Begin in Mercy a New Work

On September 4, 2015March 26, 2016 By BrianIn Prayers

O God,
I have tasted Thy goodness,
and it has both satisfied me
and made me thirsty for more.
I am painfully conscious of my need of further grace.
I am ashamed of my lack of desire.
O God, the Triune God,
I want to want Thee;
I long to be filled with longing;
I thirst to be made more thirsty still.
Show me Thy glory, I pray Thee,
that so I may know Thee indeed.
Begin in mercy a new work of love within me.
Say to my soul,
“Rise up, my love, my fair one, and come away.”
Then give me grace to rise
and follow Thee up from this misty lowland
where I have wandered so long.
In Jesus’ name.
Amen.

– A. W. Tozer in The Pursuit of God

Lord Be With Us

On March 17, 2015March 26, 2016 By BrianIn Prayers

Lord be with us this day,
Within us to purify us;
Above us to draw us up;
Beneath us to sustain us;
Before us to lead us;
Behind us to restrain us;
Around us to protect us.

– St Patrick

May the Strength of God

On March 16, 2015March 26, 2016 By BrianIn Prayers

May the strength of God pilot us,
May the power of God preserve us,
May the wisdom of God instruct us,
May the hand of God protect us,
May the way of God direct us,
May the shield of God defend us,
May the host of God guard us
Against snares of evil
And the temptations of the world.

– St Patrick

A Church Prayer

On January 20, 2015March 26, 2016 By BrianIn Church Life, Prayers

Father,
Thank you for good news of Jesus, thank you for your grace in our lives.
May your work in our lives spur us on to share the good news with others.
May the gracious welcome of Jesus lead us to graciously welcome each other.
May freedom from bondage to sin move us to press on in growing together.
May all that you have done for us draw us to sing and live for your glory.
Amen.

Never Fully Estimate

On May 17, 2013March 26, 2016 By BrianIn Prayers

O my most tender God and Father,
I can never fully estimate the stoop of Thy majesty
in deigning to love me,
nor the greatness of Thy generosity
in inviting me to have fellowship with Thee.
Give me I pray Thee,
grace to value such priceless goodness,
and every day to live in habitual fellowship with Thee.

– Charles Spurgeon

Be Thou Exalted

On February 26, 2013March 26, 2016 By BrianIn Prayers1 Comment

O God,
Be Thou exalted over my possessions.
Nothing of earth’s treasures shall seem dear unto me
if only Thou art glorified in my life.

Be Thou exalted over my friendships.
I am determined that Thou shalt be above all,
though I must stand deserted and alone
in the midst of the earth.

Be Thou exalted above my comforts.
Though it mean the loss of bodily comforts
and the carrying of heavy crosses,
I shall keep my vow made this day before Thee.

Be Thou exalted over my reputation.
Make me ambitious to please Thee
even if as a result I must sink into obscurity
and my name be forgotten as a dream.

Rise, O Lord,
into Thy proper place of honor,
above my ambitions,
above my likes and dislikes,
above my family,
my health
and even my life itself.

Let me decrease that Thou mayest increase;
let me sink that Thou mayest rise above.

– A. W. Tozer, 1897-1963

Eternal Father of My Soul

On February 6, 2013March 26, 2016 By BrianIn Prayers

Eternal Father of my soul,
let my first thought today be of You,
let my first impulse be to worship You,
let my first speech be Your name,
let my first action be to kneel before You in prayer.

For Your perfect wisdom and perfect goodness:
For the love with which You love mankind:
For the love with which You love me:
For the great and mysterious opportunity of my life:
For the indwelling of Your Spirit in my heart:
For the sevenfold gifts of Your Spirit:
I praise and worship You, O Lord.

Yet let me not, when this morning prayer is said,
think my worship ended and spend the day in forgetfulness of You.
Rather from these moments of quietness let light go forth,
and joy, and power, that will remain with me
through all the hours of the day;

Keeping me chaste in thought:
Keeping me temperate and truthful in speech:
Keeping me faithful and diligent in my work:
Keeping me humble in my estimation of myself:
Keeping me honorable and generous in my dealings with others:
Keeping me loyal to every hallowed memory of the past:
Keeping me mindful of my eternal destiny as a child of Yours.
Through Jesus Christ my Lord. Amen.

– John Baillie, 1886-1960

Bind My Heart

On November 14, 2012March 26, 2016 By BrianIn Prayers

Let your goodness, O God, bind my heart with a chain
to you! Seal my will to yours with an unbreakable application of your eternal covenant…. Keep me!
Preserve me! Defeat every rising rebellion!
Overcome every niggling doubt! Deliver from every destructive temptation! Nullify every fatal allurement! Expose every demonic deception! Tear down every arrogant argument! Shape me! Incline me! Hold me! Master me! Do whatever you must do to keep me trusting you and fearing you till Jesus comes or calls.