The Personal Touch

Thou great I AM,

I acknowledge and confess that all things come of thee -
life, breath, happiness, advancement,
sight, touch, hearing,
goodness, truth, beauty -
all tha makes existence amiable.

In the spiritual world also I am dependent entirely upon thee.
Give me grace to know more of my need of grace;
Show me my sinfulness that I may willingly confess it;
Reveal to me my weakness that I may know my strength in thee.

I thank thee for any sign of penitence; give me more of it;
My sins are black and deep,
and rise from a stony, proud, self-righteous heart;
Help me to confess them with mourning, regret, self-loathing,
with no pretence to merit or excuse;

I need healing,
Good physician, here is scope for thee,
come and manifest thy power;

I need faith;
Thou who hast given it me, maintain, strengthen, increase it.
Centre it upon the Saviour's work,
upon the majesty of the Father,
upon the operations of the Spirit;
Work it in me now that I may never doubt thee
as the truthful, mighty, faithful God.
Then I can bring my heart to thee
full of love, gratitude, hope, joy.

May I lay at thy feet these fruits grown in thy garden,
love thee with a passion that can never cool,
believe in thee with a confidence that never staggers,
hope in thee with an expectation that can never be dim,
delight in thee with a rejoicing that cannot be stifled,
glorify thee with the highest of my powers,
burning, blazing, glowing, radiating, as from thy own glory.

Taken from The Valley of Vision: A collection of Puritan Prayers & Devotions