In Prayer

O LORD,

In prayer I launch far out into the eternal world,
and on that broad ocean my soul triumphs
over all evils on the shores of mortality.

Time with its gay amusements and cruel
disappointments, never appears so inconsiderate
as then.

Living By Prayer

Let me know that the work of prayer is to bring
my will to thine,
and that without this it is folly to pray...

Purification

Deliver me from attachment to things unclean,
from wrong associations,
from the predominance of evil passions,
from the suger of sin as well as its gall...

Humiliation

Thou does not play in convincing me of sin,
Satan did not play in tempting me to it,
I do not play when I sink in deep mire,
for sin is no game, no toy, no bauble;
Let me never forget that the heinousness of sin lies
not so much in the nature of the sin committed,
as in the greatness of the Person sinned against.

Contrition

...may my character and not my
circumstances engage me.

Love Shed Abroad

Gracious God,

My Heart Praises thee for the wonder
of they love in Jesus;
He is heaven's darling, but is for me
the incarnate, despised, rejected,
crucified sin-bearer;
In Him they grace has almost our-graced itself,
In Him thy love to rebels has reached its height;
O to love thee with a love like this!

Confession and Petition

No trial is so hard to bear as a sense of sin.
If thou shouldst give me choice to live
in pleasure and keep my sins,
or to have them away with trial,
give me sactified affliction.

Divine Promises

Glorious Jehovah, My Covenant God,

...Help me to leave my concerns in thy hands,
for thou has power over evil,
and bringest from it an infinite progression of good...

Spiritual Helps

May my every cross be sanctified,
every loss be gain,
every denial a spiritual advantage,
every dark day a light of the Holy Spirit,
every night of trial a song.

Openness

Lord of Immortality,

...Expel from my mind all sinful fear and shame,
so that with firmness and courage I may
confess the Redeemer before men...

Christlikeness

Father of Jesus,

Cause me to be a mirror of thy grace,
to show others the joy of thy service,

May my lips be well-tuned cymbals
sounding they praise,

Let a halo of heavenly-mindedness
sparkle around me
and a lamp of kindness sunbeam my path.

Continual Repentance

I am always going into the far country,
and always returning home as a prodigal,
always saying, Father, forgive me,
and thou art always bringing forth
the best robe.

Every morning let me wear it,
every evening return in it,
be married in it,
be wound in death in it...

The Deeps

Quarry me deep, dear Lord,
and then fill me to overflowing 
with living water.

Self-deprecation

My every member, sense, faculty, affection,
is a snare to me.
I can scarcely open my eyes but I envy those
above me,
or despise those below me,
I covet honour and riches of the mighty,
and am proud and unmerciful to the rags
of others,
If I behold beauty it is a bait to lust,
or see deformity it stirs up loathing and disdain.
How soon do slanders, vain jests, and wanton
speeches creep into my heart!

Thou knowest that all these snares
are my corruptions,
and that my greatest snare is myself.

Heart corruption

Grant me grace to bear thy will without repining,

And delight to be

not only chiselled, squared, or fashioned,

but separated from the rock where

I have been embedded so long,

And lifted from the quarry to the upper air,

where I may be built in Christ forever.

Yet I sin

Thy loving spirit strives within me,
brings me scripture warnings,
speaks in startling provinces,
allures by secret whispers,
yet I choose devices and desires to my own hurt,
impiously resent, grieve,
and provoke him to abandon me.

All these sins mourn, lament, and for them
cry pardon...