Devotionals

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 […]

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 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 LORD, Help me to approach thee         with becoming conception of thy nature,   relations and designs. Thou inhabitest eternity, and   my life is nothing before thee; Thou dwellest in the highest heaven and   this cannot contain thee;     I live in a house of clay. Thy power is almighty;     I am crushed before the moth. Thy […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 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 GREAT I AM, Fill my mind with elevation and grandeur at       the thought of a Being   with whom one day is as a thousand years,   and a thousand years as one day, A mighty God, who, amidst the lapse of worlds,   and the revolutions of empires,   feels no variableness,   but is glorious in immortality. […]

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 […]

O SPIRIT OF GOD, Help my infirmities;       When I am pressed down with a load     of sorrow,   perplexed and knowing not what to do,   slandered and persecuted,   made to feel the weight of the cross,     help me, I pray thee. If thou seest in me   any wrong thing encouraged,   any evil desire cherished,   any delight […]

JEHOVAH GOD, Thou Creator, Upholder, Proprietor of all       things, I cannot escape from thy presence or control,   nor do I desire to do so. My privilege is to be under the agency of   omnipotence, righteousness, wisdom,   patience, mercy, grace. Thou art love with more than parental affection; I admire thy heart, adore thy wisdom,   stand […]

O SAVIOUR OF SINNERS, Thy name is excellent,       thy glory high,       thy compassions unfailing,       thy condescension wonderful,       thy mercy tender. I bless thee for the discoveries, invitations,     promises of the gospel   for in them is pardon for rebels,     liberty for captives,     health for the sick,     salvation for the lost. I come to thee in thy […]

MY FATHER, Enlarge my heart, warm my affections,     open my lips,   supply words that proclaim ‘Love lustres     at Calvary.’ There grace removes my burdens and heaps them     on thy Son,   made a transgressor, a curse, and sin for me; There the sword of thy justice smote the man,     thy fellow; There thy infinite attributes were […]

O CHANGELESS GOD, Under the conviction of thy Spirit I learn that       the more I do, the worse I am,   the more I know, the less I know,   the more holiness I have, the more sinful I am,   the more I love, the more there is to love.     O wretched man that I am! O […]

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 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 […]

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 […]

O LORD, My every sense, member, faculty, affection,         is a snare to me, I can scarce open my eyes but I envy those     above me,   or despise those below. I covet honour and riches of the mighty,   and am proud and unmerciful to the rags     of others; If I behold beauty it is a bait […]

SEARCHER OF HEARTS, It is a good day to me when thou givest me     a glimpse of myself; Sin is my greatest evil,   but thou art my greatest good; I have cause to loathe myself,   and not to seek self-honour,   for no one desires to commend his own dunghill. My country, family, church   fare worse […]

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, […]

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 […]

GLORIOUS GOD, I bless thee that I know thee.     I once lived in the world, but was ignorant   of its Creator,   was partaker of thy providences, but knew not     the Provider,   was blind while enjoying the sunlight,   was deaf to all things spiritual, with voices     all around me,   understood many things, but had no knowledge […]