Happy New Year!

Here is an God-focused prayer for the 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.

The Valley of Vision, 206-207 (Banner of Truth Trust)

God of all good,

I bless thee for the means of grace; teach me to see in them thy loving purposes and the joy and strength of my soul.

Thou hast prepared for me a feast; and though I am unworthy to sit down as guest, I wholly rest on the merits of Jesus, and hide myself beneath his righteousness; when I hear his tender invitation and see his wondrous grace, I cannot hesitate, but must come to thee in love.

By the Spirit enliven my faith rightly to discern and spiritually to apprehend the Savior.

While I gaze upon the emblems of my Savior’s death, may I ponder why he died, and hear him say, “I gave my life to purchase yours, presented myself an offering to expiate your sin, shed my blood to blot out your guilt, opened my side to make you clean, endured your curses to set you free, bore your condemnation to satisfy divine justice.”

O may I rightly grasp the breadth and length of this design, draw near, obey, extend the hand, take the bread, receive the cup, eat and drink, testify before all men that I do for myself, gladly, in faith, reverence and love, receive my Lord, to be my life, strength, nourishment, joy, delight.

In the supper I remember his eternal love, boundless grace, infinite compassion, agony, cross, redemption, and receive assurance of pardon, adoption, life, glory.

As the outward elements nourish my body, so may thy indwelling Spirit invigorate my soul, until that day when I hunger and thirst no more, and sit with Jesus at his heavenly feast.

The Valley of Vision, pp. 360-61

Another week has gone and I have been preserved in my going out and my coming in.
Thine has been the vigilance that has turned threatened evils aside;
Thine the supplies that have nourished me;
Thine the comforts that have indulged me;
Thine the relations and friends that have delighted me;
Thine the means of grace which have edified me;
Thine the book, which, amidst all my enjoyments, has told me that is is not my rest,
    that in all successes one thing alone is needful, to love my Savior.
Nothing can equal the number of thy mercies but my imperfections and sins.

These, O God, I will neither conceal or palliate,
    but confess with a broken heart.
In what condition would secret reviews of my life leave me
    where it not for the assurance that with thee
       there is plenteous redemption
       that thou art a forgiving God,
       that thou mayest be feared!
While I hope for pardon through the blood of the cross,
    I pray to be clothed with humility,
       to be quickened in thy way,
       to be more devoted to thee,
       to keep the end of my life in view,
       to be cured of the folly of delay and indecision,
       to know how frail I am,
       to number my days and apply my heart unto wisdom.

- The Valley of Vision, pp. 352-53

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 ever 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 of thy love,
          advance thy kingdom .

I launch my bark on the unknown waters of this year,
    with thee, O Father, as my harbor,
           thee, O Son, as 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 triumph my joy.

Besides my Bible and my journal, there is one book that I keep in my bag all the time. It’s a book of Puritan prayers and devotions entitled, The Valley of Vision. In fact, it is my custom to read from it daily – at least one or two prayers. Reading from this devotional reminds me of the greatness of God. It also reminds me of how much I need to grow and beckons me to draw closer to the Lord. I recommend that you pick up a copy of Valley. You can find it through The Banner of Truth Trust. Here is the first and my favorite of the prayers in this little treasure chest. It’s called, “The Valley of Vision.”

Lord, high and holy, meek and lowly,

Thou hast brought me to the valley of vision,
    where I live in the depths but see thee in the heights;
    hemmed in by mountains of sin I behold thy glory.

Let me learn by paradox
    that the way down is the way up,
    that to be low is to be high,
    that the broken heart is the healed heart,
    that the contrite spirit is the rejoicing spirit,
    that the repenting soul is the victorious soul,
    that to have nothing is to possess all,
    that to bear the cross is to wear the crown,
    that to give is to receive,
    that the valley is the place of vision.

Lord, in the daytime stars can be seen from the deepest wells,
    and the deeper the wells the brighter thy stars shine;
Let me find thy light in my darkness,
    thy life in my death,
    thy joy in my sorrow,
    thy grace in my sin,
    thy riches in my poverty,
    thy glory in my valley.