Resting in God's Love

My Dear Lord,

I depend upon you completely,
   please help me stop depending on other things.
You are my all, and you overrule all
   and delight in me.
You are the foundation of goodness,
   how can I distrust you?
   how can I be anxious about what happens to me?
In comparison to your preciousness
   the world and all its enjoyments are
      infinitely poor:
I value the approval of people no more than pebbles.
In the midst of the good things I receive from you
   may I never begin to feel that I deserve them.
May I love you, the Giver, in all of your gifts,
   not forgetting that my greatest danger
      arises from my advantages.
Produce in me a despairing of self that will
   make Jesus precious to me,
      delightful in all his roles
      pleasurable in all his ways,
   and may I love his commands
      as well as his promises.
Help me to discern between true and false love,
   the one consisting of supreme love to you,
      the other not,
   the former uniting your glory and man's happiness
      that they may become one and the same,
   the latter dividing and separating them both,
      seeking my happiness while ignoring your glory.
Teach me that genuine love is different
   from what comes from reason alone
      or from the motive of self-interest,
   that such love is a pleasing passion giving
      joy to the mind that possesses it.
So, please help me to see the difference
   between the genuine and the false
      and to rest in you who are all love.

Worthless Service

O my Lord,

Forgive me for serving you in sinful ways -
   by celebrating my own strength,
   by forcing myself to minister because "somebody has to do it",
   by accepting the applause of others,
   by assuming that I have your help
      but not checking to see if my love for you has grown lukewarm,
   by trusting in the strength of my devotion to Christ and not in Christ himself,
   by trusting in any other foundation to stand upon besides you;
      for when I do this I show that I trust myself more than you.
Help me to see
   that trust in you, moved by your help, is what accomplishes anything,
   that faith brings us nearer to you,
      making us more than mere humans,
   that you work most strongly on a person when his gaze is not upon himself, but upon you,
   that faith's focus is upon God all-sufficient, Father, Son, Holy Spirit
      as the God who works,
      indirectly, through the means of your commands and promises,
      directly, in all the hidden power that we know and see, by faith, to be in you
      abundantly, accomplishing everything you desire, in the revelation of your will.
If I do not have such faith I am nothing.

My calling is to set you above all others
      in my inner thoughts and in my outward viewpoint;
But my sin is that I am always placing myself above you.
Lord, it is the unique evil of sin
   that every violation of your law comes
      from the belittling of who you are
      from despising you and your glory
      from preferring things before you.
Help me to abhor myself in comparison to you,
And keep me in a faith that works in love
      and serves by grace.

The Servant in Battle

O Lord,

I bless you because the issue of the battle
   between yourself and Satan
      has never been uncertain
      and will end in victory.
Calvary broke the dragon's head,
   and I contend with a vanquished foe,
      who with all his subtlety and strength
      has already been overcome.
When I feel the serpent at my heel
   may I remember him whose heel was bruised,
      but who, when bruised, broke the devil's head.

My soul with inward joy extols the mighty conquerer.

Heal me of any wounds received
   in the great conflict
      if I have gathered filthiness
      if my faith has suffered damage
      if my hope is less than bright
      if my love is not fervent
      if some worldly pleasure occupies my heart
      if my soul sinks under the pressure of the fight.
O you whose every promise is balm, every touch life,
   draw near to your weary warrior,
   refresh me, that I may rise again
      to wage the warfare,
   and never tire until my enemy is trodden.
Give me such fellowship with you that I may defy Satan
      unbelief, the flesh, the world,
   with delight that comes not from a creature
   and which a creature cannot mar.
Give me a drink of the eternal fountain
   that lies in your unchangeable, everlasting love and decree.
Then shall my hand never weaken,
   my feet never stumble,
   my sword never rest,
   my shield never rust,
   my helmet never shatter,
   my breastplate never fall,
      as my strength rests in the power of your might.

Humility in Service

Mighty God,

I humble myself for abilities I have misused,
   opportunities I have neglected,
   ill-advised words I have spoken.
I repent of my folly and inconsiderate ways,
   my broken resolutions, untrue service,
   my backsliding steps,
   my vain thoughts.
O bury my sins in the ocean of Jesus' blood
   and let no evil result from my fretful temper,
      unseemly behavior, provoking pettiness.
If by unkindness I have wounded or hurt another,
   would you apply the healing salve of heavenly comfort?
If I have turned coldly from need, misery, grief,
   please do not forsake me in your just anger:
If I have withheld relief from poverty and pain,
   do not withhold thy gracious bounty from me.

If I have shunned those who have offended me
   will you keep open the door of your heart to my need?


Fill me with an over-flowing ocean of compassion
   the reign of love my motive,
   the law of love my rule.


O God of all grace, make me more thankful,
   more humble;
Inspire me with a deep sense of my unworthiness
   arising from
      the depravity of my nature, my omitted duties,
      my unimproved advantages, your commands
         violated by me.
With all my calls to gratitude and joy
   may I remember
      that I have reason for sorrow
         and humiliation;
O give me repentance unto life;
Cement my oneness with my blessed Lord,
   that my faith may cling to him more immovably,
   that my love may entwine itself around him more tightly,
   that his Spirit may pervade every fibre of my being.
Then send me out to make him known
   to my fellow-men.

Things Needful

Thou Eternal Source,

Author of all created being and happiness
   I adore you for making man capable of faith,
   that he may be taught to say:
      "Where is God, my Maker, who gives
         songs in the night?"
But depravity has spread over our human race,
   turning glory into shame,
   making us forgetful of you.
We know it is your power alone
   that can recall wandering children,
   can impress on them a sense of divine things,
   and can render that sense lasting and effectual;
From you proceed all good purposes and desires

   and the spreading of holiness and happiness.

You have knowledge of my soul's secret ways,
   and are aware of my desire to spread the gospel.
Make me an philanthropist to give your
   bounties to the impoverished,
   comfort to the mentally ill,
   restoration to the sin-diseased,
   hope to the despairing,
   joy to the sorrowing,
   love to the prodigals.
Blow away the ashes of unbelief by your Spirit's breath
   and give me light, fire, and warmth of love.
I need spiritual comforts
   that are gentle, peaceful, mild, refreshing,
   that will melt me into conscious lowliness before you,
   that will make me feel and rest in you
      as my All.

Fill the garden of my soul with the wind of love,
   that the aroma of the Christian life may be
      wafted to others;
   then come and gather fruits to thy glory.
So shall I fulfil the great end of my being -
   to glorify you and be a blessing to men.

Service and Provision

O God of my end,

You have given me a fierce resolve

   to go forth and spend my life for you;

If it be your will let me proceed in it;

   if not, then take away my intentions

All I want in life is such circumstances

   as may best enable me to serve you in the world;

To this end I leave all my concerns in your hand

   but let me not be discouraged,

      for this hinders my spiritual fervency;

Enable me to undertake some task for you,

   for this refreshes and animates my soul,

      so that I can endure all hardships and labors,

      and willingly suffer for your name.

But, O what a death it isto strive and labor,

   to be always in a hurry and yet do nothing!

Alas, time flies and I am of little use.

O that I could be a flame of fire in your service,

   always burning on in one continual blaze.

Equip me for singular usefulness in this world.

Equip me to exult in distresses of every kind

   if they but promote the advancement of your kingdom

Equip me to give up all hopes of the world's friendship,

   and give me a deeper sense of my sinfulness.

Equip me to accept from you as a friendly foe

   any trial that may befall me.

Equip me to be totally resigned to the denial

   of earthly pleasures I desire,

   and to be content to spend my time with you.

Equip me to pray with a sense of the joy of divine communion,

   to find all times happy seasons to my soul,

   to see my own nothingness,

   and wonder that I am allowed to serve you.

Equip me to enter the blessed world 

      where no unclean thing is,

   and to know you with me always.

God's Cause

Your cause, not my own, engages my heart,
   and I appeal to you with greatest freedom
   to set up your kingdom in every place
      where Satan reigns;
Glorify yourself and I will rejoice,
   for to bring honor to your name is my sole desire.
I adore you that you are God,
   and I long that others should know it, feel it, and rejoice it.
O that all men might love and praise you,
   that you might have all glory
      from the world of mankind!
Let sinners be brought to you for your dear name!
To the eye of reason everything regarding
   the conversion of others is as dark as midnight,
But you can accomplish great things;
   the cause is yours,
   and it is to your glory that men should be saved.
Lord, use me as you will
   do with me what you will
      but, O, advance your cause,
   let your kingdom come,
   let your blessed cause be advanced
      in this world!
O do gather great numbers to Jesus!
   let me see that glorious day,
   and help me to seek for multitudes of souls;
   let me be willing to die to that end;
   and while I live let me labor for you
      to the utmost of my strength,
      spending time profitably in this work,
      both in health and in weakness.
It is your cause and kingdom that I long for,
      not my own.

O, please grant my request!