A Prayer for Today

THE DIVINE WILL

O Lord,

I hang on thee;
I see, believe, live,
when thy will, not mine, is done;

I can plead nothing in myself
in regard of any worthiness and grace,
in regard of thy providence and promises,
but only thy good pleasure.

If thy mercy make me poor and vile,
blessed be thou!
Prayers arising from my needs
are preparations for future mercies;

Help me to honour thee by believing before I feel,
for great is the sin if I make feeling a cause of faith.

Show me what sins hide thee from me
and eclipse thy love;

Help me to humble myself for past evils,
to be resolved to walk with more care,

For if I do not walk holily before thee,
how can I be assured of my salvation?

It is the meek and humble
who are shown thy covenant,
know thy will,
are pardoned and healed,
who by faith depend and rest upon grace,
who are sanctified and quickened,
who evidence thy love.

Help me to pray in faith and so find thy will,
by leaning hard on thy rich free mercy,
by believing thou wilt give what thou hast promised;

Strengthen me to pray with the conviction
that whatever I receive is thy gift,
so that I may pray until prayer be granted;

Teach me to believe that all degrees of mercy arise
from several degrees of prayer,
that when faith is begun it is imperfect and must grow,
as chapped ground opens wider and wider until rain comes.

So shall I wait thy will,
pray for it to be done,
and by thy grace become fully obedient.

The Divine Will, p.9, The Valley of Vision - A Collection of Puritan Prayers & Devotions, Arthur Bennett, editor. ©The Banner of Truth Trust 1975, 2002