"Heavenly Father, if I should suffer need, and go unclothed, and be in poverty, make my heart prize Thy love, know it, be constrained by it, though I be denied all blessings. It is Thy mercy to afflict and try me with wants, for by these trials I see my sins, and desire severance from them. Let me willingly accept misery, sorrows, temptations, if I can thereby feel sin as the greatest evil, and be delivered from it with gratitude to Thee, acknowledging this as the highest testimony of Thy love.
When thy Son, Jesus, came into my soul instead of sin He became more dear to me than sin had formerly been; His kindly rule replaced sin's tyranny. Teach me to believe that if ever I would have any sin subdued I must not only labour to overcome it, but must invite Christ to abide in the place of it, and He must become to me more than vile lust had been; that His sweetness, power, life may be there. Thus I must seek a grace from Him contrary to sin, but must not claim it apart from Himself.
When I am afraid of evils to come, 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 no rest, but in Christ there is satisfaction and peace; that in myself I am feeble and unable to do good, but in Christ I have ability to do all things. Though now I have His graces in part, I shall shortly have them perfectly in that state where Thou wilt show Thyself fully reconciled, and alone sufficient, efficient, loving me completely, with sin abolished. O Lord, hasten that day."
Saturday, February 14, 2009
THE VALLEY OF VISION
...a prayer for contentment
an encore presentation
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6 comments:
I love Valley of Vision. It's just filled with so many gospel centered prayers to get our meditations in the right direction.
Not sure if you've heard of Sovereign Grace, but they are releasing a new worship CD based on Valley of Vision in August. Learn more here.
http://www.sovereigngraceministries.org/music/projects/valleyofvision/
Lew
I like this book too. It has proven to be both comforting and convicting. The Puritans really knew how to pray in a way that is so foreign to us today (at least to me).
Seeing God's sovereign care and purpose in all things takes daily grace. May He grant it to us all during these uncertain days in our nation.
Steve
PS - I have heard that CD. Bob Kauflin does excellent work in song for the kingdom.
God is perhaps seperating the chaff from the whaet in His churches here in the western world. I don't know.
This such a blessing of a post. A good prayer to pray. Heartfelt and scriputre soaked prayers like these lift my downcast soul.
Thanks.
For our family it has been an extremely difficult time for the last couple of months. I have been consistantly reminded that times of trials are times of great opportunities to grow in faith and dependancy on His grace.
Thank you for this repost Steve, the message was perfect, as was the timing.
Deep, biblical words. A related Puritan quote is one of my favorites: "There is more evil in a drop of sin than in a sea of affliction."
How important that we run from sin, but welcome affliction if God sees fit to bring it to us. Our flesh and our world tend to switch those two reactions: Avoid affliction at all costs, but take sin much more lightly - let it come, we'll be forgiven later. I think the Puritans had a good grasp on the proper distinction.
"Though now I have His graces in part, I shall shortly have them perfectly in that state where Thou wilt show Thyself fully reconciled, and alone sufficient, efficient, loving me completely, with sin abolished. O Lord, hasten that day."
http://judahslion.blogspot.com/2009/02/to-him-be-all-glory-t-here-is-one-and.html
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