Jesus, Lover of my Soul

Jesus, lover of my soul,
Let me to Thy bosom fly,
While the nearer water rolls,
While the tempest still is high.
Hide me, O my Saviours, hide,
Till the storm of life is past;
Safe into the haven guide,
O receive my soul at last.

Other refuge have I none;
Hangs my helpless soul on Thee.
Leave, ah! Leave me not alone;
Still support and comfort me.
All my trust on Thee is stayed,
All my help from Thee I bring;
Cover my defenceless head
With the shadow of Thy wing.

Thou, O Christ, art all I want;
More than all in Thee I find!
Raise the fallen, cheer the faint,
Heal the sick, and lead the blind.
Just and holy is Thy name,
I am all unrighteousness:
False and full of sin I am,
Thou are full of truth and grace.

Plenteous grace with Thee is found,
Grace to cover all my sin;
Let the healing streams abound;
Make and keep me pure within.
Thou of life the fountain art,
Freely let me take of Thee;
Spring Thou up within my heart;
Rise to all eternity.


~Charles Wesley (1707-1788)

Allure my Heart

Allure my heart, O Lord,
To Thy own desert land;
Be Thou its surest ward,
And cage me in Thy hand.

All haggard, I, and flee
Thy mews I would, yet still
Thy Word my creance be,
And man me to Thy will.

Rebellious, I might fly
Against Thy jesses, Lord:
Oh, hood and hold me nigh,
And make of love a cord!

(c) Petrel Marijn 2008

Prayer

Another old Hymn/poem from The Hymn Book, No. 98:


Lord, be thy word my guide,
In it may I rejoice:
Thy glory be my aim,
Thy holy will my choice,

Thy promises My hope,
Thy providence my guard,
Thine arm my strong support,
Thyself my great reward.

~ Christopher Wordsworth (1807-1885)

To be a pilgrim

Who would true valour see,
Let him come hither:
Here's one will constant be,
Come wind, come weather.
There's no discouragement
Shall make him once relent
His first avowed intent
To be a pilgrim.

Whoso beset him round
With dismal stories
Do but themselves confound:
His strength the more is.
No lion can him fright,
He'll with a giant fight,
But he will have the right
To be a pilgrim.

Since, Lord, thou dost defend
Him with thy Spirit,
He knows he at the end
Shall life inherit.
Then fancies fly away!
I'll fear not what men say,
But labour night and day
To be a pilgrim.

~John Bunyan (1628-1688) and others

Dear Lord and Father...

Dear Lord and Father of mankind,
Forgive our foolish ways;
Reclothe us in our rightful mind;
In purer lives thy service find,
In deeper reverence, praise.

In simple trust like theirs who heard,
Beside the Syrian sea,
The gracious calling of the Lord,
Let us, like them, without a word
Rise up, and follow thee.

O sabbath rest by Galilee!
O calm of hills above,
Where Jesus knelt to share with thee
The silence of eternity,
Interpreted by love!

Drop thy still dews of quietness,
Till all our strivings cease;
Take from our souls the strain and stress,
And let our ordered lives confess
The beauty of thy peace.

Breath though the heats of our desire
Thy coolness and thy balm;
Let sense be dumb, let flesh retire:
Speak through the earthquake, wind and fire,
O still small voice of calm!

~John Greenleaf Whittier (1807-1892)

An Evening Prayer (in verse)

If I have wounded any soul today,
If I have caused one foot to go astray,
If I have walked in my own willful way--
Good Lord, forgive!

If I have uttered idle words or vain,
If I have turned aside from want or pain,
Lest I myself should suffer through the strain--
Good Lord, forgive!

If I have craved for joys that are not mine,
If I have let my wayward heart repine,
Dwelling on things of earth, not things divine--
Good Lord, forgive!

If I have been perverse, or hard, or cold,
If I have longed for shelter in thy fold,
When Thou hast given me some part to hold--
Good Lord, forgive!

Forgive the sins I have confessed to Thee,
Forgive the secret sins I do not see,
That which I know not, Father, teach Thou me--
Help me to live.

~ Charles H. Gabriel

Prayer

I found this little gem a very long time ago, but just remembered it. I think it belongs in this blog.

Dear Lord, I don't know [his] name. I don't know where he lives. I don't know what he's doing this minute, but some day [he'll] be my [husband]. Right now, by Your love, I will begin to love [him]. I will stock pile large deposits of love here in my heart so I'll have plenty on hand when we meet.
Take good care of [him], Lord, and until You bring [us] together, give [us] both all the lessons, experieces, and, yes, even sufferings that will produce growth. Develop [us] into the adults You want [us] to be.
Bring [him] to me in the following years. I'm eager to be that [man's] wife.

In the Name of Christ, Amen.

adapted from Joyce Landorf's Mix Butter with Love. The substitutions are in place because Joyce was praying about her future daughter-in-law.