Devotionals

O LOVER TO THE UTTERMOST, May I read the meltings of thy heart to me         in the manger of thy birth         in the garden of thy agony,         in the cross of thy suffering,         in the tomb of thy resurrection,         in the heaven of thy intercession. Bold in this thought I defy my adversary,   tread down […]

MY FATHER, In a world of created changeable things,     Christ and his Word alone remain unshaken. O to forsake all creatures,   to rest as a stone on him the foundation, to abide in   him, be borne up by him! For all my mercies come through Christ,   who has designed, purchased, promised,     effected them. How sweet […]

THOU ETERNAL GOD, Thine is surpassing greatness, unspeakable       goodness, super-abundant grace; I can as soon count the sands of ocean’s ‘lip’   as number thy favours towards me; I know but a part, but that part exceeds all praise. I thank thee for personal mercies,   a measure of health, preservation of body,   comforts of house and […]

O GOD, Thou hast taught me         that Christ has all fullness and     so all plenitude of the Spirit,   that all fullness I lack in myself is in him,     for his people, not for himself alone,   he having perfect knowledge, grace,       righteousness,     to make me see,     to make me righteous,     to give me fullness;   that it […]

THOU INCOMPREHENSIBLE BUT PRAYER-HEARING GOD, Known, but beyond knowledge,         revealed, but unrevealed,         my wants and welfare draw me to thee,   for thou hast never said, ‘Seek ye me in vain’. To thee I come in my difficulties, necessities,     distresses;   possess me with thyself,     with a spirit of grace and supplication,     with a prayerful attitude of […]

O GOD, Praise waiteth for thee,       and to render it is my noblest exercise; This is thy due from all thy creatures,   for all thy works display thy attributes     and fulfil thy designs; The sea, dry land, winter cold, summer heat,   morning light, evening shade are full of thee,   and thou givest me them richly […]

O GOD WHOSE WILL CONQUERS ALL, There is no comfort in anything apart from       enjoying thee   and being engaged in thy service; Thou art All in all, and all enjoyments are what   to me thou makest them, and no more. I am well pleased with thy will, whatever it is,   or should be in all […]

O LORD GOD, WHO INHABITEST ETERNITY, The heavens declare thy glory,       The earth thy riches, The universe is thy temple; Thy presence fills immensity, Yet thou hast of thy pleasure created life,   and communicated happiness; Thou hast made me what I am, and given me   what I have; In thee I live and move and […]

O LORD GOD, I pray not so much for graces as for       the Spirit himself,   because I feel his absence,   and act by my own spirit in everything. Give me not weak desires but the power of     his presence,   for this is the surest way to have all his graces,   and when I have the […]

O LORD GOD, Thou hast commanded me to believe in Jesus;       and I would flee to no other refuge,   wash in no other fountain,   build on no other foundation,   receive from no other fullness,   rest in no other relief. His water and blood were not severed   in their flow at the cross,   may they never […]

LORD JESUS, If I love thee my soul shall seek thee,       but can I seek thee unless my love to thee       is kept alive to this end? Do I love thee because thou art good,   and canst alone do me good? It is fitting thou shouldest not regard me,   for I am vile and selfish; […]

LORD OF ALL BEING, There is one thing that deserves my greatest care,       that calls forth my ardent desires, That is, that I may answer the great end for which     I am made —   to glorify thee who hast given me being,   and to do all the good I can for my fellow men; Verily, […]

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 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 […]

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; […]

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 […]

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 SOURCE OF ALL GOOD, What shall I render to thee for the gift of gifts,       thine own dear Son, begotten, not created,   my Redeemer, proxy, surety, substitute,   his self-emptying incomprehensible,   his infinity of love beyond the heart’s grasp. Herein is wonder of wonders:   he came below to raise me above,   was born like me […]

BLESSED LORD JESUS, No human mind could conceive or invent         the gospel.       Acting in eternal grace, thou art both   its messenger and its message,   lived out on earth through infinite compassion,   applying thy life to insult, injury, death,   that I might be redeemed, ransomed, freed. Blessed be thou, O Father, for contriving this way, Eternal […]

O FOUNTAIN OF ALL GOOD, Destroy in me every lofty thought,       Break pride to pieces and scatter it     to the winds, Annihilate each clinging shred of     self-righteousness, Implant in me true lowliness of spirit, Abase me to self-loathing and self-abhorrence, Open in me a fount of penitential tears, Break me, then bind me up; Thus […]

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 […]

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 […]

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, […]