From the Heart of the Pastor

A few weeks ago I shared with you a Puritan prayer about preaching.  That prayer was written primarily from the standpoint of the preacher.  Here is one on worship, from the standpoint of the one worshipping:

Glorious God,

It is the flame of my life to worship thee,
          the crown and glory of my soul to adore thee,
          heavenly pleasure to approach thee.
Give me power by thy Spirit to help me worship now,
          that I may forget the world,
          be brought into fullness of life,
          be refreshed, comforted, blessed.
Give me knowledge of thy goodness
          that I might not be over-awed by thy greatness;
Give me Jesus, Son of Man, Son of God,
          that I might not be terrified,
          but be drawn near with filial love,
                                      with holy boldness;
He is my mediator, brother, interpreter,
          branch, daysman, Lamb;
          him I glorify,
          in him I am set on high.
Crowns to give I have none,
          but what thou hast given I return,
          content to feel that everything is mine when it is thine,
          and the more fully mine when I have yielded it to thee.
Let me live wholly to my Saviour,
          free from distractions,
          from carking care,
          from hindrances to the pursuit of the narrow way.
I am pardoned through the blood of Jesus –
          give me a new sense of it,
          continue to pardon me by it,
          may I come every day to the fountain,
          and every day be washed anew,
          that I may worship thee always in spirit and truth.      

          -- The Valley of Vision: A Collection of Puritan Prayers and Devotions