Philip Doddridge: Piercing Heaven – Puritan’s Prayers

Light up, O Lord, a brighter and a stronger flame in the lamps of your sanctuary.

Send the arrows of your quiver deep into our conscience. Clothe your priests with salvation, that your saints may shout aloud for joy! Anoint them with your Holy Spirit, that the aroma of your grace may spread throughout all your tabernacles, like fragrant oil poured on the head of Aaron.

Lead us, O Lord, in the way everlasting. Make us resemble our great Master, more and more, as we show grace to others.

Sanctify our hearts by your grace, that we may be as trees bearing good fruit, or like fountains of pure streams. That is the path to lay up good treasure—it is the way for holiness and compassion to spring forth in freedom, to refresh and give life to everyone around us.

May your grace animate our souls, Lord. May nothing stand in the way of faithfulness even to death, or deprive us of the crown of life your grace has promised.

Send forth laborers into your harvest, and energize them in their work. Give us a deeper sense of that horrible condemnation due to those who despise their divine Master and his Heavenly Father, in whose name he was sent.

Preserve us from that kind of guilt and ruin, God! Your kingdom has come to us, and its privileges. May we never abuse them and be cast down to hell, but may divine grace open our hearts to the gospel.

May we receive all those who faithfully proclaim your word, and welcome them in the name of Jesus.

Amen.