Tuesday, January 27, 2009

The Valley of Vision Prayer

For years Helen has used "The Valley of Vision -- A Collection of Puritan Prayers & Devotions" as her devotional reading. Recently we added the prayers to our morning readings and prayers. The prayer below is a sample of the collection.

CONTRITION

O Thou most high,
It becomes me to be low in thy presence.
I am nothing compared with thee;
I possess not the rank and power of angels,
but thou hast made me what I am,
and placed me where I am;
help me to acquiesce in thy sovereign pleasure.
I thank thee that in the embryo state of my endless being
I am capable by grace of improvement;
that I can bear thy image,
not by submissiveness, but by design,
can work with thee and advance thy cause and glory.
But, alas, the crown has fallen from my head:
I have sinned;
I am alien to thee;
my head is deceitful and wicked,
my mind an enemy to thy law.
Yet, in my lostness thou hast laid help on the mighty one
and he comes between to put his hands on us both,
my umpire, daysman, mediator,
whose blood is my peace,
whose righteousness is my strength,
whose condemnation is my freedom,
whose Spirit is my power,
whose heaven is my heritge.
Grant that I may feel more the strength of thy grace
in subduing the evil of my nature,
in loosing me from the present evil world,
in supporting me under the trials of life,
in enabling me to abide with thee in my valleys,
in exercising me to have a conscience void of offense
before thee and before men.
In all my affairs may I distinguish between duty and axiety,
and my my character and not my circumstances chieflyl engage me.

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