Devotionals: The Valley of Vision

O GOD OF ABRAHAM, ISAAC AND JACOB, We hope in thy Word.         There we see thee, not on a fearful throne   of judgment, But on a throne of grace   waiting to be gracious and exalted in mercy. There we hear thee saying,   not ‘Depart ye cursed’,   but ‘Look unto me and be ye saved,     for […]

O THOU MOST HIGH, Creator of the ends of the earth,     Governor of the universe,     Judge of all men,     Head of the church,     Saviour of sinners;       thy greatness is unsearchable,       thy goodness infinite,       thy compassions unfailing,       thy providence boundless,       thy mercies ever new. We bless thee for the words of salvation. How important, suitable, encouraging […]

BLESSED CREATOR, Thou hast promised thy beloved sleep;       Give me restoring rest needful for   tomorrow’s toil; If dreams be mine,   let them not be tinged with evil. Let thy Spirit make my time of repose   a blessed temple of his holy presence. May my frequent lying down make me familiar     with death,   the bed I […]

ETERNAL FATHER, It is amazing love,     that thou hast sent thy Son       to suffer in my stead,     that thou hast added the Spirit       to teach, comfort, guide,     that thou hast allowed the ministry of angels       to wall me round; All heaven subserves the welfare of a poor worm. Permit thy unseen servants to be ever […]

O HOLY SPIRIT, As the sun is full of light,         the ocean full of water,       Heaven full of glory, so may my heart be     full of thee. Vain are all divine purposes of love   and the redemption wrought by Jesus   except thou work within,     regenerating by thy power,     giving me eyes to see Jesus,     showing […]

O LORD, May I never fail to come to the knowledge         of the truth,   never rest in a system of doctrine, however     scriptural, that does not bring or further       salvation,   or teach me to deny ungodliness and     worldly lusts,   or help me to live soberly, righteously, godly;   never rely on my own convictions and resolutions, […]

MY GOD, Thou hast helped me to see,       that whatever good be in honour and   rejoicing, how good is he who gives them,     and can withdraw them;   that blessedness does not lie so much     in receiving good from and in thee,     but in holding forth thy glory and virtue;   that it is an amazing thing […]

O MY FORGETFUL SOUL, Awake from thy wandering dream;         turn from chasing vanities,   look inward, forward, upward,   view thyself,   reflect upon thyself,       who and what thou art, why here,       what thou must soon be. Thou art a creature of God,     formed and furnished by him,     lodged in a body like a shepherd in his tent; […]

O LORD, No day of my life has passed that has not         proved me guilty in thy sight.         Prayers have been uttered from a   prayerless heart; Praise has been often praiseless sound; My best services are filthy rags. Blessed Jesus, let me find a covert in thy appeasing   wounds. Though my sins rise to heaven […]

THOU BLESSED SPIRIT, AUTHOR OF ALL GRACE AND COMFORT, Come, work repentance in my soul;       Represent sin to me in its odious colours that       I may hate it; Melt my heart by the majesty and mercy of God; Show me my ruined self and the help there is   in him; Teach me to behold my […]

THOU RIGHTEOUS AND HOLY SOVEREIGN, In whose hand is my life and whose are all     my ways, Keep me from fluttering about religion;   fix me firm in it,   for I am irresolute;   my decisions are smoke and vapour,   and I do not glorify thee,   or behave according to thy will; Cut me not off before […]

O LORD, Bend my hands and cut them off,       for I have often struck thee with   a wayward will,   when these fingers should embrace thee by faith. I am not yet weaned from all created glory,   honour, wisdom, and esteem of others,   for I have a secret motive to eye my name     in all I […]

LORD JESUS, Give me a deeper repentance,       a horror of sin,       a dread of its approach; Help me chastely to flee it,   and jealously to resolve that my heart     shall be thine alone. Give me a deeper trust,   that I may lose myself to find myself in thee,     the ground of my rest,     the spring […]

O LORD, I hang on thee; I see, believe, live,     when thy will, not mine, is done; I can plead nothing in myself   in regard of any worthiness and grace,   in regard of thy providence and promises,   but only thy good pleasure. If thy mercy make me poor and vile, blessed be thou! Prayers arising […]

O MY GOD, Thou fairest, greatest, first of all objects,       my heart admires, adores, loves thee,   for my little vessel is as full as it can be,   and I would pour out all that fullness before thee     in ceaseless flow. When I think upon and converse with thee   ten thousand delightful thoughts spring up,   ten […]