Thursday, October 8, 2009

My Prayer for Today

Oh, Lord

I am a shell full of dust, but animated with an invisible rational soul and made anew by an unseen power of grace;

Yet I am no rare object of valuable price, but one that has nothing and is nothing, although chosen of thee from eternity, given to Christ and born again;

I am deeply convinced of the evil and misery of a sinful state, of the vanity of creatures, but also of the sufficiency of Christ.

When thou wouldst guide me I control myself,

When thou wouldst be sovereign I rule myself.

When thou wouldst take care of me I suffice myself.

When I should depend on thy providings I supply myself,

When I should submit to thy providence I follow my will,

When I should study, love, honour, trust thee, I serve myself

I fault and correct thy laws to suit myself,

Instead of thee I look to man's approbation, and am by nature an idolater.

Lord, it is my chief design to bring my heart back to thee.

Convince me that I cannot be my own god, or make myself happy, nor my own Spirit to teach guide, rule me.

Help me to see that grace does this providential affliction, for when my credit is god thou dost cast me lower, when riches are my idol thou dost turn it into bitterness.

Take away my roving eye, curious ear, greedy appetite, lustful heart;

Show me that none of these things can heal a wounded conscience, or support a tottering frame, or uphold a departing spirit.

Then take me to the cross and leave me there.

"Man a Nothing," taken from The Valley of Vision: A Collection of Puritan Prayers and Devotions, by Arthur Bennet

14 comments:

  1. I love this! What a great way to welcome home the prodigal sons and daughters!

    Love and Hugs ~ Kat

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  2. Oh my, that was lovely. Thank you.

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  3. That was very thought provoking...I love the last line...

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  4. Love it, thanks for posting it:)

    Love and Blessings,
    Cara

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  5. Amen, thanks for sharing this...Jenny

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  7. Oh Keelie...how that touched my heart to the core. How those words rang over as they penetrated the flesh of me....

    My first visit here...but I have been OH SO BLESSED!

    Thank you! I will be back!

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  8. Lovely prayer. Thanks for posting. Also wanted to thank you for those awesome links you left me. I am totally using the framed fabric idea for my staircase.
    hugs!
    L

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  9. I love "Valley of Vision" and anything written by my favorites, "the Puritans"! Thank you for posting one of their great prayers!
    Blessings,
    Jayne

    "If contentment were here, Heaven were not Heaven."

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  10. What a sweet prayer. Blessings this weekend girl,
    Sasha

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  11. Wonderful post, Keelie. Thank you. I love those prayers written of ago that seem to reach to a depth that other writings do not.

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