As I have been intentionally working on renewing my mind this week per my application from pondering Romans 12:1-2, I have been greatly helped by a collection of Puritan prayers called The Valley of Vision. They have stirred within me a desire to learn how to pray like the great saints of the past. They have revealed to me how shallow and anemic my own praying has been. They have helped me to put into words things that I did not know how to voice to God. (You can click on the picture to the right if you want to see what Amazon.com says about this book.) Here are a few more excerpts from some of the prayers that have helped me this week:
If it be consistent with thy eternal counsels,
the purpose of thy grace,
and the great ends of thy glory,
then bestow upon me the blessings of thy comforts;
If not, let me resign myself to thy wiser determinations.
O Lord, I am astonished at the difference
between my receivings and my deservings,
between the state I am now in and my past gracelessness,
between the Heaven I am bound for and the Hell I deserve.
Let thy love draw me nearer to thyself,
wean me from sin, mortify me to this world,
and make me ready for my departure hence.
Secure me by thy grace as I sail across this stormy sea.
Show me what sins hide thee from me
and eclipse thy love;
Help me to humble myself for past evils,
and to be resolved to walk with more care,
For if I do not walk holily before thee,
how can I be assured of my salvation.
* If you missed my Special Edition post yesterday, it will give you next week’s passage and memory verse for those of you Pondering Great Passages with me.
those are beautiful. I don’t think I could ever talk (or think) like that. WOW. It sure does speak my heart though. Thanks for sharing this resource. You are the bomb. 🙂