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Monday, July 28, 2014

Longings after God - A prayer from the book: "The Valley of Vision"

Psalm 73:25-26 "Whom have I in heaven but You?And besides You, I desire nothing on earth. 26 My flesh and my heart may fail, But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever."

Yesterday a prayer was featured from a collection of prayers that would had been prayed in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries by a group of Christians called the Puritans.  These prayers reflect a profound devotion to God that is beautiful to read. The collection of prayers derives from a book called "The Valley of Vision". The Valley of Vision Collection can be found at the following website: http://www.oldlandmarks.com/puritan.htm#Longings after God

I felt in reading the prayer below that it would be a great way to start the week. May this week prove to be a blessed one for every reader out there.

Longings after God
"My dear Lord, I can but tell Thee that Thou knowest I long for nothing but Thyself, nothing but holiness, nothing but union with Thy will. 

Thou hast given me these desires, and thou alone canst give me the thing desired. My soul longs for communion with Thee, for mortification of indwelling corruption, especially spiritual pride. How precious it is to have a tender sense and clear apprehension of the mystery of godliness, of true holiness! 

What a blessedness to be like Thee as much as it is possible for a creature to be like its creator! Lord, give me more of Thy likeness; enlarge my soul to contain fullness of holiness; engage me to live more for Thee. Help me to be less pleased with my spiritual experiences, and when I feel at ease after sweet communings, teach me it is far too little I know and do. 

Blessed Lord, let me climb up near to Thee, and love, and long, and plead, and wrestle with Thee, and pant for deliverance from the body of sin, for my heart is wandering and lifeless, and my soul mourns to think it should ever lose sight of its beloved. 

Wrap my life in divine love, and keep me ever desiring Thee, always humble and resigned to Thy will, more fixed on Thyself, that I may be more fitted for doing and-suffering."