Tag: Valley of Vision

The Valley of Vision is a collection of old prayers that exemplify intentionality, passion, and a Bible focus in prayer. The language can seem foreign to modern readers since it resembles a loftier tongue of days gone by. And yet, the content of these prayers is of such high quality that modern Christians will no doubt benefit from such examples.

Here is how I prayed, in my own words, the prayer entitled “God Enjoyed.”

Oh God, You are the incomprehensible and prayer-hearing God.

You are known and You are beyond knowledge, revealed but unrevealed; my wants and welfare compel me to bring these requests to You, for You have never said, “If you seek Me you will not find Me.”

To You, I come in my difficulties, my necessities, and my distresses; possess me with Yourself, with a spirit of grace and supplication, with a prayerful attitude of mind, and with access into warm fellowship, so that in the ordinary concerns of life my thoughts and desires may rise to You. In habitual devotion help me to find a resource that will soothe my sorrows, sanctify my successes, and qualify me in always for dealing with my fellowmen.

In habitual devotion help me to find a resource that will soothe my sorrows, sanctify my successes, and teach me to live well with others.

I bless You that You have made me capable of knowing You – the author of all being. You have given me the ability to resemble You – the perfection of all excellency. You have made me desirous of enjoying You – the source of all happiness.

Oh God, attend to me and accompany me in every part of my arduous and trying pilgrimage.

I need the same counsel, the same defense, and the same comfort that I found in You at my beginning.

Let my holiness and devotion to You be increasingly obvious to my conscience and more perceptible to those around me. While Jesus is representing me in heaven, may I reflect Him on earth; while He pleads my cause, may I show forth His praise.

Continue the gentleness of Your goodness towards me; and whether I wake or sleep let Your presence go with me, Your blessings attend me.

You have led me and I have found Your promises true; I have been sorrowful but You have been my help; I have been fearful but You have delivered me; I have been in despair but You have lifted me up.

Your promises are ever upon me, filling my mind and comforting my heart.

I praise You, O God.

The Valley of Vision is a collection of old prayers that exemplify intentionality, passion, and a Bible focus in prayer. The language can seem foreign to modern readers since it resembles a loftier tongue of days gone by. And yet, the content of these prayers is of such high quality that modern Christians will no doubt benefit from such examples.

Here is how I prayed, in my own words, the prayer entitled “The Great God.”

My God and Father in heaven, oh fountainhead and spring of all good, destroy in me every lofty self-conception.

Break my pride to pieces and scatter it to the winds; annihilate each clinging shred of my own self-righteousness; implant in me true lowliness of spirit; bring me to the place of true self-loathing self-abhorrence; open within me a fountain of remorseful tears. Break me, and then bind those gracious wounds.

In this way prepare my heart as a dwelling place for You.

Then can You, my holy God and loving Father, take up residence in me; then can You, my Savior and the blessed Son, come with healing in Your touch; then can you, my convicting and comforting Holy Spirit, descend in sanctifying grace.

Holy and triune God, three persons in one God, inhabit me as a temple consecrated to Your glory.

When You are present, evil cannot abide; In Your fellowship is fullness of joy; Beneath Your smile is peace of conscience; By Your side, no fears will disturb, and no anxiety will banish peace of mind.

With You, my heart shall bloom with fragrance. Oh, God, make me suitable, through repentance, for Your indwelling.

Nothing exceeds Your power, nothing is too great for You to do, and nothing too good for You to give. Infinite is Your might, boundless Your love, limitless Your grace, and glorious Your saving name.

Let angels sing for sinners repenting, for prodigal sons restored, for backsliders reclaimed, for Satan’s captives released, for blind eyes opened, for broken hearts restored, for the despondent cheered, for the self-righteous stripped, for the hypocrite driven from a refuge of lies, for the ignorant enlightened, and for saints built up in their holy faith.

I ask these great things of a great God.

The Valley of Vision is a collection of old prayers that exemplify intentionality, passion, and a Bible focus in prayer. The language can seem foreign to modern readers since it resembles a loftier tongue of days gone by. And yet, the content of these prayers is of such high quality that modern Christians will no doubt benefit from such examples.

Here is how I prayed, in my own words, the prayer entitled “The Trinity.”

Heavenly Father, Blessed Son, Eternal Spirit, I adore You as one being, one essence, one God in three distinct persons. You bring sinners to Your knowledge and You welcome unworthy subjects into Your kingdom.

Father, You have loved me and sent Jesus to redeem me;

Jesus, You have loved me and assumed my nature, You shed Your own blood to wash away my sins, and You lived with perfect righteousness in order to cover my shameful rebellion;

Holy Spirit, You have loved me and entered my heart, You have given me eternal life, and You have made the glories of Christ known to me.

Three persons in one God, I bless and praise You, the triune God. You lavishly and scandalously give me love! Your love is so unmerited, so unspeakable, so wondrous, and so mighty to save the lost and raise them to glory.

Father, I thank You that in the fullness of grace You have given me to Jesus, to be His sheep, His jewel, and His reward;

Jesus, I thank You that in fullness of grace You have accepted me, espoused me, and bound me to Yourself;

Holy Spirit, I thank You that in the fullness of grace You have revealed Jesus as my salvation, implanted faith within my soul, subdued my stubborn heart, and made me one with Christ forever.

Father, You are enthroned to hear my prayers;

Jesus, Your hand is outstretched to take my cares and burdens;

Holy Spirit, You are willing to help my weaknesses, to show me my need, to supply me with words, to pray within me, and to strengthen me so that I will not grow weary in making my requests known to You.

Oh triune God, who commands the universe, You have commanded me to ask for those things that concern Your kingdom and my soul. Let me live and pray as one who has been baptized into Your threefold name – Father, Son, and Spirit.

The Valley of Vision is a collection of old prayers that exemplify intentionality, passion, and a Bible-focus in prayer. The language can seem foreign to modern readers since it resembles a loftier tongue of days gone by. And yet, the content of these prayers is of such high quality that modern Christians will no doubt benefit from such examples.

Here is how I prayed, in my own words, the prayer entitled “True Religion.”

Oh Lord, God Almighty,

Please ensure that my blessings from You are spiritual and not merely earthly and temporal.

Make it my present, highest, and constant concern to obtain those blessings which are spiritual in nature, eternal, and truly satisfying.

God, Please preserve me from false views of my own character, and help me to see myself truly and honestly.

Make me to understand and guard my beliefs as well as my actions, my motives as well as my words and deeds.

Help me, God, to never mistake my emotional highs for the renewal of the Holy Spirit, to never judge my spiritual health by way of impulses or feelings, but instead by constant and prevailing patterns in my thoughts and actions.

May my heart be right with You, and may my life be lived so as to bring You glory and so as to demonstrate my gratitude for Your grace.

May I keep my eternal home in view and grow increasingly more joyful at the thoughts of Your heavenly promise, and may I feel and confess myself to be a stranger and a pilgrim in this world that is not my home.

Lord, please grant me all the direction, defense, support, and consolation my journey here requires; and keep my mind constantly fixed upon You.

Above all, please fill me abundantly with the Spirit of Christ, that I may be prepared for every duty, love You in all Your mercies, submit to You in every trial, trust You when walking in darkness, and have peace in You amid life’s many changes.

Oh God, my Redeemer, my Shelter, and my Friend, I believe and trust You, and yet I also ask that You would mercifully help my unbelief.