My friend Dan gave me book entitled The Valley of Vision, Puritan Prayers and Devotions a few years ago. I pick it up occasionally, but regularly. While praying this morning about the blog posts for this week I came to this prayer. The editor, Arthur Bennett, has extracted the prayers and devotions from Puritan literature. The Preface says “The editor is thus responsible for the structure of the prayers as here printed.” First printed in 1975 the work is copyrighted by Arthur Bennett but says nothing about reproducing the prayers in other places. So, here is the one I read this morning and I pray I am not violating any laws by sharing it with you. I suggest you read it through to become acquainted with the older English and then read it again prayerfully, applying the phrases to your own life. I have even thought about adapting the prayers to modern English but have not done that so far!
O Christ,
All thy ways of mercy tend to and end in my delight.
Thou didst weep, sorrow, suffer that I might rejoice.
For my joy thou hast sent the Comforter,
multiplied thy promises,
shown me my future happiness,
given me a living fountain.
Thou art preparing joy for me and me for joy;
I pray for joy, wait for joy, long for joy;
give me more than I can hold, desire, or think of.
Measure out to me my times and degrees of joy,
at my work, business, duties.
If I weep at night, give me joy in the morning.
Let me rest in the thought of thy love,
pardon for sin, my title to heaven,
my future unspotted state.
I am an unworthy recipient of thy grace.
I often disesteem thy blood and slight thy love,
but can in repentance draw water
from the wells of thy forgiveness.
Let my heart leap towards the eternal sabbath,
where the work of redemption, sanctification,
preservation, glorification is finished
and perfected for ever,
where thou wilt rejoice over me with joy.
There is no joy like the joy of heaven,
for in that state are no sad divisions,
unchristian quarrels,
contentions, evil designs,
weariness, hunger, cold,
sadness, sin, suffering,
persecutions, toils of duty.
O healthful place where none are sick!
O happy land where all are kings!
O holy assembly where all are priests!
How free a state where none are servants except to thee!
Bring me speedily to the land of joy.
If you are Bible literate you likely recognize phrases in the prayer taken directly from Scripture. I began to look up some of the references for you and there were just too many to list. I did place a few of them in the tag line.
As the pressure of the holiday traditions crowd about you, I challenge you to pray this often in the remaining weeks of December. Remind yourself of joy and mercy Christ brought to us. Look forward to the new heaven and earth, the ‘land of joy’ where we are headed! Fill you bucket at the fountain of living water God offers you. May you be blessed with an increased awareness of His Presence with you!
Treasures in Plain Sight, A Christian Blog 