Give me deeper holiness in speech, thought, action,
and let me not seek moral virtue apart from thee.

In the last decade, there has been a resurgence in the writings of the puritans and for good reason.  Christianity is not a new religion. Many faithful saints have trod these old paths before us and we will do well to learn from them.

The puritans read the same Bible we read, prayed to the same God and served the same Christ, so their theology is not a different one. What is different about the puritans is their deep knowledge of God through the scriptures.

The puritans understood the glory of God. Everything they did including their prayers was focused on the glory of God. They were focused on walking with God in holiness and righteousness.

Their prayers showed a deep knowledge and understanding of the scriptures, a knowledge of the sinfulness of man and the holiness of God. They never made light of sin and were quick to confess their sins.

We will look at one of their prayers today, titled “The Deeps” it can be found on page 134-135 of “The Valley of Vision: A collection of puritan prayers and devotion”.

It is my prayer that you will make this your prayer today and this week. That you will not only pray this prayer this week, before and/or after every personal study of the scriptures, but meditate on its truth as well.

LORD JESUS,

Give me a deeper repentance,
a horror of sin,
a dread of its approach;
Help me chastely to flee it,
and jealously to resolve that my heart
shall be thine alone.

Give me a deeper trust,
that I may lose myself to find myself in thee,
the ground of my rest,
the spring of my being.

Give me a deeper knowledge of thyself
as Saviour, Master, Lord, and King.
Give me deeper power in private prayer,
more sweetness in thy Word,
more steadfast grip on its truth.

Give me deeper holiness in speech, thought, action,
and let me not seek moral virtue apart from thee.

Plough deep in me, great Lord,
heavenly Husbandman,
that my being may be a tilled field,
the roots of grace spreading far and wide,
until thou alone art seen in me,
thy beauty golden like summer harvest,
thy fruitfulness as autumn plenty.

I have no Master but thee,
no law but thy will,
no delight but thyself,
no wealth but that thou givest,
no good but that thou blessest,
no peace but that thou bestowest.

I am nothing but that thou makest me,
I have nothing but that I receive from thee,
I can be nothing but that grace adorns me.

Quarry me deep, dear Lord,
and then fill me to overflowing
with living water.

Amen.