Devotionals: The Valley of Vision

O GOD, I bless thee for the happy moment     when I first saw thy law fulfilled in Christ,   wrath appeased, death destroyed, sin forgiven,     my soul saved. Ever since, thou hast been faithful to me:   daily have I proved the power of Jesus’ blood,   daily have I known the strength of the Spirit,     my teacher, […]

O LORD MY LORD, This is thy day,       the heavenly ordinance of rest,     the open door of worship,     the record of Jesus’ resurrection,     the seal of the sabbath to come,     the day when saints militant and triumphant       unite in endless song. I bless thee for the throne of grace,   that here free favour reigns;   that […]

GOD OF ALL GOOD, I bless thee for the means of grace;     teach me to see in them thy loving purposes       and the joy and strength of my soul. Thou hast prepared for me a feast;   and though I am unworthy to sit down as guest,   I wholly rest on the merits of Jesus,   and […]

O FATHER OF JESUS, Help me to approach thee with deepest       reverence,   not with presumption,   not with servile fear, but with holy boldness. Thou art beyond the grasp of my understanding,   but not beyond that of my love. Thou knowest that I love thee supremely,   for thou art supremely adorable, good, perfect. My heart melts […]

EVERLASTING CREATOR-FATHER, I have destroyed myself,       my nature is defiled,       the powers of my soul are degraded;       I am vile, miserable, strengthless,       but my hope is in thee. If ever I am saved it will be by goodness     undeserved and astonishing,   not by mercy alone but by abundant mercy,   not by grace but by exceeding […]

LORD, Teach me the nature of a sacrament         as a seal and pledge of love,   that Christ is faithful to make himself     a present reality to his own who are guests       at his table. Assure me by it   that his Word is made good to my faith,   that he by sacramental union is given to […]

LORD JESUS, True God, everlasting Life,       Redeemer of sinners, I give my body, soul, intellect, will, affections     to thee. I call the day, sun,   earth, trees, stones,   wind, rain, frost, snow,   my home, bed, table, food,     books, drink, clothes,   to witness that I come to thee for rest of soul   from the thunders of guilt […]

O SUPREME MOVING CAUSE, May I always be subordinate to thee,         be dependent upon thee,   be found in the path where thou dost walk,     and where thy Spirit moves,   take heed of estrangement from thee,     of becoming insensible to thy love. Thou dost not move men like stones,   but dost endue them with life,   not […]

ALL-SEARCHING GOD, Thou readest the heart,       viewest principles and motives of actions,       seest more defilement in my duties     than I ever saw in any of my sins. The heavens are not clean in thy sight,   and thou chargest the angels with folly; I am ready to flee from myself because of     my abominations; Yet thou […]

THOU GREAT I AM, I acknowledge and confess that all things     come of thee —   life, breath, happiness, advancement,   sight, touch, hearing,   goodness, truth, beauty –   all that makes existence amiable. In the spiritual world also I am dependent     entirely upon thee. Give me grace to know more of my need of grace; Show me […]

GRACIOUS LORD, Thy name is love,       in love receive my prayer. My sins are more than the wide sea’s sand,   but where sin abounds,   there is grace more abundant. Look to the cross of thy beloved Son,   and view the preciousness of his atoning blood; Listen to his never-failing intercession,   and whisper to my heart, […]

BLESSED LORD JESUS, Before thy cross I kneel and see       the heinousness of my sin,       my iniquity that caused thee to be         ‘made a curse’,       the evil that excites the severity         of divine wrath. Show me the enormity of my guilt by   the crown of thorns,   the pierced hands and feet,   the bruised body,   the […]

THOU GOD OF ALL GRACE, Thou hast given me a Saviour,       produce in me a faith to live by him,   to make him all my desire,     all my hope,     all my glory. May I enter him as my refuge,   build on him as my foundation,   walk in him as my way,   follow him as my […]

O SON OF GOD AND SON OF MAN, Thou wast incarnate, didst suffer, rise, ascend       for my sake; Thy departure was not a token of separation     but a pledge of return; Thy Word, promises, sacraments, show thy death     until thou come again. That day is no horror to me,   for thy death has redeemed me, […]

THOU GOD OF MY END, Thou hast given me a fixed disposition       to go forth and spend my life for thee; If it be thy will let me proceed in it;   if not, then revoke my intentions. All I want in life is such circumstances   as may best enable me to serve thee in the […]

O LORD GOD, There is no blessing we implore       but thou art able to give,   hast promised to give,   hast given already to countless multitudes,     all unworthy and guilty like ourselves; Make us willing to receive the supply   of our need from thy bounty. To this end convince us of sin,   soften our hard hearts, […]

SOVEREIGN LORD, Thy will is supreme in heaven and earth,       and all beings are creatures of thy power. Thou art the Father of our spirits;   thy inspiration gives us understanding,   thy providence governs our lives. But, O God, we are sinners in thy sight;   thou hast judged us so,     and if we deny it we […]

O LIVING GOD, I bless thee       that I see the worst of my heart as well as     the best of it,   that I can sorrow for those sins that carry me     from thee,   that it is thy deep and dear mercy to threaten     punishment so that I may return, pray, live. My sin is to […]

ELECTOR OF SAINTS, Blessed is the man whom thou choosest       and callest to thyself. With thee is mercy, redemption, assurance,     forgiveness; Thou hast lifted me, a prisoner, out of     the pit of sin   and pronounced my discharge,     not only in the courts of heaven,     but in the dock of conscience;   hast justified me by faith, […]

MERCIFUL LORD, Pardon all my sins of this day, week, year,       all the sins of my life,   sins of early, middle, and advanced years,     of omission and commission,     of morose, peevish and angry tempers,     of lip, life and walk,     of hard-heartedness, unbelief, presumption,       pride,     of unfaithfulness to the souls of men,     of want of bold […]

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 […]