Love: Rest in God a Puritan Prayer

Each morning I receive several devotional emails, today one contained the Puritan Prayer, "Love: Rest in God." As I read through the prayer, this thought stood out: May I love Thee, my benefactor, in all my benefits,not forgetting that my greatest danger arises from my advantages.

I enjoy having an easy day/life. I have been given much in this life, however, I have had my share of losses, and disadvantages. As I read this verse I must admit, it is through the struggles of life that I have grown in Christ the most. The deep heart struggles push me right into the heart of God.

My prayer today is that I will be thankful for the opportunities and material comforts that have been given, remembering they are gifts. They are not who I am, and they really do not bring true happiness or joy. Comfort and ease in life, yes!

My desire in this life is to live each moment growing closer to God and becoming more like Jesus. I pray this will be true throughout my whole life and through the advantages I am given I will be always grateful, yet very aware of how the advantages in life can take me away from the heart of Christ. I pray Jesus keep me always resting in the Love of God.

My dear Lord,

I depend wholly upon Thee,
wean me from all other dependences.
Thou art my all, thou dost overrule all and delight in me.
Thou art the foundation of goodness,
how can I distrust Thee?
how be anxious about what happens to me?
In the light of Thy preciousness
the world and all its enjoyments are infinitely poor:
I value the favour of men no more than pebbles.
Amid the blessings I receive from Thee
may I never lose the heart of a stranger [pilgrim].
May I love Thee, my benefactor, in all my benefits,
not forgetting that my greatest danger
arises from my advantages.
Produce in me self-despair that will make Jesus precious to me,
delightful in all His offices,
pleasurable in all His ways,
and may I love His commands as well as His promises.
Help me to discern between true and false love,
the one consisting of supreme love to Thee, the other not,
the former uniting Thy glory and man's happiness
that they may become one common interest,
the latter disjointing and separating them both,
seeking the latter with neglect of the former.
Teach me that genuine love is different in kind
from that wrought by rational arguments or the motive of self-interest,
that such love is a pleasing passion affording joy to the mind where it is.
Grant me grace to distinguish between the genuine and the false,
and to rest in Thee who art all love.
____________________________________________________________
The Valley of Vision: A Collection of Puritan Prayers and Devotions, ed. Arthur Bennett, The Banner of Truth Trust, 1975. (author undesignated) 183.

Comments

yp said…
I use the valley of vision too.. delightful!
Robin said…
yipeng I also have the valley of vision. I believe there is much heart and soul in the old prayers and hymns that some our post-modern ones are lacking.

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