It was probably the mid 1990's, I was listening to John MacArthur's radio program Grace To You, and he offered his listening audience a free book called Valley of Vision. It slipped my mind and I never sent for it. I have ordered many books through Cumberland Valley Bible Book Service (www.cvbbs.com 1-800-656-0231) in Carlisle, Pennsylvania and looking through their catalog one day I saw the book that MacArthur had offered.
I am grateful to the Lord for His leading to order it. The full title is The Valley Of Vision, A Collection of Puritan Prayers & Devotions, edited by Arthur Bennett and published by Banner Of Truth Trust. Now at first thought, one might say "Wow, Puritan prayers!" The misconception of who the Puritans were is for another day, in fact I have mentioned the topic in a previous blog. A former pastor, he has since moved away, was over for dinner one evening and in conversation before dinner he mentioned this "great book" called Valley Of Vision." As we sat down to dinner I showed him the book that I keep on the dining room table for it had been, and still is, our every day pre-dinner meal prayer. The copy that I have now is a leather bound one that he graciously gave us.
Since then I have heard it mentioned on rare occasions on Christian radio programs. About three years ago I sat down to read our local newspaper and there on the front page was an article on how some people celebrate Thanksgiving. The accompanying picture showed a family around the dinner table and the caption mentioned how the father was reading from Valley Of Vision. So, as it turned out, it is not an obscure book.
I send my son, who is off at law school, fatherly advice on occasion to remember to read one of these prayers every day. OK, so what is it so special about this book and these prayers? The book does not say who wrote each prayer but the, almost 200, prayers were written my men such as Spurgeon, Bunyan, Toplady, Watson and Baxter. I will complete this post with an example of one of the prayers from the book. Here is the importance of the book; The prayers have us humbling ourselves, no, actually prostrating ourselves before Him for our daily sins committed, our failure to look only to Him and our inability to come to Him with anything of ourselves. When we have company over for dinner, I read the prayer as usual and often wonder if our visitors cringe at a Christian who sees so little worth in himself. The prayers continue with acknowledgement of the glorious grace that God has provided, and the inexpressible joy at such a God to have mercy on such a person. Our visitors never mention anything but I can often tell that they have heard something that may have humbled them. It is my contention that by reading one of these prayers a day, it is brought to our mind, each and every one of those days, how we were truly lost and deservedly so, and how our righteousness today comes in the cloak that we wear which is the righteousness of Christ, presented to us along with our regeneration and redemption in which we also had nothing to offer that would deserve such mercy and grace.
O Lord, No day of my life has passed that has not proved me guilty in thy sight,
Prayers have been uttered from a prayerless heart;
Praise has been often praiseless sound;
My best services are filthy rags.
Blessed Jesus, Let me find a covert in thy appeasing wounds.
Though my sins rise to heaven thy merits soar above them;
Though unrighteousness weighs me down to hell,
Thy righteousness exalts me to thy throne.
All things in me call for my rejection,
All things in thee plead my acceptance.
I appeal from the throne of perfect justice
To thy throne of boundless grace,
Grant me to hear thy voice assuring me:
that by thy stripes I am healed,
that thou wast bruised for my iniquities,
that thou hast been made sin for me,
that I might be righteous in thee,
that my grievous sins, my manifold sins,
are all forgiven,
buried in the ocean of thy concealing blood.
I am guilty, but pardoned
lost, but saved.
wandering, but found,
sinning, but saved,
Give me perpetual broken-heartedness,
Keep me always clinging to thy cross.
Flood me every moment with descending grace,
sparkling like crystal
flowing clear and unsullied
through my wilderness of life.
I am grateful to the Lord for His leading to order it. The full title is The Valley Of Vision, A Collection of Puritan Prayers & Devotions, edited by Arthur Bennett and published by Banner Of Truth Trust. Now at first thought, one might say "Wow, Puritan prayers!" The misconception of who the Puritans were is for another day, in fact I have mentioned the topic in a previous blog. A former pastor, he has since moved away, was over for dinner one evening and in conversation before dinner he mentioned this "great book" called Valley Of Vision." As we sat down to dinner I showed him the book that I keep on the dining room table for it had been, and still is, our every day pre-dinner meal prayer. The copy that I have now is a leather bound one that he graciously gave us.
Since then I have heard it mentioned on rare occasions on Christian radio programs. About three years ago I sat down to read our local newspaper and there on the front page was an article on how some people celebrate Thanksgiving. The accompanying picture showed a family around the dinner table and the caption mentioned how the father was reading from Valley Of Vision. So, as it turned out, it is not an obscure book.
I send my son, who is off at law school, fatherly advice on occasion to remember to read one of these prayers every day. OK, so what is it so special about this book and these prayers? The book does not say who wrote each prayer but the, almost 200, prayers were written my men such as Spurgeon, Bunyan, Toplady, Watson and Baxter. I will complete this post with an example of one of the prayers from the book. Here is the importance of the book; The prayers have us humbling ourselves, no, actually prostrating ourselves before Him for our daily sins committed, our failure to look only to Him and our inability to come to Him with anything of ourselves. When we have company over for dinner, I read the prayer as usual and often wonder if our visitors cringe at a Christian who sees so little worth in himself. The prayers continue with acknowledgement of the glorious grace that God has provided, and the inexpressible joy at such a God to have mercy on such a person. Our visitors never mention anything but I can often tell that they have heard something that may have humbled them. It is my contention that by reading one of these prayers a day, it is brought to our mind, each and every one of those days, how we were truly lost and deservedly so, and how our righteousness today comes in the cloak that we wear which is the righteousness of Christ, presented to us along with our regeneration and redemption in which we also had nothing to offer that would deserve such mercy and grace.
O Lord, No day of my life has passed that has not proved me guilty in thy sight,
Prayers have been uttered from a prayerless heart;
Praise has been often praiseless sound;
My best services are filthy rags.
Blessed Jesus, Let me find a covert in thy appeasing wounds.
Though my sins rise to heaven thy merits soar above them;
Though unrighteousness weighs me down to hell,
Thy righteousness exalts me to thy throne.
All things in me call for my rejection,
All things in thee plead my acceptance.
I appeal from the throne of perfect justice
To thy throne of boundless grace,
Grant me to hear thy voice assuring me:
that by thy stripes I am healed,
that thou wast bruised for my iniquities,
that thou hast been made sin for me,
that I might be righteous in thee,
that my grievous sins, my manifold sins,
are all forgiven,
buried in the ocean of thy concealing blood.
I am guilty, but pardoned
lost, but saved.
wandering, but found,
sinning, but saved,
Give me perpetual broken-heartedness,
Keep me always clinging to thy cross.
Flood me every moment with descending grace,
sparkling like crystal
flowing clear and unsullied
through my wilderness of life.
