FATHER GOD OF GRACE,
You have accused my sin to my substitute, and have accused His righteousness to my soul, clothing me with a bridegroom’s robe, adorning me with jewels of holiness.
But in my Christian walk, I am still in rags; my best prayers are stained with sin; my sorrowful tears are full of worldly corruption; my confessions of sin are an annoying reminder of my wrongs; my receiving of the Spirit is riddled with my own selfish desires.
I need to repent of my incomplete and dishonest repentance; I need my tears to be purified; I have no covering for my sins, no way to create my own righteousness;
I am always standing in filthy rags, and by grace, I am always receiving fresh dazzling garments, for you always justify your ungodly children;
I am always running off into the world, and always returning home to You saying, “Father, forgive me”, and You always forgive and cover me with the best robe.
Every morning let me wear it and return still wearing it in the evening, go out to each day’s task in it, be married in it, live in it, die in it, stand before the great white throne in it, enter heaven in it shining with your radiance.
Let me never lose sight of the exceeding sinfulness of sin, the exceeding righteousness of salvation, the exceeding glory of Christ, exceeding wonder of grace.
All of these prayer prompts are inspired by a book of prayers written by the Puritans. I highly recommend purchasing the book. The prayers are beautifully written, while my prayer prompts are simplified to the point of losing their poetic refinement.
All prayers inspired by:
Bennett, Arthur. The Valley of Vision A Collection of Puritan Prayers and Devotions. East Peoria: Versa Press, Inc.,, 1975.