Devotionals

O LOVER OF THE LOVELESS, It is thy will that I should love thee     with heart, soul, mind, strength,     and my neighbour as myself. But I am not sufficient for these things. There is by nature no pure love in my soul; Every affection in me is turned from thee; I am bound, as slave […]

O LORD GOD, The first act of calling is by thy command         in thy Word,   ‘Come unto me, return unto me’; The second is to let in light,   so that I see that I am called particularly,   and perceive the sweetness of the command     as well as its truth,   in regard to thy great love […]

MY FATHER, In a world of created changeable things,     Christ and his Word alone remain unshaken. O to forsake all creatures,   to rest as a stone on him the foundation, to abide in   him, be borne up by him! For all my mercies come through Christ,   who has designed, purchased, promised,     effected them. How sweet […]

O LOVER TO THE UTTERMOST, May I read the meltings of thy heart to me         in the manger of thy birth         in the garden of thy agony,         in the cross of thy suffering,         in the tomb of thy resurrection,         in the heaven of thy intercession. Bold in this thought I defy my adversary,   tread down […]

O GOD, Thy main plan, and the end of thy will       is to make Christ glorious and beloved         in heaven   where he is now ascended,   where one day all the elect will behold his glory   and love and glorify him for ever. Though here I love him but little,   may this be my portion at […]

O GOD, Though I am allowed to approach thee       I am not unmindful of my sins,       I do not deny my guilt,       I confess my wickedness, and earnestly     plead forgiveness. May I with Moses choose affliction rather than     enjoy the pleasures of sin. Help me to place myself always under thy guiding     and guardian care, […]

HEAVENLY FATHER, Thou hast led me singing to the cross       where I fling down all my burdens         and see them vanish,   where my mountains of guilt are levelled     to a plain,   where my sins disappear, though they are     the greatest that exist,   and are more in number than the grains     of fine sand; For there […]

THOU GREAT THREE-ONE, Author of all blessings I enjoy,       of all I hope for, Thou hast taught me   that neither the experience of present evils,   nor the remembrances of former sins,   nor the remonstrances of friends,   will or can affect a sinner’s heart,   except thou vouchsafe to reveal thy grace   and quicken the dead in […]

O HEAVENLY FATHER, Teach me to see       that if Christ has pacified thee and         satisfied divine justice     he can also deliver me from my sins;   that Christ does not desire me, now justified,     to live in self-confidence in my own strength,     but gives me the law of the Spirit of life     to enable me to […]

O LORD, When the world’s unbelievers reject thee,       and are so forsaken by thee   that thou callest them no more,   it is to thine own thou dost turn,   for in such seasons of general apostasy   they in some measure backslide with the world. O how free is thy grace   that reminds them of the danger […]

ALMIGHTY GOD, I am loved with everlasting love,     clothed in eternal righteousness,       my peace flowing like a river,       my comforts many and large,       my joy and triumph unutterable,       my soul lively with a knowledge of salvation,       my sense of justification unclouded. I have scarce anything to pray for; Jesus smiles upon my soul as a […]

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 thy 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 […]

O GOD OF GRACE, I bewail my cold, listless, heartless prayers;     their poverty adds sin to sin. If my hope were in them I should be undone, But the worth of Jesus perfumes my feeble     breathings, and wins their acceptance. Deepen my contrition of heart, Confirm my faith in the blood that washes     from all […]

BENIGN LORD, I praise thee continually for permission     to approach thy throne of grace,     and to spread my wants and desires       before thee. I am not worthy of thy blessings and mercies   for I am far gone from original righteousness; My depraved nature reveals itself in disobedience     and rebellion; My early days discovered in me […]

CREATOR AND REDEEMER GOD, Author of all existence, source of all       blessedness, I adore thee for making me capable of knowing thee,   for giving me reason and conscience,   for leading me to desire thee; I praise thee for the revelation of thyself in     the gospel,   for thy heart as a dwelling place of pity,   for […]

GLORIOUS AND HOLY GOD, Provocations against thy divine majesty have       filled my whole life. My offences have been countless and aggravated.   Conscience has rebuked me,   friends have admonished me,   the examples of others have reproached me,   thy rod has chastised me,   thy kindnesses allured me. Thou hast seen and abhorred all my sins and   couldst […]

UNCHANGEABLE JEHOVAH When I am discouraged in my ministry         and full of doubts of my self,   fasten me upon the rock of thy eternal election,     then my hands will not hang down,     and I shall have hope for myself and others. Thou dost know thy people by name,   and wilt at the appointed season     lead […]

MY MASTER GOD, I am desired to preach today,       but go weak and needy to my task; Yet I long that people might be edified     with divine truth,   that an honest testimony might be borne     for thee; Give me assistance in preaching and prayer,   with heart uplifted for grace and unction. Present to my view […]

O MY LORD, Let not my ministry be approved only by men,       or merely win the esteem and affections         of people; But do the work of grace in their hearts,   call in thy elect,   seal and edify the regenerate ones,   and command eternal blessings on their souls. Save me from self-opinion and self-seeking; Water the […]

O GOD, MY EXCEEDING JOY, Singing thy praises uplifts my heart,     for thou art a fountain of delight,       and dost bless the soul that joys in thee. But because of my heart’s rebellion I cannot always praise thee as I ought; Yet I will at all times rest myself in   thy excellences, goodness, and loving-kindness. […]

BLESSED SPIRIT OF GOD, Four evils attend my ministry —       The devil treads me down by   discouragement and shame     arising from coldness in private meditation. Carelessness possesses me   from natural dullness and dimness of spirit;     because in the past I have met with success       and been highly regarded,     so that it does not matter if […]

O GOD, I know that I often do thy work         without thy power,   and sin by my dead, heartless, blind service,     my lack of inward light, love, delight,     my mind, heart, tongue moving       without thy help. I see sin in my heart in seeking the approbation     of others; This is my vileness, to make men’s […]

O GOD OF TRUTH, I thank thee for the holy Scriptures,     their precepts, promises, directions, light. In them may I learn more of Christ,   be enabled to retain his truth   and have grace to follow it. Help me to lift up the gates of my soul     that he may come in   and show me himself […]

O MY SAVIOUR, Help me.     I am so slow to learn,       so prone to forget,       so weak to climb; I am in the foothills when I should be     on the heights; I am pained by my graceless heart,   my prayerless days,   my poverty of love,   my sloth in the heavenly race,   my sullied conscience,   my […]

HEAVENLY FATHER, Save me entirely from sin.       I know I am righteous through the       righteousness of another,   but I pant and pine for likeness to thyself; I am thy child and should bear thy image, Enable me to recognize my death unto sin; When it tempts me may I be deaf unto its voice. Deliver […]