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A selection of prayers and meditations in the Puritan tradition, widely valued since publication in 1975. (See also P.2)
User reviews
LibraryThing member MrJack
Have you ever heard someone pray and said to yourself, "I wish I could pray like that?" It was not ornate words or fresh expressions that caught your attention. No, it was something else -- there was something worshipful and availing in the prayer that transported you to the throne of God. Such are
The prayers in this book fit my definition of best practices, to wit, practical techniques gained from observation and experience that others may use to improve internal processes.
The concept of best practices originated in the mundane world of business management and soon expanded to include sales, manufacturing, and programming software. Before long, best practices made their way into other commonplace domains, such as, teaching/education, performance engineering, pollution control, local governance, road construction, health care, insurance, accounting, and so on. But long before any of these everyday best practices were conceived and published, puritan prayers had already passed the test of time to become standards of excellence in the sphere of Christian devotions.
These are the prayers of mortal men rising above their frailty: Richard Baxter, David Brainerd, John Bunyan, Philip Doddridge, Christmas Evans, William Jay, Henry Law, William Romain, Thomas Shepard, Charles Haddon Spurgeon, Augustus M. Toplady, Thomas Watson, Isaac Watts, and William Williams -- puritans all.
Please take this review as a challenge. Try reading the following puritan prayer in the absence of spiritual feeling. If you are a devoted believer, I daresay it can't be done.
Evening Praise
Giver of all,
another day is ended and I take my place beneath my great redeemer's cross,
where healing streams continually descend,
where balm is poured into every wound,
where I wash anew in the all-cleansing blood,
assured that Thou seest in me no spots of sin.
Yet a little while and I shall go to Thy home and be no more seen;
help me to gird up the loins of my mind,
to quicken my step,
to speed as if each moment were my last,
that my life be joy,
my death glory.
I thank Thee for the temporal blessings of this world—
the refreshing air,
the light of the sun,
the food that renews strength,
the raiment that clothes,
the dwelling that shelters,
the sleep that gives rest,
the starry canopy of night,
the summer breeze,
the flowers' sweetness,
the music of flowing streams,
the happy endearments of family, kindred, friends.
Things animate,
things inanimate,
minister to my comfort.
My cup runs over.
Suffer me not to be insensible to these daily mercies.
Thy hand bestows blessings:
Thy power averts evil.
I bring my tribute of thanks for spiritual graces,
the full warmth of faith,
the cheering presence of Thy Spirit,
the strength of Thy restraining will,
Thy spiking of hell's artillery.
Blessed be my sovereign Lord!
The Valley of Vision, 224-225.
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the puritan prayers in The Valley of Vision by Arthur Bennett (2009).The prayers in this book fit my definition of best practices, to wit, practical techniques gained from observation and experience that others may use to improve internal processes.
The concept of best practices originated in the mundane world of business management and soon expanded to include sales, manufacturing, and programming software. Before long, best practices made their way into other commonplace domains, such as, teaching/education, performance engineering, pollution control, local governance, road construction, health care, insurance, accounting, and so on. But long before any of these everyday best practices were conceived and published, puritan prayers had already passed the test of time to become standards of excellence in the sphere of Christian devotions.
These are the prayers of mortal men rising above their frailty: Richard Baxter, David Brainerd, John Bunyan, Philip Doddridge, Christmas Evans, William Jay, Henry Law, William Romain, Thomas Shepard, Charles Haddon Spurgeon, Augustus M. Toplady, Thomas Watson, Isaac Watts, and William Williams -- puritans all.
Please take this review as a challenge. Try reading the following puritan prayer in the absence of spiritual feeling. If you are a devoted believer, I daresay it can't be done.
Evening Praise
Giver of all,
another day is ended and I take my place beneath my great redeemer's cross,
where healing streams continually descend,
where balm is poured into every wound,
where I wash anew in the all-cleansing blood,
assured that Thou seest in me no spots of sin.
Yet a little while and I shall go to Thy home and be no more seen;
help me to gird up the loins of my mind,
to quicken my step,
to speed as if each moment were my last,
that my life be joy,
my death glory.
I thank Thee for the temporal blessings of this world—
the refreshing air,
the light of the sun,
the food that renews strength,
the raiment that clothes,
the dwelling that shelters,
the sleep that gives rest,
the starry canopy of night,
the summer breeze,
the flowers' sweetness,
the music of flowing streams,
the happy endearments of family, kindred, friends.
Things animate,
things inanimate,
minister to my comfort.
My cup runs over.
Suffer me not to be insensible to these daily mercies.
Thy hand bestows blessings:
Thy power averts evil.
I bring my tribute of thanks for spiritual graces,
the full warmth of faith,
the cheering presence of Thy Spirit,
the strength of Thy restraining will,
Thy spiking of hell's artillery.
Blessed be my sovereign Lord!
The Valley of Vision, 224-225.
Show Less
LibraryThing member atimco
The Valley of Vision is a collection of Puritan prayers that celebrate, mourn, beg, rejoice, teach, confess, inspire, confirm, question, hope, implore, grieve, sing, and plead. They give voice to the complex experience of Christians through the centuries, living as foreigners and pilgrims in the
The Puritans are often unfairly cast as a set of stern-faced men who were legalistic and militant in their religious dogma. But there is much more to them than the popular grim image. In these poetic, deeply felt prayers, such authors as Thomas Watson, Richard Baxter, John Bunyan, Isaac Watts, David Brainerd, Charles Spurgeon, and others pour out their hearts to God. They do this, moreover, with a theological precision often lacking from other such devotional works. The result is a powerful collection of prayers that both comfort and instruct the heart.
I appreciate how Bennett does not tag each prayer with its author's name. It would be distracting to me if he had, because I'd think about the man who wrote the prayer rather than the God to Whom it is addressed.
The prayers are not all of equal literary quality; some have phrases that lived with me for days after reading them, while of others I have no particular remembrance. Some of the prayers are so beautifully expressed, so poetic, that I lingered in them, reluctant to move on to the next prayer, allowing it to permeate my prayer life for days at a time. Other prayers, while no doubt heartfelt and sincere, I found more forgettable.
The level of honesty with which the writers assess their own hearts is matched only by the joy and comfort they derive from looking to Jesus out of their own weakness. Though the specific themes vary, the style and content of the prayers are well represented by the title piece, "The Valley of Vision":
Lord, high and holy, meek and lowly,
Thou hast brought me to the valley of vision,
where I live in the depths but see thee in the heights;
hemmed in by mountains of sin I behold thy glory.
Let me learn by paradox
that the way down is the way up,
that to be low is to be high,
that the broken heart is the healed heart,
that the contrite spirit is the rejoicing spirit,
that the repenting soul is the victorious soul,
that to have nothing is to possess all,
that to bear the cross is to wear the crown,
that to give is to receive,
that the valley is the place of vision.
Lord, in the daytime stars can be seen from deepest wells,
and the deeper the wells the brighter thy stars shine;
Let me find thy light in my darkness,
they life in my death,
thy joy in my sorrow,
thy grace in my sin,
thy riches in my poverty,
thy glory in my valley.
What else can I add to this? It is my heart's cry. I'll be reading and praying through this book for the rest of my life.
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world. This volume is a treasure of rich theology and heartfelt devotion, and I'm so thankful for Arthur G. Bennett's work in compiling and editing these prayers for a modern audience. The Puritans are often unfairly cast as a set of stern-faced men who were legalistic and militant in their religious dogma. But there is much more to them than the popular grim image. In these poetic, deeply felt prayers, such authors as Thomas Watson, Richard Baxter, John Bunyan, Isaac Watts, David Brainerd, Charles Spurgeon, and others pour out their hearts to God. They do this, moreover, with a theological precision often lacking from other such devotional works. The result is a powerful collection of prayers that both comfort and instruct the heart.
I appreciate how Bennett does not tag each prayer with its author's name. It would be distracting to me if he had, because I'd think about the man who wrote the prayer rather than the God to Whom it is addressed.
The prayers are not all of equal literary quality; some have phrases that lived with me for days after reading them, while of others I have no particular remembrance. Some of the prayers are so beautifully expressed, so poetic, that I lingered in them, reluctant to move on to the next prayer, allowing it to permeate my prayer life for days at a time. Other prayers, while no doubt heartfelt and sincere, I found more forgettable.
The level of honesty with which the writers assess their own hearts is matched only by the joy and comfort they derive from looking to Jesus out of their own weakness. Though the specific themes vary, the style and content of the prayers are well represented by the title piece, "The Valley of Vision":
Lord, high and holy, meek and lowly,
Thou hast brought me to the valley of vision,
where I live in the depths but see thee in the heights;
hemmed in by mountains of sin I behold thy glory.
Let me learn by paradox
that the way down is the way up,
that to be low is to be high,
that the broken heart is the healed heart,
that the contrite spirit is the rejoicing spirit,
that the repenting soul is the victorious soul,
that to have nothing is to possess all,
that to bear the cross is to wear the crown,
that to give is to receive,
that the valley is the place of vision.
Lord, in the daytime stars can be seen from deepest wells,
and the deeper the wells the brighter thy stars shine;
Let me find thy light in my darkness,
they life in my death,
thy joy in my sorrow,
thy grace in my sin,
thy riches in my poverty,
thy glory in my valley.
What else can I add to this? It is my heart's cry. I'll be reading and praying through this book for the rest of my life.
Show Less
LibraryThing member julesnpebbles
A BEAUTIFUL book! One of my favorite to give away. The depth of intimacy and godly expression in this book is breathtaking. One of my absolute favorite devotions. Each prayer brings you right before the Throne. Amazing.
LibraryThing member lbudd
I'm loving this prayer book. Every page is a Puritan prayer from the 1600s. It's fascinating to recognize how much theology we share but how the emphasis and the language is so different. Their prayers are so respectful, not demanding. They are so focused on the Lord and who he is and his promise
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of salvation. They are very mindful that life is precarious and short and that this life is leading to the next. I think that by reading and praying with them my spiritual life, and my prayer life, has been significantly helped. Show Less
LibraryThing member vg2001
Really, just one word: Wow. This is a must-own for every believer. The depth and specificity of each prayer will be an encouragement, example, and lesson to the reader. Your own prayer life will be deepened as you listen in on the heart cries of those who've walked worthy before us.
LibraryThing member cmsheffield
This is one of my chief devotional aids in prayer. To pray well is to pray like a Puritan. This little volume is a wonderfully rich sampling of Puritan prayers with leather binding, gold-gilt edges, and a ribbon marker.
LibraryThing member lougheryweb
Highly recommend this work. It is good for your soul. I spent a year reading these prayers, and benefited greatly from the study.
LibraryThing member lgfarlow
A superb devotional. The spiritual depth of these puritan Christians comes through on every page and calls us to be more devoted in our own walk with the Lord.
LibraryThing member kennicon
This is the greatest book of its kind. I read it every day prior to my time of private worship. The puritans are the prophets of today -- this will help you to see and savor the supremacy of Christ in all of life.
LibraryThing member erickimberly
Down right convicting as to their level of knowing who they are in light of sin and the life changing power of the Cross
LibraryThing member JohnD1411
This book is great for devotional use, but the user is truly under-served by Bennett. His labors fell short in that he does not give the reader any bibliography for the prayers. Neither author nor work cited are available for specific prayers compiled in this book.
LibraryThing member tiffleeanderson
What a treasure of beautiful prayers and praises to God. I have referenced them on many occasion during specific times in my life and found them very comforting and convicting.
LibraryThing member andrewlovesoldbooks
Beautiful. Collection of prayers by eloquent men who had a deep love and respect for God.
LibraryThing member theologian
Fantastic set of puritan prayers. Great for devotions.
LibraryThing member Paul_Brunning
The strength of Puritan character and life lay in prayer and meditation. In this practice the spirit of prayer was regarded as of first importance and the best form of prayer, for living prayer is the characteristic of genuine spirituality. Yet prayer is also vocal and may therefore on occasions be
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written. Consequently in the Puritan tradition there are many written prayers and meditations which constitute an important corpus of inspiring devotional literature. Too often ex tempore prayer lacks variety, order and definiteness. The reason for this lies partly in a neglect of due preparation. It is here that the care and scriptural thoroughness which others found necessary in their approach to God may be of help. This book has been prepared not to 'supply' prayers but to prompt and encourage the Christian as he treads the path on which others have gone before. Show Less
LibraryThing member HGButchWalker
Devastatingly humbling book of prayers from Puritans that will take you deeper in your faith, help you see yourself more accurately and put all your faith in an exceedingly glorious God.
Subjects
Language
Original publication date
1975
Similar in this library
DDC/MDS
| 291 BEN |
Pages
223