[valley of vision] sins...

was convicted and reminded of his grace when reading this prayer this morning. this definitely exposes some of my sin and brought to mind some that i forget or overlook...
 
sins
from the valley of vision

merciful lord,
pardon all my sins of this day, week year
all the sins of my life,
sins of early, middle, and advanced years,
of omission and commission,
of morose, peevish and angry tempers,
of life, lip and walk,
of hard-heartedness, unbelief, presumption, pride,
of unfaithfulness to the souls of men,
of want of bold decision in the cause of christ,
of deficiency in outspoken zeal for his glory,
of bringing dishonour upon thy great name,
of deception, injustice, untruthfulness in my dealings with others,
of impurity in thought, word, and deed,
of covetousness, which is idolatry,
of substances unduly hoarded, improvidently squandered,
not consecrated to the glory of thee, the great giver;

sins in private and in the family,
in study and recreation, in the busy haunts of men,
in the study of thy word and in the neglect of it,
in prayer irreverently offered and coldly withheld,
in time misspent,
in yielding to satan's wiles,
in opening my heart to his temptations,
in being unwatchful when i know him nigh,
in quenching the holy spirit;

sins against light and knowledge,
against conscience and the restraints of thy spirit,
against the law of eternal love.

pardon all my sins, known and unknown,
felt and unfelt,
confessed and unconfessed,
remembered or forgotten,
good lord, hear; and hearing, forgive,

[valley of vision] confession and petition...

confession and petition
from the valley of vision

holy lord,
i have sinned times without number,
and been guilty of pride and unbelief,
of failure to find thy mind in thy word,
of neglect to seek thee in my life.

my transgression and short-comings
present me with a list of accusations,
but i bless thee that they will not stand against me,
for all have been laid on christ;
go on subdue my corruptions,
and grant me grace to live above them.

let not the passions of the flesh nor lustings
of the mind bring my spirit into subjection,
but do thou rule over me in liberty and power.

i thank thee that many of my prayers have been refused -
i have asked amiss and do not have,
i have prayed from lusts and been rejected,
i have longed for egypt and been given a wilderness.

go on with they patient work,
answering 'no' to my wrongful prayers,
and fitting me to accept it.

purge me from every false desire,
every base aspiration,
everything contrary to thy rule.

i thank thee for they wisdom and thy love,
for all the acts of discipline to which i am subject,
for sometimes putting me into the furnace
to refine my gold and remove my dross.

no trial is too hard to bear as a sense of sin.
if thou shouldst give me choice to love
in pleasure and keep my sins,
or to have them burnt away with trial,
give me sanctified affliction.

deliver me from every evil habit,
every accretion of former sins,
everything that dims the brightness of thy grace in me,
everything that prevents me taking delight in thee.

then i shall bless thee, god of jeshurun,
for helping me to be upright.

[valley of vision] amazing grace...

i read this prayer this morning. great timing. i have much to be thankful for.

amazing grace
from valley of vision

o thou giving god,
my heart is drawn out in thankfulness to thee,
for thy amazing grace and condescension to me
in influences and assistances of thu spirit,
for special help in prayer,
for the sweetness of christian service,
for the thoughts of arriving in heaven,
for always sending me needful supplies,
for raising me to new life when i am like one dead.

i want not the favor of men to lean upon
for thy favor is infinitely better.

thou art eternal wisdom in dispensations towards me;
and it matters not when, nor where, nor how i serve thee,
nor what trials i am exercised with,
if i might but be prepared for thy work and will.

no poor creature stands in need of divine grace more than i do,
and yet none abuses it more that i have done and still do.
how heartless and dull i am!
humble me in the dust, for not loving thee more.

every time i exercise any grace renewedly
i am renewedly indebted to thee
the god of all grace, for special assistance.

i cannot boast when i think how dependent
i am upon thee for the being and every act of grace;
i never do anything else but depart from thee,
and if i ever get to heaven it will be because
thou willest it, and for no reason beside.

i love, as a feeble, afflicted, despised creature
to cast myself on they infinite grace and goodness,
hoping for no happiness but from thee;

give me special grace to fit me for special services,
and keep me calm and resigned at all times,
humble, solemn, mortified,
and conformed to they will.

[valley of vision] divine promises...

divine promises
from valley of vision

glorious jehovah, my convenant god,

all thy promises in christ jesus are
     yea and amen, and all shall be fulfilled.
thou has spoken then, and they shall be done,
     commanded, and they shall come to pass.
yet i have often doubted thee,
     have lived at times as if there were no god.
lord, forgive me that death in life,
     when i have found something apart from thee,
     when i have been content with ephemeral things.

but through thy grace i have repented;
thou hast given me to read my pardon
        in the wounds of jesus,
     and my soul doth trust in him, my god incarnate,
     the ground of my life, the spring of my hope.

teach me to be resigned to thy will,
     to delight in thy law,
     to have no will but thine,
     to believe that everything thou doest is for my good.
help me to leave my concerns in thy hands,
     for thou has power over evil,
     and bringest from it an infinite progression of good,
     until thy purposes are fulfilled.

bless me with abraham's faith
     that staggers not at promises through unbelief.
may i not instruct thee in my troubles,
     but glorify thee in my trials;
grant me a distinct advance in the divine life;
     may i reach a higher platform,
     leave the mists of doubt and fear in the valley,
     and climb to hill-tops of eternal security in christ,
        by simply believing he cannot lie,
        or turn from his purpose.

give me the confidence i ought to have in him
      who is worthy to be praised,
      and who is blessed evermore.

[valley of vision] love lustres at calvary...

this past easter sunday, this was read during worship! so powerful!
love lustres at calvary
from valley of vision

my father,
enlarge my heart, warm my affections, open  my lips,
     supply words that proclaim 'love lustres at calvary.'
there grace removes my burdens and heaps them on thy son,
     made a transgressor, a curse, and a sin for me;
there the sword of they justice smote the man, they fellow;
there thy infinite attributes were magnified,
     and infinite atonement was made;
there infinite punishment was due,
     and infinite punishment was endured.

chtist was all anguish that i might be all joy,
     cast off that i might be brought in,
     trodden down as an enemy that i might be welcomed as a friend,
     surrenedered to hell's worst that i might attains heaven's best,
     stripped that i might be clothed,
     wounded that i might be healed,
     athirst that i might drink,
     tormented that i might be comforted,
     made a shame that i might inherit glory.
     entered darkness that i might have eternal light.

my saviour wept that all tears might be wiped from my eyes,
     groaned that i might have endless song,
     endured all pain that i might have unfading health,
     bore a thorny crown that i might have a glory-diadem,
     bowed his head that i might uplift mine,
     experienced reproach that i might receive welcome,
     closed his eyes in death that i might gaze on unclouded brightness,
     expired that i might for ever live.

o father, who spared not thine only son that though mightest spare me,
all this transfer thy love designed and accomplished;
help me to adore thee by lips and life
o that my every breath might be ecstatic praise,
     my every step buoyant with delight, as i see my enemies crushed,
     satan baffled, defeated, destroyed,
     sin buried in the ocean of reconciling blood,
     hell's gates closed, heaven's portal open.
go forth, o conquering god, and show me
     the cross, mighty to subdue, comfort and save.


i am telling you, if you do not own this book, you should but it!  it will the best $20 you have spent!  this book has challenged and changed my prayer life.

[valley of vision] the personal touch...

the personal touch
from valley of vision

thou great I AM,
i acknowledge and confess that all things
come of thee -
life, breath, happiness, advancement,
sight, touch, hearing,
goodness, truth, beauty -
all that makes existence amiable.
in the spiritual world also i am dependent
  entirely upon thee.
give me grace to know more of my need of grace;
show me my sinfulness that i may wilingly
  confess it;
reveal to me my weakness that i may know
  my strength in thee.
i thank thee for any sign of penitence;
  give me more of it;
my sins are black and deep,
  and rise from a stony, proud, self-righteous heart;
help me to confess them with mourning, regret,
  self-loathing,
  with no pretence to merit or excuse;
i need healing,
good physician, here is scope for thee,
  come and manifest thy power;
i need faith;
thou who hast given it me, maintain, strengthen, increase it,
centre it upon the saviour's work,
  upon the majesty of the father,
  upon the operations of the spirit;
work it in my now that i may never doubt thee
  as the truthful, mighty, faithful God.
then i can bring my heart to thee
  full of love, gratitude, hope, joy.
may i lay at they feet these fruits grown
  in thy garden,
  love thee with a passion that can never cool,
  believe in thee with a confidence that never
    staggers,
  hope in thee with an expectation that can never
    be dim,
  delight in thee with a rejoicing that can never
    be stifled,
  glorify thee with the highest of my powers,
    burning, blazing, glowing, radiating, as from
    thy own glory.

[valley of vision] reproofs...

i did not want to pray this one. seriously. it has been a battle.

reproofs
from the valley of vision

o merciful god,

when i hear of disagreeable things amongst christians,
  it brings an additional weight and burden on my spirit;
i come to thee in my distress and make lamentable complaint;

teach me how to take reproofs from friends,
  even though i think i do not deserve them;

use them to make me tenderly afraid of sin,
  more jealous over myself;
  more concerned to keep heart and life unblameable;

cause them to help me
  to reflect on my want of spirituality,
  to abhor myself,
  to look upon myself as unworthy,
  and make them beneficial to my soul.
 
may all thy people know how little, mean, and vile i am,
  that they may see i am nothing,
  less than nothing,
  to be accounted nothing,
  that so they may pray for me aright,
  and have not the least dependence upon me.

it is sweet to be nothing and have nothing,
  and to be fed with crumbs from thy hands.
blessed be thy name for anything that life brings.

how do poor souls live who have not thee,
  or when helpless have no god to go to,
  who feel not the constraining force of thy love,
  and the sweetness of communion?
o how admirably dost thou captivate the soul,
  making all desires and affections centre on thee!

give me such vivacity in religion,
  that i may be able to take all reproofs from other men
  as from thy hands,
  and glorify thee for them
  from a sense of they beneficent love
  and of my need to have my pride destroyed.

[valley of vision] humiliation....

so i have not been able to move past this prayer in a week. i love it!

humiliation
from the valley of vision

sovereign lord,
when clouds of darkness, atheism, and unbelief come to me,
i see thy purpose of love
  in withdrawing the spirit that i might prize him more,
  in chastening me for my confidence in
   past successes, that my wound of secret godlessness might be cured.
help me to humble myself before thee
  by seeing the vanity of honour
    as a conceit of men's minds,
    as standing between me and thee;
  by seeing that thy will must alone be done,
    as mush in denying as in giving
      spiritual enjoyments;
  by seeing that my heart is nothing but evil,
    mind, mouth, life void of thee;
  by seeing that sin and satan are allowed power
    in me that i might know my sin, be humbled,
      and gain strength thereby;
  by seeing that unbelief shuts thee from me,
    so that i sense not thy majesty, power, mercy,
      or love.
then possess me, for thou only art good and worhty.

thou dost 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 not game, no toy, no bauble,
let me never forget the heinousness of sin lies
  not so much in the nature of the sin committed,
  as in the greatness of the Person sinned against.
when i am afraid of evils to come, comfort me,
    by showing me me
  that in myself i am a dying, condemned wretch,
  but that in christ i am reconciled, made alive,
    and satisfied;
  that i am feeble and unable to do any good,
  but that in him i can do all things,
  that what i now have in christ is mine in part,
  but shortly i shall have it perfectly in heaven.

[valley of vision] paradoxes...

paradoxes
from the valley of vision

o changeless god,

under the conviction of thy spirit i learn that
  the more i do, the worse i am,
the more i know, the less i know,
the more holiness i have the more sinful i am,
the more i love, the more there is to love.
  o wretched man that i am!

o lord,
  i have a wild heart,
  and cannot stand before thee;
i am like a bird before a man.
how little i love thy truth and ways!
i neglect prayer,
  by thinking i have prayed enough and earnestly,
  by knowing thou hast saved my soul.

of all hypocrites, grant that i may not be
  an evangelical hypocrite,
  who sins more safely because grace abounds,
  who tells his lusts that christ's blood cleanseth them,
  who reasons that god cannot cast him into hell,
    for he is saved,
  who love evangelical preaching, churches, christians, but lives unholily.

my mind is a bucket without a bottom,
  with no spiritual understanding,
  no desire for the lord's day,
  ever learning but never reaching the truth,
  always at the gospel-well but never holding water.

my conscience is without conviction or contrition,
  with nothing to repent of.
my will is without power of decision or resolution.
my heart is without affection, and full of leaks.
my memory has no retention,
  so i forget easily the lessons learned,
  and they truths seep away.
give me a broken heart that carries home
  the water of grace.

[valley of vision] the "nevers" of the gospel...

i have been praying through this prayer from valley of vision for the last several days. i love it! it has become another favorite.

the nevers of the gospel
from valley of vision

o lord,
may i never fail to come to the knowledge of the truth,
never rest in a system of doctrine, however
scriptural, that does not bring or further salvation,
or teach me  to deny ungodliness and worldy lusts,
or help me to live soberly, righteously, godly;

never rely on my own convictions and resolution,
but be strong in they and thy might.
never cease to find thy grace sufficient
in all my duties, trials, and conflicts;
never for forget to repair to thee
in all my spiritual distresses and outward troubles,
in all the dissatisfactions experienced in creature comforts;

never fail to retreat to him who is full of grace
and truth, the friend that loveth at all times,
who is touched with feelings of my infirmities,
and can do exceeding abundantly for me;
never confine my religion to extraordinary
occasions, but acknowledge thee in all my ways,
never limit my devotions to particular seasons
but be in thy fear all the day long;
never be godly only on the sabbath or in they house,
but on everyday abroad and at home;
never make piety a dress but a habit,
not only a habit but a nature,
not only a nature but a life.

do good to my by all they dispensations,
by all means of grace,
by worship, prayers, praises,
and at last let me enter that world where is
no temple, but only thy glory
and the lamb's.


(i promise, i will finish the respectable sins blogs. they are coming, i just have been too busy to write.)

[valley of vision] the great discovery...

i read this prayer on monday this week. tuesday i attended a hard funeral in the morning and a baptism service that night. then i read this again and it made me weep in gratitude to remember my salvation. to think of life without christ (as i saw at the funeral) and to remember that i LIVE in christ (as i was reminded of at the baptism). thank you jesus!



the great discovery
from the valley of vision

glorious god, 
i bless thee that i know thee.
i once lived in the world, but was ignorant of its creator,
was partaker of thy providences , but knew not the provider, 
was blind while enjoying the sunlight,
was deaf to things spiritual, with voices all around me, 
understood many things, but had no knowledge of thy ways, 
saw the world, but did not see jesus only.

o happy day, when in they love's sovereignty thou didst look on me, and call me by grace.

then did the dead heart begin to beat, 
the darkened eye glimmer with light, 
the dull ear catch thy echo, 
and i turned to thee and found thee, 
a god ready to hear, willing to save.

then did i find my heart at enmity to thee,
vexing thy spirit;

then did i fall at thy feet and hear thee thunder, 
'the soul that sinneth, it must die',

but when grace made me to know thee, 
and admire a god who hated sin, 
thy terrible justice held my will submissive.

my thoughts were as knives cutting my head.

then didst thou come to me in silken robes of love, 
and i saw they son dying that i might live, 
and in that death i found my all.

my soul doth sing at the remembrance of that peace;

the gospel cornet brought a sound unknown
to me before that reached my heart - and i lived -
never to lose my hold on christ or his hold on me.

grant that i may always weep to the praise of mercy found, 
and tell to others as long as i live, 
that thou art a sin-pardoning god, 
taking up the blasphemer and the ungodly, 
and washing them form their deepest stain.

[valley of vision] living for jesus...

living for jesus
from valley of vision

o savior of sinners,
they name is excellent,
thy glory high,
they compassions unfailing,
they condescension wonderful,
thy mercy tender.

i bless thee for the discoveries, invitations,
promises of the gospel
for in them is pardon for rebels,
liberty for captives,
health for the sick,
salvation for the lost.

i come to thee in thy beloved name of jesus;
re-impress thy image upon my soul;
raise me above the smiles and frowns of the world,
regarding it as a light thing to be judged by men;

may thy approbation be my only aim,
thy word my one rule.
make me to abhor that which grieves thy holy spirit,
to suspect consolations of a worldy nature,
to reprove evil,
to instruct with meekness those who oppose me,
to be gentle and patient towards all men,
to not only be a professor but an example of the gospel,
displaying in every relation, office, and condition
its excellency, loveliness and advantages.

how little have i illustrated my principles
and improved my privileges!
how seldom i served my generation!
how often have i injured and not recommended my redeemer!
how few are those blessed through me!
in many things i have offended, in all come short of thy glory;
pardon my iniquity, for it is great.

the valley of vision...a collection of puritan prayers and devotions

this little book of prayers is incredible! what a great resource. i have never grown up with liturgy and have always been one for praying my own prayers, but i have learned much from this book! there is a collection of tons of old prayers and let me tell you, these dead people knew how to pray!! i have cried so many times reading these and praying these! the lord has used them to comfort me and challenge me. these prayers are all oriented toward god and it has made me realize how me oriented mine are or the selfish motives i have behind my prayers. these really are so powerful! you should order this right now! you will not regret it!