A Prayer of A Lifetime

I wrote this prayer for today, tomorrow, and every day of my life. May it be yours, too.

O Holy Divine, Eternal Father,

The Heaven and Earth are thine,
     Created by thy hands,
     Sustained by thy words,
     Purposed for thy glory.
We are thy utmost
     Love, favoured, cared,
     Created by, in, and for
          Thy perfect will,
          Thy sacred love,
          Thy eternal purpose.
Thy love hath captured my heart,
Thy grace bound my soul,
Thy joy filled my innermost being.
Thou hast provided me with
     A life that is worth living,
     A hope that is worth pursuing,
     A Saviour who is worth trusting.
Thy presence is seen
     In the creations that surround me,
     The relations that build me,
     The provisions that sustain me.
By thy will I am created
     To have my being,
     Find my purpose,
     Live out my destiny.
Though I, a sinner, have
     Betrayed thy will,
     Disobeyed thy commands,
     Gone astray from the path
     Thou hast prepared before me,
Thou hast not forsaken me—
     Thou art my redeemer
          From the pit of emptiness,
          The valley of darkness,
          The shadow of death.
I thank thee, Heavenly Father,
     For thy Word on which I feed,
     Thy Spirit in whom I walk,
     Thy Son to whom I surrender.
May I daily
     Bless thy Name,
          The Name above all titles;
     Proclaim thy Truth,
          The Truth beyond all realities;
     Declare thy Kingdom,
          The Kingdom over all thrones.
Let me not forget
     Thy life,
     Thy death,
     Thy resurrection;
          Thy Word,
          Thy Cross,
          Thy Body;
               Thy saving grace,
               Thy redemptive work,
               Thy glorious coming.
Young or old,
Rich or poor,
Well or sick,
     I shall look to thee,
     Serve thee,
     Glorify thee,
          In all places,
          At all times,
          Under all circumstances;
               With all my mind,
               All my heart,
               And all my soul.

I pray to thee,
In the mighty and wonderful name of
     Thy glorious Son,
     The Prince of Peace,
     My Saviour and Lord
     Jesus Christ,
     Amen.

New Year Resolution

New Year Resolution

O Lord,
Length of days does not profit me

except the days are passed in thy precence,
in thy service, to thy glory.
Give me a grace the precedes, follows, guides,
sustains, sanctifies, aids every hour,
that I may not be one moment apart for thee.
but may rely on thy Spirit
to supply every thought,
speak in every word,
direct every step,
prosper every work,
build up every mote of faith,
and give me a desire
to show forth thy praise
testify thy love,
advance thy kingdom.
I launch my bark on the unknown waters of this year,
With thee, O Father, as my harbour,
thee, O Son, at my helm,
thee, O Holy Spirit, filling my sail.
Guide me to heaven with my loins girt,
my lamp burning,
my ear open to thy calls,
my heart full of love,
my soul free.
Give me thy grace to sanctify me,
thy comforts to cheer,
thy wisdom to teach,
thy right hand to guide,
thy counsel to instruct,
thy law to judge,
thy presence to stabilize.
May thy fear be my awe,
thy triumphs my joy.


---from The Valley of Vision (A Collections of Puritan Prayers and Devotions)