Devotionals: The Valley of Vision

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 GOD OF MY END, Thou hast given me a fixed disposition       to go forth and spend my life for thee; If it be thy will let me proceed in it;   if not, then revoke my intentions. All I want in life is such circumstances   as may best enable me to serve thee in the […]

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 GOD, There is no blessing we implore       but thou art able to give,   hast promised to give,   hast given already to countless multitudes,     all unworthy and guilty like ourselves; Make us willing to receive the supply   of our need from thy bounty. To this end convince us of sin,   soften our hard hearts, […]

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 […]

SOVEREIGN LORD, Thy will is supreme in heaven and earth,       and all beings are creatures of thy power. Thou art the Father of our spirits;   thy inspiration gives us understanding,   thy providence governs our lives. But, O God, we are sinners in thy sight;   thou hast judged us so,     and if we deny it we […]

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 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 […]

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 […]

ELECTOR OF SAINTS, Blessed is the man whom thou choosest       and callest to thyself. With thee is mercy, redemption, assurance,     forgiveness; Thou hast lifted me, a prisoner, out of     the pit of sin   and pronounced my discharge,     not only in the courts of heaven,     but in the dock of conscience;   hast justified me by faith, […]

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 […]

O GOD OF ABRAHAM, ISAAC AND JACOB, We hope in thy Word.         There we see thee, not on a fearful throne   of judgment, But on a throne of grace   waiting to be gracious and exalted in mercy. There we hear thee saying,   not ‘Depart ye cursed’,   but ‘Look unto me and be ye saved,     for […]

O THOU MOST HIGH, Creator of the ends of the earth,     Governor of the universe,     Judge of all men,     Head of the church,     Saviour of sinners;       thy greatness is unsearchable,       thy goodness infinite,       thy compassions unfailing,       thy providence boundless,       thy mercies ever new. We bless thee for the words of salvation. How important, suitable, encouraging […]

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 […]