Category: Prayer

Prayer For Good Friday

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 sin for me;
There the sword of thy justice smote the man, thy fellow;
There thy infinite attributes were magnified,
    and infinite atonement was made;
There infinite punishment was due,
    and infinite punishment was endured.
Christ 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,
        surrendered to hell’s worst
            that I might attain 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 Savior 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 thorned 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 thou 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.

—The poem Love Lustres at Calvary from The Valley of Vision edited by Arthur Bennett

Morning Prayer

Lord God,
almighty and everlasting Father,
you have brought me in safety to this new day:

Preserve me with your mighty power,
that I may not fall into sin,
nor be overcome by adversity;
and in all I do direct me to the fulfilling of your purpose;
through Jesus Christ my Lord. Amen.

—Book of Common Prayer

Via: Trevin Wax

Never Give Up Praying

It is very apparent from the Word of God that he often tries the faith and patience of his people, when they are crying to him for some great and important mercy, by withholding the mercy sought for a season; and not only so, but at first he may cause an increase of dark appearances.  And yet he, without fail, at last prospers those who continue urgently in prayer with all perseverance and ‘will not let him go except he blesses.’

—Jonathan Edwards
A Call to United Extraordinary Prayer

Via: Ray Ortlund

Your Prayers Are Not Lost

God’s children, should pray. You should cry day and night unto God. God hears every one of your cries, in the busy hour of the daytime, and in the lonely watches of the night. He treasures them up from day-to-day; soon the full answer will come down: ‘He will answer speedily.’

Christ never loses one believing prayer. The prayers of every believer, from Abel to the present day, He heaps upon the altar, from which they are continually ascending before His Father and our Father; and when the altar can hold no more, the full, the eternal answer will come down.

Do not be discouraged, dearly beloved, because God bears long with you—because He does not seem to answer your prayers. Your prayers are not lost. When the merchant sends his ships to distant shores, he does not expect them to come back richly laden in a single day: he has long patience.

‘It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord.’ Perhaps your prayers will come back, like the ships of the merchant, all the more heavily laden with blessings, because of the delay.

—Robert Murray M’Cheyne
Memoir and Remains of the Rev. Robert Murray McCheyne

Via: Tolle Lege

Prayer for the New Year

Happy New Year! I thought this was a wonderful prayer for the start of a new year and I wanted to share it with everyone. May you have a blessed and prosperous new year.

O Lord,

Length of days does not profit me except the days are passed
in thy presence, in thy service, to thy glory.
Give me a grace that precedes, follows, guides, sustains,
sanctifies, aids every hour,
that I may not be one moment apart from 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 sails.

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 edited by Arthur Bennett

According To The Will of God

When we ask pardon for sin, with secret reserves in our hearts to continue in sin, we ask the choicest mercy of the covenant, to spend it on our lusts. The end of the promise the apostle tells us, 2 Corinthians 7:1, “Having these promises, let us cleanse ourselves from all pollution of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.” When we ask what is in the promise, as it is in the promise, to this end of the promise, our supplications are according to the will of God.

—John Owen
Of Communion With God

Via: The Essential Owen

You Just Pray

I dare not lay down too strict rules on such points as these. I leave them to your own conscience. You must be guided by circumstances.

Our Lord Jesus Christ prayed on a mountain;
Isaac prayed in the fields;
Hezekiah turned his face to the wall as he lay upon his bed;
Daniel prayed by the riverside;
Peter, the Apostle, on the housetop.

I have heard of young men praying in stables and haylofts. All that I contend for is this, you must know what it is to “go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen” (Matthew 6:6).

There must be stated times when you must speak to God face to face, you must every day have your times for prayer – you must pray.

—J.C. Ryle
Thoughts For Young Men

Via: Desiring God Blog

Crucifixion and Resurrection

O LORD,
I marvel that thou shouldst become incarnate,
    be crucified, dead, and buried.
The sepulchre calls forth my adoring wonder,
    for it is empty and thou art risen;
    the four-fold gospel attests it,
    the living witnesses prove it,
    my heart’s experience knows it.
Give me to die with thee that I may rise to new life,
    for I wish to be as dead and buried
        to sin, to selfishness, to the world;
    that I may might not hear the voice of the charmer,
        and might be delivered from his lusts.
O Lord, there is much ill about me — crucify it,
            much flesh within me — mortify it.
Purge me from selfishness, the fear of man, the love of approbation,
            the shame of being thought old-fashioned,
            the desire to be cultivated or modern.
Let me reckon my old life dead because of crucifixion,
    and never feed it as a living thing.
Grant me to stand with my dying Saviour,
        to be content to be rejected,
        to be willing to take up unpopular truths,
            and to hold fast despised teachings until death.
Help me to be resolute and Christ-contained.
Never let me wander from the path of obedience to thy will.
Strengthen me for the battles ahead.
Give me courage for all the trials, and grace for all the joys,
Help me to be a holy, happy person,
    free from every wrong desire,
            from everything contrary to thy mind.
Grant me more and more of the resurrection life:
    may it rule me,
    may I walk in power, and be strengthened through its influence.

—The Valley of Vision
A Collection of Puritan Prayers and Devotions

Reluctant to Pray?

One of the first ways you can tell that you are moving beyond temptation into a pattern of sin is if you find yourself in a time of prayerlessness.

That isn’t just a “spiritual maturity issue” – it’s a gospel issue.

You are recreated through the gospel with a nature that longs for communion with God. The Spirit within you cries out, “Abba! Father!” (Romans 8:15; Galatians 4:6). Prayer is exactly how you experience the sympathy of your high priest who has triumphed over your temptation. After all, you are not the only one praying when you pray. The Spirit himself prays through you, and as he does so, he works to align your will and desires with those of Christ Jesus (Romans 8:26–27).

If you are reluctant to pray, it just might be that you, like Adam and Israel before you, are hiding in the vegetation, ashamed to hear the rustling of the leaves that signals he is here.

—Russell Moore
Tempted and Tried: Temptation and the Triumph of Christ

Via: Justin Taylor