O God, I have tasted Thy goodness, and it has both satisfied me and made me thirsty for more. I am painfully conscious of my need of further grace. I am ashamed of my lack of desire. O God, the Triune God, I want to want Thee; I long to be filled with longing; I thirst to be made more thirsty still. Show me Thy glory, I pray Thee, that so I may know Thee indeed. Begin in mercy a new work of love within me. Say to my soul, "Rise up, my love, my fair one, and come away." Then give me grace to rise and follow Thee up from this misty lowland where I have wandered so long. In Jesus' Name, Amen
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Father, I want to know Thee, but my cowardly heart fears to give up its toys. I cannot part with them without inward bleeding, and I do not try to hide from Thee the terror of the parting. I come trembling, but I do come. Please root from my heart all those things which I have cherished so long and which have become every part of my living self, so that Thou mayest enter and dwell there without a rival. Then shalt Thou make the place of Thy feet glorious. Then shall my heart have no need of the sun to shine in it, for Thyself wilt be the light of it, and there shall be no night there. In Jesus' Name, Amen
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Only to sit and think of God
Oh what a joy it is!
To think the thought, to breathe the Name;
Earth has no higher bliss.
Father of Jesus, love's reward!
What rapture it will be,
Prostrate before Thy throne to lie,
And gaze and gaze on Thee!
~Fredrick Faber~
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Lord, how excellent are Thy ways, and how devious
and dark of the ways of man. Show us how to
die, that we may rise again to newness of life.
Rend the veil of our self-life from the top down
as Thou didst rend the veil of the Temple. We
would draw near in full assurance of faith.
We would dwell with Thee in daily experience
here on this earth so that we may be accustomed
to the glory when we enter Thy heaven to
dwell with Thee there. In Jesus' Name, Amen
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O God, quicken to life every power within
me, that I may lay hold on eternal things. Open my
eyes that I may see; give me acute spiritual
perception; enable me to taste Thee and know
that Thou art good. Make heaven more real to
me than earthly things have ever been, Amen
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O God and Father, I repent of my sinful preoccupation
with visible things. The world has been too much with
me. Thou hast been here and I knew it not. I have
been blind to Thy presence. Open my eyes that I
may behold Thee in and around me. For Christ's
sake, Amen
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Lord, teach me to listen. The times are noisy and my
ears are weary with the thousand raucous sounds
which continually assault them. Give me the spirit
of the boy Samuel when he said to Thee, "Speak,
for Thy servant heareth." Let me hear Thee speaking
in my heart. Let me get used to the sound of Thy
voice, that its tones may be familiar when the
sounds of earth die away and the only sound
will be the music of Thy speaking voice. Amen
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Nicholas of Cusa wrote four hundred years ago:
When all my endeavor is turned toward Thee because
all Thy endeavor is turned toward me; when I look
unto Thee alone with all my attention, nor ever turn
aside the eyes of my mind, because Thou dost enfold
me with Thy constant regard; when I direct my love toward Thee alone because Thou, who art Love's self hast turned
Thee toward me alone. And what, Lord, is my life, save
that embrace wherein Thy delightsome sweetness doth
so lovingly enfold me?
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O Lord, I have heard a good word inviting
me to look away to Thee and be satisfied.
My heart longs to respond, but sin has clouded
my vision till I see Thee but dimly. Be pleased
to cleanse me in Thine own precious blood, and
make me inwardly pure,so that I may with
unveiled eyes gaze upon Thee all the days
of my earthly pilgrimage.
Then shall I be prepared to behold Thee in full
splendor in the day when Thou shalt appear
to be glorified in Thy saints and admired in
all of them that believe. Amen
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O God, be Thou exalted over my possessions. Nothing
of earth's treasures shall seem dear unto me if only
Thou art glorified in my life. Be Thou exalted over
my friendships. I am determined that Thou shalt be
above all, though I must stand deserted and alone in
the midst of the earth. Be Thou exalted above my
comforts. Though it mean the loss of bodily comforts
and the carrying of heavy crosses, I shall keep my
vow made this day before Thee. Be Thou exalted over
my reputation. Make me ambitious to please Thee
even if as a result I must sink into obscurity and my
name be forgotten as a dream. Rise, O Lord, into
Thy proper place of honor, above my ambitions,
above my ambitions, above my likes and dislikes,
above my family, my health and even my life itself.
Let me sink that Thou mayest rise above. Ride forth
upon me as Thou didst ride into Jerusalem mounted
upon the humble beast, a colt, the foal of an ass,
and let me hear the children cry to Thee, "Hosanna
in the highest." Amen
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Lord, make me childlike. Deliver me from the urge
to compete with another for place or prestige or
position. I would be simple and artless as a little
child. Deliver me from pose and pretense. Forgive
me for thinking of myself. Help me to forget myself
and find my true peace in beholding Thee. That
Thou may answer this prayer I humble myself before
Thee. Lay upon me Thy easy yoke of self-forgetfulness
that through it I may find rest. Amen
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Lord, I would trust Thee completely; I would be
altogether Thine; I would exalt Thee above all. I
desire that I may feel no sense of possessing
anything outside of Thee. I want constantly to be
aware of Thy overshadowing presence and to hear
Thy speaking voice. I long to live in restful sincerity
of heart. I want to live so fully in the Spirit that all
my thoughts may be as sweet incense ascending
to Thee and every act of my life be an act of worship.
Therefore I pray in the words of Thy great servant
of old, "I beseech Thee so for to cleanse the intent
of mine heart with the unspeakable gift of Thy grace,
that I may perfectly love Thee and worthily praise
Thee." And all this I confidently believe Thou wilt
grant me through the merits of Jesus Christ Thy Son.
Amen
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