Tuesday, February 01, 2011

Puritan prayers...

Meeting God

Great God,
In public and private, in sanctuary 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.
Urge by my need,
 invited by thy promise,
 called by thy Spirit,
 I enter they presence,
  worshipping the with godly fear,
  awed by thy majesty, greatness, glory,
  but encouraged by thy love.
I am all poverty as well as all guilt,
 having nothing of my own with which
  to repay thee,
But I bring Jesus to thee in the arms of faith,
 pleading his righteousness to offset my iniquities,
 rejoicing that he will weigh down the scales
  for me,
 and satisfy thy justice.
I bless thee that great sin draws out great grace,
 that, although the least sin
  deserves infinite punishment
  because done against an infinite God,
 yet there is mercy for me,
 for where guilt is most terrible,
 there thy mercy in Christ is most free and deep.
Bless me by revealing to me more of his saving merits
 by causing thy goodness to pass before me,
 by speaking peace to my contrite heart;
Strengthening me to give thee no rest until Christ
  shall reign supreme within me,
 in every though, word, and deed,
 in faith that purifies the heart,
    overcomes the world,
    works by love,
    fastens me to thee,
    and ever clings to the cross.

- The Valley of Vision: A Collection of Puritan Prayers & Devotions

1 comment:

Abi said...

On my reading list!