Praying Like a Puritan

Many years ago, my small group leader gave us a puritan prayer to read over. I pulled it out the other day and was blessed by it again. I hope that you are encouraged by it as well.

Morning Dedication
Almighty God, As I cross the threshold of this day I commit myself, soul, body, affairs, friends, to Thy care. Watch over, keep, guide, direct, sanctify, bless me. Incline my heart to thy ways. Mould me wholly into the image of Jesus, as a potter forms clay.

May my lips be a well-tuned harp to sound Thy praise. Let those around see me living by Thy Spirit, trampling the world underfoot, unconformed to lying vanities, transformed by a renewed mind, clad in the entire armour of God, shining as a never-dimmed light, showing holiness in all my doings.

Let no evil this day soil my thoughts, words, hands. May I travel miry paths with a life pure from spot or stain.

In needful transactions let my affection be in heaven, and my love soar upwards in flames of fire, my gaze fixed on unseen things, my eyes open to the emptiness, fragility, mockery of earth and its vanities.

May I view all things in the mirror of eternity, waiting for the coming of my Lord, listening for the last trumpet call, hastening unto the new heaven and earth. Order this day all my communications according to Thy wisdom, and to the gain of mutual good. Forbid that I should not be profited or made profitable. May I speak each word as if my last word, and walk each step as my final one.

If my life should end today, let this be my best day.

3 Comments so far

  1. Tk log on February 20th, 2006

    Wow. What a good prayer. What a good post.

  2. sweetness on February 21st, 2006

    Micah that is an amazing prayer thank you for posting it. I laughed when I first saw it because i remember giving you a hard time about the spacing and how you did it, but in the end you were right it works well with it.

  3. JenM on March 29th, 2006

    Is that from Valley of Vision? I just got that off the bookshelf, and the first thing I did was to underline this sentance: “The strength of Puritan character and life lay in prayer and meditation.”

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