My prayer for today

[ReformedDave]

Paradoxes

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 loves evangelical preaching, churches, Christians, but lives unholy.

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 without affection, and full of leaks.
My memory has no retention, so I forget easily the lessons learned, and the truths seep away.

Give me a broken heart that yet carries home the water of grace.




(The Valley of Vision)


please keep me in your prayers

[Felicity]

Originally Posted by ReformedDave

Paradoxes

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 loves evangelical preaching, churches, Christians, but lives unholy.

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 without affection, and full of leaks.
My memory has no retention, so I forget easily the lessons learned, and the truths seep away.

Give me a broken heart that yet carries home the water of grace.




(The Valley of Vision)


please keep me in your prayers

Wow! Who wrote that Dave?

[ReformedDave]

Originally Posted by Felicity

Wow! Who wrote that Dave?

It comes from a book of puritan prayers- The Valley of Vision. IMO, THE greatest of it's kind. It's also been recored by Max McLean, who does a fantastic job.

Unfortunately this prayer describes perfectly where I'm at......

[Felicity]

Originally Posted by ReformedDave

It comes from a book of puritan prayers- The Valley of Vision. IMO, THE greatest of it's kind. It's also been recored by Max McLean, who does a fantastic job.

Unfortunately this prayer describes perfectly where I'm at......

I'd be interested in getting the book.

Don't you think that we all find ourselves in the same places described in that prayer? If not all of them at once then at least some of them occasionally?

I know I have.

Just when I think I've got everything cleaned up so to speak in my heart and spirit by confessing and repenting, I turn around only to find some other corner of my heart where dust has settled that needs to be cleaned out.

It's an ongoing process -- and will be until we're finally glorified.

In spite of that we're pronounced "perfect and complete" by the One who saved us and shed His blood and provided a covering for us.

What mercy! What grace! What love!

[Barb]

Originally Posted by Felicity

I'd be interested in getting the book.

Don't you think that we all find ourselves in the same places described in that prayer? If not all of them at once then at least some of them occasionally?

I know I have.

Just when I think I've got everything cleaned up so to speak in my heart and spirit by confessing and repenting, I turn around only to find some other corner of my heart where dust has settled that needs to be cleaned out.

It's an ongoing process -- and will be until we're finally glorified.

In spite of that we're pronounced "perfect and complete" by the One who saved us and shed His blood and provided a covering for us.

What mercy! What grace! What love!

What an awesome God who inspite of us, loves us!!

[Ron]

Originally Posted by ReformedDave

Paradoxes

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 loves evangelical preaching, churches, Christians, but lives unholy.

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 without affection, and full of leaks.
My memory has no retention, so I forget easily the lessons learned, and the truths seep away.

Give me a broken heart that yet carries home the water of grace.




(The Valley of Vision)


please keep me in your prayers

Hmmm, what can I say?
Describes me pretty good.

I know this isn't from him but there are some like Finney that I read and come away feeling like I am backslidden.

Thanks for sharing that.

[ReformedDave]

Originally Posted by Felicity

I'd be interested in getting the book.

Don't you think that we all find ourselves in the same places described in that prayer? If not all of them at once then at least some of them occasionally?

I know I have.

Just when I think I've got everything cleaned up so to speak in my heart and spirit by confessing and repenting, I turn around only to find some other corner of my heart where dust has settled that needs to be cleaned out.

It's an ongoing process -- and will be until we're finally glorified.

In spite of that we're pronounced "perfect and complete" by the One who saved us and shed His blood and provided a covering for us.

What mercy! What grace! What love!

One can order it at any BBS. Get the leather bound edition. It's worth it.


Just when ever I get smug I go through a period of 'darkness of the soul'. I realize a fresh how wicked I am and if left to my own there is no sin I could not commit...along with the many I have.

I need Him.

[Felicity]

Originally Posted by ReformedDave

One can order it at any BBS. Get the leather bound edition. It's worth it.


Just when ever I get smug I go through a period of 'darkness of the soul'. I realize a fresh how wicked I am and if left to my own there is no sin I could not commit...along with the many I have.

I need Him.

I'll pray for you!

[Felicity]

Originally Posted by Ron

Hmmm, what can I say?
Describes me pretty good.

I know this isn't from him but there are some like Finney that I read and come away feeling like I am backslidden.

Thanks for sharing that.

I believe that those of previous generations had a stronger understanding and sense of sin and that's one of the reasons why there were firmer convictions and a stronger sense of Holy Ghost conviction as well.

[Felicity]

Originally Posted by Felicity

I'll pray for you!

And you pray for me. Deal?