A Christian's Prayer

Blessed God,

Ten thousand snares are mine without and within,
defend thou me;
When sloth and indolence seize me, 
give me views of heaven;
When sinners entice me,
give me disrelish of their ways;
When sensual pleasures tempt me,
purify and refine me;
When I desire worldly possessions,
help me to be rich toward thee;
When the vanities of the world ensnare me,
let me not plunge into new guilt and ruin.

May I remember the dignity of my spiritual release,
never too busy to attend to my soul,
never be so engrossed with time
that I neglect the things of eternity;
thus may I not only live, but grow towards thee.

Form my mind to right notions of religion,
that I may not judge of grace by wrong conceptions,
nor measure my spiritual advances by the efforts
of my natural being.

May I seek after an increase of divine love to thee,
after unreserved resignation to thy will,
after extensive benevolence to my fellow creatures, 
after patience and fortitude of soul, 
after a heavenly disposition
after a concern that I may please thee in public and private.

Draw on my soul the lineaments of Christ,
in every trace and feature of which thou wilt
take delight, for I am
thy workmanship, created in Christ Jesus,
thy letter written with the Holy Spirit's pen,
thy tilled soil ready for the sowing, then harvest.


From The Valley of Vision, Puritan Prayers and Devotions, p.108-109