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.