Devotionals: The Valley of Vision

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 […]

O THOU TERRIBLE MEEK, Let not pride swell my heart.       My nature is the mire beneath my feet,       the dust to which I shall return. In body I surpass not the meanest reptile; Whatever difference of form and intellect is mine   is a free grant of thy goodness; Every faculty of mind and body is […]

O LORD GOD, Teach me to know that grace precedes,       accompanies, and follows my salvation,   that it sustains the redeemed soul,   that not one link of its chain can ever break. From Calvary’s cross wave upon wave of grace   reaches me,   deals with my sin,   washes me clean,   renews my heart,   strengthens my will,   draws […]

LORD JESUS, I sin — Grant that I may     never cease grieving because of it,     never be content with myself,     never think I can reach a point of perfection. Kill my envy, command my tongue,   trample down self. Give me grace to be holy, kind, gentle, pure,   peaceable,     to live for thee and not for […]

LORD GOD ALMIGHTY, Thou art beforehand with men       for thou hast reconciled thyself to the world     through the cross,     and dost beseech men to accept reconciliation. It is my responsibility to grasp thy overtures of grace,   for if thou, the offended part, act first     with the word of appeasement,   I need not call in question […]

O LORD, Whose power is infinite and wisdom infallible,       Order things that they may neither hinder,     nor discourage me,     nor prove obstacles to the progress of thy cause; Stand between me and all strife, that no evil befall,     no sin corrupt my gifts, zeal, attainments; May I follow duty and not any foolish device     of […]

O GOD OF THE HIGHEST HEAVEN, Occupy the throne of my heart,       take full possession and reign supreme,   lay low every rebel lust,   let no vile passion resist thy holy war;   manifest thy mighty power,     and make me thine for ever. Thou art worthy to be   praised with my every breath,   loved with my every […]

MY FATHER, When thou art angry towards me for my         wrongs I try to pacify thee by abstaining from future sin; But teach me   that I cannot satisfy thy law,   that this effort is a resting in my righteousness,   that only Christ’s righteousness, ready made,     already finished, is fit for that purpose;   that thy chastising […]

HEAVENLY FATHER, My faith is in thee,         My expectation is from thee,         My love goes out toward thee,   I believe thee,       accept thy Word,       acquiesce in thy will,       rely on thy promises,       trust thy providence. I bless thee that the court of conscience   proves me to be thine. I do not need signs and wonders […]

O MERCIFUL GOD, When I hear of disagreeable things amongst       Christians,   it brings an additional weight and burden     on my spirit; I come to thee in my distress and make lamentable   complaint; Teach me how to take reproofs from friends,   even though I think I do not deserve them; Use them to make me tenderly […]

O GOD, May I never be a blot or a blank in life,         cause the way of truth to be evil spoken of,   or make my liberty an occasion to the flesh. May I by love serve others, and please my neighbour   for his good to edification. May I attend to what is ornamental as […]

O GOD MOST HIGH, MOST GLORIOUS, The thought of thine infinite serenity       cheers me, For I am toiling and moiling, troubled     and distressed,   but thou art for ever at perfect peace. Thy designs cause thee no fear or care     of unfulfilment,   they stand fast as the eternal hills. Thy power knows no bond,   thy goodness […]

O GOD OF MY EXODUS, Great was the joy of Israel’s sons,       when Egypt died upon the shore,       Far greater the joy       when the Redeemer’s foe lay crushed       in the dust. Jesus strides forth as the victor,   conqueror of death, hell, and all opposing     might; He bursts the bands of death,   tramples the powers of […]

SUPREME RULER OF THE VISIBLE AND INVISIBLE WORLDS, My heart is drawn out to thee         for thy amazing grace and condescension. Thou hast kept my conversion fresh before me,   that season of my first spiritual comfort     when I passed through the Red Sea     by a way I did not expect. I rejoiced then for that […]

O GOD OF LOVE, I approach thee with encouragements     derived from thy character,   for I am not left to feel after thee     in the darkness of my nature,   nor to worship thee as the unknown God. I cannot find out thy perfections,   but I know thou art good,     ready to forgive, plenteous in mercy. Thou […]

THOU GREAT AND ONLY POTENTATE, Thou hast made summer and winter,       day and night;   each of these revolutions serves our welfare   and is full of thy care and kindness. Thy bounty is seen   in the relations that train us,   the laws that defend us,   the homes that shelter us,   the food that builds us,   the […]