all.

Truth in Jesus

Life-Giving God,

Enliven me to call on your name,
      for my mind is ignorant,
      my thoughts wandering,
      my affections worldly,
      my heart unbelieving,
   and only your Spirit can help my infirmities.
I approach you as Father and Friend,
   my portion forever,
   my exceeding joy,
   my strength of heart.
I believe in you as the God of nature,
   the ordainer of providence,
   the sender of Jesus my Savior.
My guilty fears discourage me from coming to you,
   but I praise you for the blessed news
      that Jesus reconciles you to me.
May the truth that is in him
   illuminate in me all that is dark,
   establish in me all that is wavering,
   comfort in me all that is wretched,
   accomplish in me all that is of your goodness,
   and glorify in me the name of Jesus.
I pass through a valley of tears
   but bless you for the opening gate of glory at its end.
Help me to realize as mine the better, heavenly country.
Prepare me for every part of my pilgrimage.
Uphold my steps by your Word.
Let no iniquity dominate me.
Teach me that Christ cannot be the way
      if I am the end,
   that he cannot be Redeemer
      if I am my own savior
   that there can be not true union with him
      while created things have my heart,
   that faith accepts him as Redeemer and Lord
      or not at all.

Calling

Heavenly Father,

You have placed me in the church
   which your Son purchased by his own blood.
Please give me even more grace so that I may live worthy of my calling.

I am a voyager across life's ocean;
Safe in heaven's ark, may I pass through a troubled world
   into the harbor of eternal rest.

I am a tree of the vineyard you have planted.
Grant me not to be barren, with worthless leaves and wild grapes;
Prune me of useless branches;
Water me with dews of blessing.
I am part of the Lamb's bride, the church.
Help me to be true, faithful, chaste, loving, pure, devoted;
Let no strong desire of mine play the whore with the world.
May I live high above a love of temporary things;
   being sanctified, cleansed, unblemished, hallowed by grace;
   your love my fullness,
   your glory my joy,
   your precepts my pathway,
   your cross my resting place.
My heart is not always a flame of adoring love,
But, resting in your Son's redemption,
I look forward to the days of heaven,
   where no weariness shall oppress,
   no iniquities chill,
   no mists of unbelief dim the eye,
   no zeal ever tires.
Father, these thoughts are the strength, support, and comfort of my soul.

Happiness

O Lord,

Help me never to expect any true happiness from the world, but only in you.
Let me not think that I will be more happy by living to myself,
   for I can only be happy if I'm working for you,
   and if I desire to live in this world
   only to do and suffer what you give to me.
Teach me
   that if I do not live a life that satisfies you,
      I will not live a life that will satisfy me.
Help me to desire the spirit and attitude of angels
   who willingly come down to this lower world
      to perform your will,
   though their desires are heavenly,
   and not at all set upon earthly things;
      then I will have the attitude I ought to have.
Help me not even to think of living to you in my own strength
   but always to look to and rely upon you for assistance.
Teach me that there is no greater truth than this:
   that I can do nothing by myself.
Lord, this is the life that no unconverted person can live,
   yet it is an goal that every godly soul presses after;
So let it be my concern to devote myself and all to you.
Make me more fruitful and more spiritual,
   for barrenness is my daily affliction and load.
How precious is time, and how painful to see it fly
   with little done to good purpose!
I need your help:
O may sensibly depend upon you for all sanctification,
   and every accomplishment of your purposes
      for me, for the world,
      and for your kingdom.

Fullness

Heavenly Father,

You have revealed to me myself as a mass of sin,
   and yourself as the fullness of goodness,
      with strength enough to help me,
      wisdom enough to guide me,
      mercy enough to enliven me
      and love enough to satisfy me.
You have shown me that because you are mine
       I can live by your life,
       be strong in your strength,
       be guided by your wisdom;
   and so I can rest my thoughts and heart in you.
This is the exchange of wonderful love -
   for me to have you for myself
   and for you to have me, and to give me yourself.
There is in you all fullness of the good I need,
   and the fullness of all grace to draw my to yourself,
   I who, otherwise, could never have come.
But having come, I must cling to you,
   be knit to you,
   always seek you.
There is no one who is all good as you are:
With you I can live without other things,
   for you are God all-sufficient,
   and the glory, peace, rest, joy of the world
      is a temporary, perishing thing
         in comparison with you.
Please help me to know that the one who hopes for nothing but you,
   and in all things hopes only for you, hopes truly,
   and that I must place all my happiness in holiness,
      if I hope to be filled with all grace.
O Convince me that I can have no peace at death,
   nor hope that I should go to Christ,
      unless I intend to do his will
   and have his fullness while I live.

Comforts

Giver of all good,

Streams upon streams of love overflow my way.
You have made me out of nothing,
   have brought me back from foreign land
   have transformed me from ignorance to knowledge,
      from darkness to light,
      from death to life,
      from misery to peace,
      from foolishness to wisdom,
      from error to truth,
      from sin to victory.
Thanks be to your for my high and holy calling.
I bless you for ministering angels,
   for the comfort of your Word,
   for the helpful functions of your church,
   for the teaching of your Spirit,
   for your holy sacraments,
   for the communion of saints,
   for Christian fellowship,
   for the recorded chronicles of holy lives,
   for godly examples that make me want more of you
   for the people whose life-lights it would be a sad to ignore.
Your will in all your provide is
   to enable me to grow in grace,
   and to be prepared for your eternal presence.
My heaven-born faith gives promise of eternal sight,
   my new birth is a pledge of never-ending life.
I draw near to you, knowing you will draw near to me.
I ask of you, believing you have already given.
I entrust myself to you, for you have redeemed me.
I bless and adore you, the eternal God,
   for the comforts of these thoughts,
      the joy of these hopes.

Sleep

Blessed Creator,

You have promised your loved ones sleep;
Please give me the restoring rest that's needed for tomorrow's toil;
If dreams be mine,
   let them not be tinged with evil.
Let your Spirit make my time of repose
   a blessed temple of his holy presence.

May my frequent lying down make me familiar with death,
   the bed I approach remind me of the grave,
   the eyes I now close picture to me their final closing
Keep me always ready and waiting for admittance to your presence.
Weaken my attachment to earthly things.
May I hold life loosely in my hand,
   knowing that I receive it on condition of its surrender;
As pain and suffering reveal my changing health,
   may I not shrink from a death that introduces me to the freshness of eternal youth.
I retire this night in full assurance of one day
   awaking with you.
All glory for this precious hope,
   for the gospel of grace,
   for your unspeakable gift of Jesus,
   for the fellowship of the Trinity.
Please do not withhold your mercies in the night season;
   your hand never wearies,
   your power needs no repose,
   your eye never sleeps.

Help me when I helpless lie,
   when my conscience accuses me of sin,
   when my mind is harassed by foreboding thoughts,
   when my eyes are held awake by personal anxieties.

Show yourself to me as the God of all grace, love and power;
   you have a balm for every wound,
      a solace for all anguish,
      a remedy for every pain,
      a peace for all trouble.
Permit me to commit myself to you
   awake or asleep.

Rest

Heavenly Father,

My faith is in you,
My expectation is from you,
My love goes out toward you,
   I believe you,
      accept your Word,
      submit to your will,
      rely on your promises,
      trust your providence.
I bless you that the court of my conscience
   proves me to be yours.
I do not need signs and wonders to believe,
   for your Word is sure truth.
I have cast my anchor in the port of peace,
   knowing that present and future
      are in nail-pierced hands.
You are so good, wise, just and holy,
   that no mistake is possible to you.
You are the fountain and source of all law;
   what you command is mine to obey.
I yield to your sovereignty all that I am and have;
   do with me as you will.
You have given me silence in my heart
   in place of murmurings and complaints.
Keep my wishes from growing into willings,
   my willings from becoming fault-finding
      with your providences
   and have mercy on me.
If I sin and am rebellious, help me to repent;
   then take away my mourning and give me music;
   remove my sackcloth and adorn me with beauty;
   take away my sighs and fill my mouth with songs;
   and when I am restored and rest in you
   give me summer weather in my heart.

Contentment

Heavenly Father,

If I should suffer need, and go unclothed, and be in poverty,
   make my heart prize your love,
   know it, be constrained by it,
   though I be denied all blessings.
It is your mercy to afflict and try me with wants,
   for by these trials I see my sins,
   and desire to be rid of them.
Please help me willingly accept misery, sorrows, temptations,
   if those things will help me feel sin as the greatest evil,
   and be delivered from it with gratitude to you,
   acknowledging this as the highest testimony of your love.
When your son, Jesus, came into my soul
   he became more dear to me
      than sin used to be;
   his kindly rule replaced sin's tyranny.
Teach me to believe that if I ever want to conquer any sin
   I must not only labor to overcome it,
   but must invite Christ to take its place,
   and he must become more valued to me
      than the vile lust had been;
   that his sweetness, power, life may be there.
So I need to seek a grace from God that will oppose sin,
  but I should not seek it as a thing on it's own, apart from himself.
When I am afraid of evils to come,
   please comfort me by showing me
      that in myself I am a dying, condemned wretch,
         but in Christ I am reconciled and live;
      that in myself I find insufficiency and restlessness,
         but in Christ there is satisfaction and peace;
      that in myself I am feeble and unable to do good,
         but in Christ I can do all things.
Though now I have his graces in part,
   I shall shortly have them perfectly
   in that state where you will show yourself fully reconciled,
   and alone sufficient, efficient,
      loving me completely,
   with sin abolished.
O Lord, may that day come quickly!

Joy

O Christ,

All your ways of mercy lead toward and end in my delight.
You wept, grieved, suffered that I might rejoice.
For my joy you have sent the Comforter,
   have multiplied your promises,
   have shown me my future happiness,
   have given me a fountain of life.
You are preparing joy for me, and me for joy;
I pray for joy, wait for joy, long for joy;
   O give me more than I can hold, desire, or think of.
Measure out to me times and amounts of joy,
   at my work, business, duties.
If I weep at night, give me joy in the morning.
Let me rest in the thought of your love
   your pardon for sin, my title to heaven,
   my future unspotted state.
I am an unworthy recipient of your grace.
I often undervalue your blood and dishonor your love,
   but in repentance I can draw water from the wells of your joyous forgiveness.
Let my heart leap towards the eternal sabbath,
   where the work of redemption, sanctification,
      preservation, glorification is finished and perfected forever,
   where you will rejoice over me with joy.
There is no joy like the joy of heaven,
   for in that state are no sad divisions,
   unchristian fights,
   contentions, evil plans
   weariness, hunger, cold,
   sadness, sin, suffering,
   persecutions, wearisome work.
O healthful place where none are sick!
O holy assembly where all are priests!
How free a state where none are servants
   except to you!
Bring me speedily to the land of joy.

Love

Lord Jesus,

Please help me to love you, to embrace you,
   though I once took lust and sin in my arms.
You loved me before I loved you,
   an enemy, a sinner, a loathsome worm.
You claimed ownership of me when I disowned myself;
You love me as a son,
   and weep over me the way you did over Jerusalem.
Love brought you from heaven to earth,
   from the earth to the cross,
   from the cross to the grave.
Love caused you to be
   weary, hungry, tempted,
   scorned, scourged,
   buffeted, spat upon,
   crucified, and pierced.
Love led you to boy your head in death.
My salvation is the point where
   perfect created love
   and the most perfect uncreated love
      meet together;
   for you welcome me,
   not like Joseph and his brothers,
   loving and sorrowing, but loving and rejoicing.
This love is not intermittent, cold, changeable;
   it does not cease or abate for all my enmity.

Holiness is a spark from your love
   kindled to a flame in my heart by your Spirit,
   and so it ever turns to the place
      from which it comes.
Let me see your love everywhere,
   not only in the cross,
   but in the fellowship of believers
   and in the world around me.
When I feel the warmth of the sun
   may I praise you who are the Sun of righteousness
      with healing power.
When I feel the tender rain
   may I think of the gospel showers
      that water my soul.
When I walk by the riverside
   may I praise you for that stream
      that makes the eternal city glad, and washes white my robes
      that I may have the right to the tree of life.
Your infinite love is a mystery of mysteries,
   and my eternal rest lies
   in the eternal enjoyment of it.

Faith

My God,

I bless you that you have given me eyes of faith,
   to see you as Father,
   to know you as a covenant God,
   to experience your love planted in me;
For faith is the grace of oneness
   by which I communicate my right to have you:
Faith casts my anchor upwards
   where I trust in you
   and engage you to be my Lord.
O be be pleased to live and move within me,
   breathing in my prayers,
   inhabiting my praises,
   speaking in my words,
   moving in my actions,
   living in my life,
   causing me to grow in grace.
Your plentiful goodness has helped me believe,
   but my faith is weak and wavering,
      its light dim,
      its steps tottering,
      its increase slow,
      its backslidings frequent
It should climb the heavens, but it lies groveling in the dust.
Lord, fan this divine spark into a glowing flame.
When faith sleeps, my heart becomes
   an unclean thing,
   the fount of every loathsome desire,
   the cage of unclean lusts
   all fluttering to escape,
      the poisonous tree of deadly fruit,
      the open ditch of earthly weeds.
Lord, awake faith to put forth its strength
   until all heaven fills my soul
   and all impurity is cast out.

O Great Three-in-One

Author of all blessings I enjoy,
   of all I hope for,
You have taught me
   that neither the experience of present evils,
   nor the remembering of former sins,
   nor the reproaches of friends,
   are able to change a sinner's heart,
   unless you kindly act to reveal your grace
   and give life to that dead sinner
   by effectively working by your Spirit's power.
You have shown me
   that the visible outpourings of God's love in the soul are more valuable than physical health
   and that often spiritual comforts are at their highest when physical well-being is at its lowest.
You have given me the blessing of music
   as a channel of your grace.
Help me to take my place in joining in that new song
   which elect angels and perfected saints
   now sing before your throne and before the Lamb.
I bless you for balancing every distress with joy;
   too much of the former might weigh me down,
   too much of the latter might puff me up;
I see your wisdom in giving me a taste of both.
I love you
   for giving me clusters of grapes in the wilderness
   and drops of heavenly wine that cause me to long to have my fill.
Apart from you I quickly die,
   without you I starve,
   far from you I thirst and droop;
But you are all I need.
   Let me continually grasp the promise
   'I will never leave you, nor forsake you.'

Privileges

O Lord God,

Teach me to know that grace goes before, accompanies, and follows my salvation,
   that it sustains the redeemed soul,
   that not one link of its chain can ever break.
From Calvary's cross, wave upon wave of grace
   reaches me,
   deals with my sin,
   washes me clean,
   renews my heart,
   strengthens my will,
   draws out my affection,
   kindles a flame in my soul,
   rules throughout my inner person,
   consecrates my every thought, word, and work,
   teaches me your immeasurable love.

How great are my privileges in Christ Jesus!
Without him I stand far off, a stranger, an outcast;
   in him I draw near and touch his kingly scepter.
Without him I dare not lift up my guilty eyes;
   in him I gaze upon my Father-God and Friend.
Without him I hide my lips in trembling shame;
   in him I open my mouth in petition and praise.
Without him all is wrath and consuming fire;
   in him all is love, and rest for my soul.
Without him gaping hell and eternal anguish are below me;
   in him hell's gates are barred to me by his precious blood.
Without him darkness spreads its horrors in front of me;
   in him an eternity of glory is my boundless horizon.
Without him all within me is terror and dismay;
   in him every accusation is changed to joy and peace.
Without him all my circumstances call for my condemnation;
   in him they all minister to my comfort,
   and are to be enjoyed with thanksgiving.
Praise be to you for grace,
   and for the unspeakably great gift of Jesus.

God All-Sufficient

O Lord of Grace,

The world is before me this day,
   and I am weak and fearful,
   but I look to you for strength;
If I venture forth alone I stumble and fall,
   but in the Beloved's arms I am firm
      as the eternal hills;
If left to the treachery of my heart I shall shame your Name
   but if enlightened, guided, upheld by your Spirit,
      I shall bring you glory.
O be my arm to support,
      my strength to stand,
      my light to see,
      my feet to run,
      my shield to protect,
      my sword to repel,
      my sun to warm.

To enrich me will not diminish your fullness;
All your lovingkindness is in your Son,
I present him to you in the arms of faith,
I urge his saving Name as the One who died for me.
I plead his blood to pay my debts of wrong.
Accept his worthiness for my transgressions,
   his sinlessness for my transgressions,
   his purity for my uncleanness,
   his sincerity for my duplicity,
   his truth for my falsehoods,
   his meekness for my pride,
   his constancy for my backslidings,
   his love for my malice,
   his fullness for my emptiness,
   his faithfulness for my treachery,
   his obedience for my lawlessness,
   his glory for my shame,
   his devotedness for my waywardness,
   his holy life for my unholy ways,
   his righteousness for my dead works,
   his death for my life.  

A Conversation About Rejoicing

Remember, O my soul,

It is your duty and privilege to rejoice in God;
He requires it of you for all his favors of grace.
Rejoice then in the Giver and his goodness,
Be happy in him, O my heart, and in nothing but God
   for whatever a person trusts in,
   from that he expects happiness.

He who is the basis of your faith
   should be the substance of your joy.
From where, then, does heaviness and dejection come
   when joy is planted in you,
      promised to you by the Father,
      granted to you by the Son,
      formed in you by the Holy Spirit,
      made yours by grace,
      given to you as your birthright by believing?

Are you seeking to rejoice in yourself
   from an evil motive of pride and self-reputation?
You have nothing of your own but sin,
   nothing to move God to be gracious
   or to cause his grace towards you to continue.
If you forget this you will lose your joy.
Are you grieving under the weight of indwelling sin?
Let godly sorrow work repentence,
   as the true spirit which the Lord blesses,
   and which creates fullest joy;
Sorrow for self opens rejoicing in God,
Self-loathing draws down divine delights.
Have you sought joys in some comfort of this world?
Look not below God for happiness;
   fall not asleep in Delilah's lap.
Let God be all in all to you
   and joy in the fountain that is always full.

After Prayer

O God of grace,

I mourn over my cold, lifeless, heartless prayers;
   their poverty adds sin to sin.
If my hope were in them I would be undone,
But the worth of Jesus perfumes my feeble breathings, and wins their acceptance.
Deepen my heart of repentence,
Confirm my faith in the blood that washes from all sin.
May I walk lovingly with my great Redeemer.
Flood my soul with true repentence
   that my heart may be broken for sin and unto sin.
Let me be as slow to give my sin a pass
   as you are ready to forgive me.
Gazing on the glories of your grace
   may I be cast into the lowest depths of shame,
   and walk with downcast head
   now that your anger towards me has been removed.
O my great High Priest,
   pour down upon me streams of needed grace,
   bless me in all my undertakings,
      in every thought of my mind,
      every word of my lips,
      every step of my feet,
      every deed of my hands.
You lived to bless,
   died to bless,
   rose to bless,
   ascended to bless,
   took your throne to bless,
   and now you reign to bless.
O give sincerity to my desires,
   earnestness to my supplications,
   and fervor to my love.

Requests

O God,

May I never be a black spot or a blank spot in life,
   never cause the way of truth to be spoken of as evil,
   or make my freedom an opportunity for my sinful nature.
May I, by love, serve others, and please my neighbor for his good to build him up.
May I pay attention to the little things as well as the big things in my faith walk,
   pursuing things that are lovely and of good reputation.
May my profession of the gospel be not only powerful, but also pleasant and inviting.
May I hold out Jesus' way
   with my temperament as well as my tongue,
   with my life as well as my lips.
May I say to all I meet,
   "I am traveling to the place the Lord has chosen,
   come with me for your good."
May I be prepared for whatever this short, changing, uncertain life may bring,
   living usefully in it,
   journeying comfortably through it,
   and passing safely out of it.
May I be, in character and conduct, like
   the dew of heaven,
   the salt of the earth,
   the light of the world,
   and the fullness of the fountain.
May I never
   be ashamed of Jesus or his words,
   be kept by fear from doing something I know I should do
   or be discouraged from attempting to do it because of my weakness.
May I see all things in a heavenly light so that they may inform my judgment
   and sanctify my heart.
And by all the ways you discipline me through circumstances,
   and all the helps provided me by the Christian faith
   may I be increasingly prepared for
      life's remaining duties,
      the solemnity of my dying hour,
      and the joys and services
         that lie beyond the grave.

The Throne

O God of my delight,

Your throne of grace
   is the pleasure ground of my soul.
It is here that I receive mercy in time of need,
   here I see the smile of your reconciled face,
   here joy pleads the name of Jesus,
   here I sharpen the sword of the Spirit,
      anoint the shield of faith,
      put on the helmet of salvation,
      gather manna from your Word,
      am strengthened for each conflict,
      emboldened for the upward race,
      empowered to conquer every foe;
Help me to come to Christ
   as the fountainhead of descending blessings,
   as a wide open flood-gate of mercy.
I'm amazed at my unthinking foolishness, that
   with such enriching favors within my reach
   I am slow to extend my hand to take them.
Have mercy upon my deadness for your Name's sake.
Enliven me, stir me, fill me with holy zeal.
Strengthen me that I may cling to you
   and not let you go.
May your Spirit within me draw all blessings
   from your hand.
When I don't move forward, I slide backward.
Let me walk humbly because of the good deeds I have not done
   and the bad things I have done.
Impress on my mind the shortness of time,
   the work to be engaged in,
   the report of my life that will be recorded,
   the nearness of eternity,
   the fearful sin of despising your Spirit.
May I never forget that
   your eye always sees,
   your ear always hears,
   your recording hand always writes.
May I never stop pursuing you until Christ is
   the pulse of my heart;
   the spokesman of my lips,
   the lamp of my feet.

The Prayer of Love

Gracious Lord,

Your name is love,
   and so, in love receive my prayer.
My sins are more than the wide sea's sand,
   but where sin abounds,
   there is grace more abundant.
May you look to the cross of your beloved Son,
   and view the preciousness of his atoning blood;
Listen to his never-failing intercession,
   and whisper to my heart, "Your sins are forgiven,
      be of good cheer, lie down in peace."
Grace surges like rapids from heaven and flows forever,
   and mercy never wearies in bestowing benefits.
Grant me more and more
   to prize the privilege of prayer,
   to come to you as a sin-soiled sinner,
   to find pardon in you,
   to talk with you;
   to know you in prayer as
      the path on which my fead tread,
      the latch upon the door of my lips,
      the light that shines through my eyes,
      the music of my ears,
      the marrow of my understanding,
      the strength of my will,
      the power of my love,
      the sweetness of my memory.
May the matter of my prayer be always
   wise, humble, submissive, obedient, scriptural, Christ-like
Give me unwavering faith
   that prayer requests are never in vain,
   that if I seem not to obtain my petitions
      I will have larger, richer answers,
      surpassing all that I ask or think.
Unsought, you have given me
   the greatest gift, the person of your Son,
   and in him you will give me all I need.

Meeting God

Great God,

In public and private, in church and home,
   may my life be steeped in prayer,
   filled with the spirit of grace and supplication,
   each prayer perfumed with the incense of atoning blood.
Help me, defend me, until from praying ground
I pass to the realm of unceasing praise.
Urged by my need,
   invited by your promises,
   called by your Spirit,
   I enter your presence
      worshipping you with godly fear,
      awed by your majesty, greatness, glory,
      but encouraged by your love.
I am all poverty as well as all guilt
   having nothing of my own with which to pay you back,
But I bring Jesus to you in the arms of faith,
   pleading his righteousness to offset my iniquities,
   rejoicing that he will weigh down the scales for me,
   and satisfy your justice.
I bless you that great sin draws out great grace,
   that, although the least sin
      deserves infinite punishment
      because it is done against an infinite God,
   yet there is mercy for me,
      for where guilt is most terrible,
      there your mercy in Christ is most free and deep.
Please bless me by revealing to me more of Christ's saving merits,
   by causing your goodness to pass before me,
   by speaking peace to my repentant heart;
Strengthen me to keep going after you until Christ
      shall reign supreme within me,
   in every thought, word, and deed,
   in a faith that purifies the heart,
      overcomes the world,
      works by love,
      fastens me to you,
      and ever clings to the cross.

Living By Prayer

O God of the open ear,

Will you teach me to live by prayer
      as well as by providence,
   for myself, my soul, my body, my children, my family, my church?
Please give me a heart that is moldable to your will;
   so that I might live in prayer,
   and honor you,
   being kept from evil, known and unknown.
Help me to see the sin that is present in everything I do,
   yet to also see the good that can come from all things as well.
Let me know that the work of prayer is to change what I want to be what you want,
   and that without this, it is foolishness to pray;
When I try to change your will to mine I am trying to command Christ,
   to be above him, and wiser than he:
      this is my sin and pride.
I can only succeed when I pray
   according to your principle and promise,
   and to be done with as it pleases you,
   according to your sovereign will.
When you command me to pray
      for pardon, peace, brokenness,
   it is because you will give me the thing promised,
      for your glory,
      as well as for my good.
Help me not only to desire small things
   but with holy boldness to desire great things
      for your people, and for myself,
      that they and I might live to show your glory.
Please teach me
   that it is wisdom for me to pray for all I have,
      out of love, willingly, not of necessity;
   that I may come to you at any time,
      to present my needs properly to you;
   that my great sin lies in not keeping in mind
      the goodness of your ways;
   that remembering this truth is one way
      that I can feel your presence;
   that there is no worse way for me to be
      than being controlled by my own lusts for my own purposes.

In Prayer

O Lord,

In prayer I launch far out into the eternal world,
   and on the broad ocean my soul triumphs
   over all evils on the shores of mortality.
Time, with its happy pleasures and cruel disappointments, never appears so inconsiderate as when I'm praying.
In prayer I see myself as nothing;
   I find my heart going after you with intensity,
   and long with tremendous thirst to live to you.
Blessed be the strong winds of the Spirit
   that speed me on my way to the New Jerusalem.
In prayer all things here below vanish,
   and nothing seems important
   but holiness of heart and the salvation of others.
In prayer all my worldly cares, fears, and anxieties disappear
   and are of as little significance as a puff of wind.
In prayer my soul inwardly exults with lively
   thoughts at what you are doing for your church,
   and I long for you to get yourself a great name
   from sinners returning to Zion.
In prayer I am lifted above the frowns and flatteries of life,
   and taste heavenly joys;
   entering into the eternal world
   I can give myself to you with all my heart,
   to be yours for ever.
In prayer I can place all my concerns in your hands,
   to be entirely at your disposal
   having no will or interest of my own.
In prayer I can intercede for my friends, ministers,
   sinners, the church, your kingdom to come,
   with greatest freedom and ardent hopes,
      as a son to his father,
      as a lover to the beloved.
Help me to be all prayer
   and never to stop praying.

Act of Approach

Kind Lord,

I praise you continually for giving me permission
   to approach your throne of grace,
   and to spread my wants and desires before you.
I am not worthy of your blessings and mercies
   for I am far gone from original righteousness;
My depraved nature reveals itself in disobedience and rebellion
My earlier years discovered in me discontent, pride, envy and revenge.
Remember not the sins of my youth,
   nor the multiplied transgressions of later years,
      my failure to use wisely my time and talents,
      my abuse of your mercies and spiritual helps,
      my wasted Sunday rest days,
      my perverted seasons of grace,
      my long neglect of your great salvation,
      my disregard of the Friend of sinners.

While I confess my guilt, help me to feel it deeply,
   with self-abhorrence and self-despair, yet
   to remember that there is hope in you,
   and to see the Lamb that takes away sin.
Through him may I return to you,
   listen to you,
   trust in you,
   delight in your law,
   obey you,
   be upheld by you.
Preserve my understanding from error,
   my affections from love of idols,
   my lips from speaking deceit,
   my conduct from the stain of sinful behavior,
   my character from the appearance of evil,
      that I may be harmless,
      blameless,
      rebukeless,
      exemplary,
      useful,
      light-giving,
      prudent,
      zealous for your glory
         and the good of my fellow-men.

Covenant

Lord Jesus,
Would you grant me the favor of being led by you,
   under the directions of your acts of provision
   and your word?
Please grant me your blessings along with bitter things,
   to brighten and quicken me,
   and not to depress me and make me lifeless;
Grant me, like Gideon of old, signs of direction,
   by removing things that discourage me;
And may you also grant me support beneath the shadow of your sympathy when I am tempted.
Accept my unceasing thanks
   that I am not cast off from your hand
   as a darkened star of a rudderless ship.
Please do not allow me to live
   beyond my usefulness;
Cast me not under the feet of
   pride, injustice, riches, worldly greatness,
   or the selfish oppression of men;
Help me to wait patiently, silently upon you,
   not to be filled with anger or to speak foolishly
Let your mercy follow me while I live,
   and help me to submit myself to your will.
Take my heart and hold it in your hand;
   write upon it reverence to yourself with an inscription that time and eternity cannot erase.
To your grace and the care of your covenant
   I commit myself, in sickness and in health,
      for you have overcome the world,
      fulfilled the law,
      accomplished justifying righteousness,
      swallowed up death in victory,
      and taken all power everywhere.
Mark this covenant with your own blood
   in the court of forgiving mercy;
Attach unto it your name in which I believe,
   for it is sealed by my unworthy mortal hand.

Confidence

O God, you are very great!

My calling is to approach you with godly fear and humble confidence,
   for the way you stoop down to me is equal to your grandeur
   and your goodness is your glory.
I am unworthy, but still you welcome me;
   I am guilty, but your are merciful;
   I am penniless but your riches are unsearchable.
You have shown boundless compassion towards me
   by not sparing your Son,
   and by freely giving me all things in him;
This is the foundation of my hope,
   the refuge of my safety,
   the new and living way to approach you,
   the thing which creates in me that conviction of sin,
      that brokenness of heart, and self-despair,
      which will cause me to love the gospel.
Happy are they who are Christ's,
   in him at peace with you, Father,
      justified from all things,
      delivered from coming wrath,
      made heirs of future glory;
O Give me such deadness to the world,
   such love to the Savior,
   such attachment to his church,
   such devotedness to his service,
      as shows that I am a recipient of his salvation.
May every part of my character and conduct
   make a serious and pleasant impression on others,
   and compel them to ask the way to the Master.
Let no incident of life, whether pleasing or painful,
   injure the prosperity of my soul
   but rather increase it.
Send me your help,
   for your appointments are not meant
      to make me independent of you,
   and the best spiritual helps will be meaningless
      without your added blessings.

To Be Fit For God

O Maker and Sustainer of all things,

Day and night are yours,
   heaven and earth declare your glory;
but I, a creature of your power and vast wealth,
   have sinned against you by resisting
      the promptings of my conscience,
      the demands of your law
      the calls of your gospel
   yet I live under the governance of a given hope.
Deliver me, I pray, from worldly attitudes
   for I am born from above and bound for glory.
May I see and long after holiness
   as the beauty and dignity of the soul.
Let me never slumber,
   never lose my assurance,
   never fail to wear spiritual armor when passing through enemy land.
Fit me for every situation and circumstance;
Stay my mind upon you and turn my trials
   to blessings
   that they may draw out my gratitude and praise
   as I see their design and effects.
Please cause my obedience to your will to be holy, natural, and delightful.
Refine all my values by clear, consistent, and influential views of divine truth.
Let me never undervalue or neglect any part of your revealed will.
May I appropriately esteem the doctrine and practice of the gospel,
   prizing its commands as well as its promises.
Will you sanctify me in every relationship, position, project and life situation?
   that if I prosper I will not be overly exalted,
   and if I suffer I will not be over-sorrowful.
Balance my mind in all the various circumstances that come to me
   and help me to cultivate an attitude
   that makes every duty a spiritual privilege.
Thus may I be content,
   be a glory to you
   and an example to others.

Love Shed Abroad

Gracious God,

My heart praises you for the wonder of your love in Jesus;
He is heaven's darling, but is for me
   the incarnate, despised, rejected,
   crucified sin-bearer;
In him your grace has almost out-graced itself
In him your love to rebels has reached its height
O to love you with a a love like this
My heart is stone, please melt it with your love
My heart is locked, let love be the master key to open it
O Father, I adore you for your great love
   in the gift of Jesus,
O Jesus, I bless you for laying down your life for me,
O Holy Spirit, I thank you for revealing to me this mystery
Great God, let your Son see in me the purpose of his cross
Bring me away from my false trusts to rest in him,
   and him only.
Let me not be so callous to his merit
   as not to love him
  so indifferent to his blood
   as not to desire cleansing.
Lord Jesus, Master, Redeemer, Savior
   come and take entire possession of me;
   this is your right by purchase.
In the arms of love enfold and subdue
   my willful spirit.
Please take, sanctify, and use my every faculty;
I am not ashamed of my hope
   nor has my confidence led me into confusion.
I trusted in you regarding my innumerable sins,
   and you have cast them behind your back.
I trusted in you when evils encompassed me
   and you brought me out into a wealthy place.
I trusted in you in an hour of distress
   and you did not fail me, though faith trembled.
O God of the eternal choice,
O God of the restored possession purchased on the tree
O God of the effectual call,
Father, Son, Holy Spirit,
   I adore your glory, honor, majesty, power, and dominion for ever.

Christian Love

It is your will that I should love you
   with heart, soul, mind, strength,
   and my neighbor as myself.
But I am not sufficient for these things.
There is, by nature, no pure love in my soul;
Every desire in me is turned away from you;
I am bound, as a slave, to lust,
I cannot love you, lovely as you are
   until you set me free.
By grace I am your freed slave and would serve you,
   for I believe you are my God in Jesus,
   and that through him I am bought back from slavery,
   and my sins are forgiven.
With this freedom I wish I would always obey you,
   but I cannot walk in liberty today,
   any more than I could first attain it on my own.
May your Spirit draw me nearer to you
   and your ways.
You are the end goal of all the helps that draw and keep me near to you,
   for if they lead me not to you,
   I go away empty.
Order all my ways by your holy Word
   and make your commandments the joy of my heart,
   that by them I may have a happy relationship with you.
May I grow in your love and display it to all.

Spirit of love, make me like the loving Jesus;
   give me his kind attitude
   his generous actions
   that I may shine before men to your glory.
The more you do in love in me and by me,
   humble me more;
   keep me meek, lowly,
   and always ready to give you honor.

Christlikeness

Father of Jesus,


Dawn is here again, but without your light within me 

no outward light can benefit me;

Give me the saving lamp of your Spirit that I may see you,

the God of my salvation, the delight of my soul,

rejoicing over me in love.

I give my heart to your watchful care,

for I know its treachery and power;

Guard its every opening from the wily enemy,

Give me quick awareness of his deadly arts,

Help me to recognize his bold disguise as an angel of light,

and command him to depart.

May my words and works allure others to the highest walks of faith and love!

May sluggish saints be inspired to greater diligence by my example!

May those of this world be won to delight in knowing you!

May the timid and wavering be warned of coming doom by my zeal for Jesus!

Cause me to be a mirror of your grace,

to show others the joy of being your servant,

May my lips be well-tuned instruments

sounding your praise,

Let a halo of heavenly-mindedness

sparkle around me

And a lamp of kindness be a sunbeam on my path.

Teach me the happy art of 

attending to temporary things

with a mind intent on what is eternal.

Send me forth to have compassion

on the ignorant and miserable.

Help me to walk as Jesus walked,

my only Savior and perfect model,

his mind my inward guest

his meekness my clothing

Let my place of happiness be amongst the poor in spirit,

my delight the gentle ranks of the meek.

Let me always put others before myself,

and find in true humility

my inheritance of both earthly and heavenly worlds.

Openness

Openness

Lord of Immortality,

Before whom angels bow and archangels veil their faces,

enable me to serve you with reverence and godly fear.

You who are spirit and require truth in my inner being

help me to worship you in spirit and truth.

You who are righteous,

let me not permit sin to live in my heart,

or indulge a worldly attitude,

or seek satisfaction in things that perish.

I am fast approaching the time

when earthly pursuits and possessions

will appear meaningless

when it will not matter whether I have been

rich or poor,

successful or disappointed,

admired or despised.

But it will be eternally important that I have

mourned for sin,

hungered and thirsted after righteousness,

sincerely loved the Lord Jesus,

and gloried in his cross.

May my highest happiness be found in these things!

Produce in me those virtues and attitudes

that make serving you perfect freedom.

Expel from my mind all sinful fear and shame,

so that with firmness and courage I may

confess the Redeemer before people,

go forth with him bearing his reproach,

be zealous with his knowledge,

be filled with his wisdom,

walk with his carefulness,

ask help of him in all things,

go back to the Scriptures for his orders,

rest my mind on his peace,

knowing that nothing can happen to me

without his permission, plan and oversight.

Refuge

I have decided that I would allow myself the liberty of commenting from time to time as a precursor to posting my most recent revised prayer.  Probably no one will read it anyway.


One of the things I appreciate about these prayers is the deep understanding that their authors show of the awful precariousness of life.  Life is dangerous.  Snares and pits abound.  Fightings within and fears without - as the old hymn says.

We are so blithe these days.  We have Disney-fied our lives.  Everything is fine.  

"How are you?", people ask.
"I'm fine", we lie.


These puritans were not like this.  They understood how much is at stake in this life and how prone to wandering we are.  I'll say more about this in future posts, but what I love in these prayers is that they show an urgency.  There is a sense in which they believed that they needed God to answer their prayers with help, or they would surely fall headlong.  There was a Jewish King long ago who wrote similar prayers...

O Lord,

Whose power is infinite and wisdom infallible,

I pray that you would order things in such a way 

   that they may neither hinder,

nor discourage me,

nor prove obstacles to the progress of your cause;

Stand between me and all strife, that no evil befall me,

and no sin corrupt my gifts, zeal, and accomplishments;

May I follow duty and not any foolish device of my own;

Permit me not to labor at work which you will not bless,

that I may serve you without disgrace or debt;

Let me dwell in your most secret place under your shadow,

where there is safe, impenetrable protection from

the arrow that flies by day,

the disease that walks in darkness,

the strife of speech,

the malice of ill-will,

the hurt of unkind talk,

the snares of socializing with others,

the perils of youth,

the temptations of middle-age,

the mournings of old age,

the fear of death.

I am totally dependent upon you for support, counsel, and comfort.

Uphold me by your free Spirit,

and may I not think it enough for you to keep me from falling,

but may I always go forward, always abounding in the work you give me to do.

Strengthen me by your Spirit in my inner self for every purpose of my Christian life.

All my riches I give to the shadow of the safety that is in you - 

my new name in Christ

my body, soul, talents, character,

my success, spouse, children, friends, work,

my present, my future, my end.

Take them all, they are yours, and I am yours,

now and forever.