Two little treasures for my soul

Two books that are huge refreshments and little treasures to my soul are THE VALLEY OF VISION- a book of prayers by Puritans-- and Milton Vincent's A GOSPEL PRIMER FOR CHRISTIANS. Both touched my heart today and brought sweet encouragement. Sharing two exerpts:

The Deeps ( Valley of Vision)

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 spirit 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 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.



From Milton Vincent's A Gospel Primer for Christians:

"God is committed to my dying every day, and He calls me to that same commitment." "If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me" Luke 9:23

"When my flesh yearns for some prohibited thing, I must die. When called to do something I don't want to do, I must die. When I wish to be selfish and serve no one, I must die. When shattered by hardships that I despise, I must die. When enticed by allurements of the world, I must die. When wishing to keep besetting sins secret, I must die. When wants that are borderline needs are left unmet, I must die. When dreams that are good seemed shoved aside, I must die."

"Not My will, but Yours be done" (Luke 22:42)


Oh Lord, Thank You for the fullness of God! Keep filling me! Thank You for Your deep love. Keep me dying each moment so You can have Your most glorious way!