I've been delighting the past few days in a book of Puritan prayers given to me by my sweet friend Julia last year. What was it about these people; they were able to express with such beauty and grace the deepest cries of my heart! Sometimes I envy the eloquence. This book is called "the Valley of Vision," edited by Arthur Bennett.
I highly, highly recommend you purchase it.
Jesus is so precious to me; INCREASINGLY, LONGINGLY precious to me. I delight in His guidance. His character. In His fellowship with my heart and His teaching, His patience, His indescribable sweetness. These prayers sometimes seem to help me express what I cannot otherwise. They facilitate in me the words I need to worship, adore, and make requests of Him. I'm grateful for that.
The prayer I've been parked at for a couple days now:
The prayer I've been parked at for a couple days now:
MY DEAR LORD,
I depend wholly upon Thee,
wean me from all other dependences.
Thou art my all, thou dost overrule all
and delight in me.
Thou art the foundation of goodness,
how can I distrust Thee?
how be anxious about what happens to me?
wean me from all other dependences.
Thou art my all, thou dost overrule all
and delight in me.
Thou art the foundation of goodness,
how can I distrust Thee?
how be anxious about what happens to me?
In the light of Thy preciousness
the world and all its enjoyments are
infinitely poor:
I value the favour of men no more than pebbles.
Amid the blessings I receive from Thee
may I never lose the heart of a stranger.
May I love Thee, my Benefactor, in all my benefits,the world and all its enjoyments are
infinitely poor:
I value the favour of men no more than pebbles.
Amid the blessings I receive from Thee
may I never lose the heart of a stranger.
not forgetting that my greatest danger
arises from my advantages.
arises from my advantages.
Produce in me self-despair that will
make Jesus precious to me,
delightful in all His offices,
pleasurable in all His ways,
and may I love His commands
as well as His promises.
make Jesus precious to me,
delightful in all His offices,
pleasurable in all His ways,
and may I love His commands
as well as His promises.
Help me to discern between true and false love,
the one consisting of supreme love to Thee,
the other not,
the former uniting Thy glory and man’s happiness
that they may become one common interest,
the latter disjointing and separating them both,
seeking the latter with neglect of the former.
the one consisting of supreme love to Thee,
the other not,
the former uniting Thy glory and man’s happiness
that they may become one common interest,
the latter disjointing and separating them both,
seeking the latter with neglect of the former.
Teach me that genuine love is different in kind
from that wrought by rational arguments
or the motive of self-interest,
that such love is a pleasing passion affording
joy to the mind where it is.
from that wrought by rational arguments
or the motive of self-interest,
that such love is a pleasing passion affording
joy to the mind where it is.
Grant me grace to distinguish
between the genuine and the false,
and to rest in Thee who art all love.
between the genuine and the false,
and to rest in Thee who art all love.
Thank you, Dani Love. This is so good.
ReplyDeleteI have the Valley of Vision as well, and have been inspired and encouraged by the prayers in it. I haven't read it in a while, so I think I'll pick it up again, thanks to your renewal of it in my memory!
ReplyDeleteThis book undoes me, Dani! It is one of my favorites. About a year or two ago I used it for morning devotions with my children and the Spirit of God so met us in these heart-rending prayers...So much so that we went through the whole book again. And as I just glanced through the book again, I think we are due for another dose already.
ReplyDeleteIt is best if you can read it aloud.
As the words of these dear Puritan brothers pierce your heart, may you see more clearly the unending glories and unmerited mercies of our Great and Awesome God.
Drink Deeply of Grace,
Mrs. Detwiler
Thank you so much for your comment Heather and Mrs. D! How cool that it's been a blessing to your family also. I had never heard of it until Julia gave it to me. It is so ENRICHING! :)
ReplyDeleteLove you...and hope to see you soon!
Thank you for sharing this! My early American ancestors were Puritains and I have loved the few prayers I have read by them. To learn of an entire book is fantastic. Bless you!
ReplyDeleteThank you for your comment! You'll DEFINITELY enjoy this book! (And I must say I love hats too.) :)
ReplyDelete