Devotionals: The Valley of Vision

O LORD, I marvel that thou shouldst become incarnate,     be crucified, dead, and buried. The sepulchre calls forth my adoring wonder,   for it is empty and thou art risen;   the four-fold gospel attests it,   the living witnesses prove it,   my heart’s experience knows it. Give me to die with thee that I may rise to […]

O GOD, Thy main plan, and the end of thy will       is to make Christ glorious and beloved         in heaven   where he is now ascended,   where one day all the elect will behold his glory   and love and glorify him for ever. Though here I love him but little,   may this be my portion at […]

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 […]

O LORD GOD, The first act of calling is by thy command         in thy Word,   ‘Come unto me, return unto me’; The second is to let in light,   so that I see that I am called particularly,   and perceive the sweetness of the command     as well as its truth,   in regard to thy great love […]

O LOVER OF THE LOVELESS, It is thy will that I should love thee     with heart, soul, mind, strength,     and my neighbour as myself. But I am not sufficient for these things. There is by nature no pure love in my soul; Every affection in me is turned from thee; I am bound, as slave […]

FATHER OF JESUS, Dawn returns, but without thy light within       no outward light can profit; Give me the saving lamp of thy Spirit that I may     see thee,   the God of my salvation, the delight of my soul,   rejoicing over me in love. I commend my heart to thy watchful care,   for I know its […]

GIVER OF ALL GOOD, Streams upon streams of love overflow my path.       Thou hast made me out of nothing,       hast recalled me from a far country,   hast translated me from ignorance to knowledge,       from darkness to light,       from death to life,       from misery to peace,       from folly to wisdom,       from error to truth,       from sin […]

HOLY LORD, I have sinned times without number,     and been guilty of pride and unbelief,   of failure to find thy mind in thy Word,   of neglect to seek thee in my daily life. My transgressions and short-comings   present me with a list of accusations, But I bless thee that they will not stand against me, […]

O GOD OF GRACE, I bewail my cold, listless, heartless prayers;     their poverty adds sin to sin. If my hope were in them I should be undone, But the worth of Jesus perfumes my feeble     breathings, and wins their acceptance. Deepen my contrition of heart, Confirm my faith in the blood that washes     from all […]

BLESSED GOD,  Ten thousand snares are mine without and within,   defend thou me; When sloth and indolence seize me,   give me views of heaven; When sinners entice me,   give me disrelish of their ways; When sensual pleasures tempt me,   purify and refine me; When I desire worldly possessions,   help me to be rich toward thee; […]

O THOU GIVING GOD, My heart is drawn out in thankfulness         to thee, for thy amazing grace and condescension     to me   in influences and assistances of thy Spirit,   for special help in prayer,   for the sweetness of Christian service,   for the thoughts of arriving in heaven,   for always sending me needful supplies,   for raising me […]

REMEMBER, O MY SOUL, It is thy duty and privilege to rejoice in God: He requires it of thee for all his favours of grace. Rejoice then in the Giver and his goodness, Be happy in him, O my heart, and in nothing     but God,   for whatever a man trusts in,   from that he expects […]

ALMIGHTY GOD, I am loved with everlasting love,     clothed in eternal righteousness,       my peace flowing like a river,       my comforts many and large,       my joy and triumph unutterable,       my soul lively with a knowledge of salvation,       my sense of justification unclouded. I have scarce anything to pray for; Jesus smiles upon my soul as a […]

MY FATHER, I could never have sought my happiness     in thy love,   unless thou had’st first loved me. Thy Spirit has encouraged me by grace to seek thee,   has made known to me thy reconciliation in Jesus,   has taught me to believe it,   has helped me to take thee for my God     and portion. May […]

O LORD, When the world’s unbelievers reject thee,       and are so forsaken by thee   that thou callest them no more,   it is to thine own thou dost turn,   for in such seasons of general apostasy   they in some measure backslide with the world. O how free is thy grace   that reminds them of the danger […]

HEAVENLY FATHER, Save me entirely from sin.       I know I am righteous through the       righteousness of another,   but I pant and pine for likeness to thyself; I am thy child and should bear thy image, Enable me to recognize my death unto sin; When it tempts me may I be deaf unto its voice. Deliver […]

O MY SAVIOUR, Help me.     I am so slow to learn,       so prone to forget,       so weak to climb; I am in the foothills when I should be     on the heights; I am pained by my graceless heart,   my prayerless days,   my poverty of love,   my sloth in the heavenly race,   my sullied conscience,   my […]

O GOD OF TRUTH, I thank thee for the holy Scriptures,     their precepts, promises, directions, light. In them may I learn more of Christ,   be enabled to retain his truth   and have grace to follow it. Help me to lift up the gates of my soul     that he may come in   and show me himself […]

O GOD, I know that I often do thy work         without thy power,   and sin by my dead, heartless, blind service,     my lack of inward light, love, delight,     my mind, heart, tongue moving       without thy help. I see sin in my heart in seeking the approbation     of others; This is my vileness, to make men’s […]

BLESSED SPIRIT OF GOD, Four evils attend my ministry —       The devil treads me down by   discouragement and shame     arising from coldness in private meditation. Carelessness possesses me   from natural dullness and dimness of spirit;     because in the past I have met with success       and been highly regarded,     so that it does not matter if […]

O GOD, MY EXCEEDING JOY, Singing thy praises uplifts my heart,     for thou art a fountain of delight,       and dost bless the soul that joys in thee. But because of my heart’s rebellion I cannot always praise thee as I ought; Yet I will at all times rest myself in   thy excellences, goodness, and loving-kindness. […]

O MY LORD, Let not my ministry be approved only by men,       or merely win the esteem and affections         of people; But do the work of grace in their hearts,   call in thy elect,   seal and edify the regenerate ones,   and command eternal blessings on their souls. Save me from self-opinion and self-seeking; Water the […]

MY MASTER GOD, I am desired to preach today,       but go weak and needy to my task; Yet I long that people might be edified     with divine truth,   that an honest testimony might be borne     for thee; Give me assistance in preaching and prayer,   with heart uplifted for grace and unction. Present to my view […]

UNCHANGEABLE JEHOVAH When I am discouraged in my ministry         and full of doubts of my self,   fasten me upon the rock of thy eternal election,     then my hands will not hang down,     and I shall have hope for myself and others. Thou dost know thy people by name,   and wilt at the appointed season     lead […]