The Spirit of Jesus

From time to time I like to dedicate a little space to post a prayer from the compilation of Puritan prayers called "The Valley of Vision." These are some of the greatest prayers I have read and encourage me to pray for more than health and travel safety, but for things of eternal value.

LORD JESUS CHRIST,

Fill me with thy Spirit that I may be occupied with his presence.
I am blind - send him to make me see;
dark - let him say, 'Let there be light'!

May he give me faith to behold
my name engraven in thy hand,
my soul and body redeemed by thy blood,
my sinfulness covered by the life of pure obedience.

Replenish me by his revealing grace,
that I may realize my indissoluble union with thee;
that I may know thou hast espoused me to thyselfe forever, in righteousness, love, mercy, faithfulness;
that I am one with thee,, as a branch with its stock, as a building with its foundation.

May his comforts cheer me in my sorrows,
his strenth sustain me in my trials,
his blessings revive me in my weariness,
his presence render me a fruitful tree of holiness,
his might establish me in peace and joy,
his incitements make me ceaseless in prayer,
his animation kindle in me undying devotion.

Send him as the searcher of my heart,
to show me more of my corruptions and helplessness
that I may flee to thee, cling to thee, rest on thee,
as the beginning and end of my salvation.

May I never vex him by my indifference and waywardness,
greive him by my cold welcome,
resist him by my hard rebellion.

Answer my prayers, O Lord, for thy great name's sake.

Extras helps:

This is the final installment of tips to parents from parents at EBC. I hope these posts have been helpful!

1) If you are rarely overwhelmed by the enormous responsibility it is to care for a human soul, you need to examine yourself.

2) Encourage any child's action that demonstrates effort in a positive direction.

3) The importance of "being there" for your children and demonstrating to them that they are important. Don't just teach them about God but help them connect with the Lord in a way that truly gets them to open their hearts to the Lord. Also ask them about what is going on in their lives and listen to what they have to say we jump in with suggestions. Every child is unique. Bring a child with you as you live your life. They will pick up what matters most to you.

4) Say "yes" whenever you can, and "no" only when you must.

5) Know when to pick you battles. This helps you determine priorities of what is important and what really doesn't matter all that much.

6) And last of all, do trust in God for all things, and do not lean on your own understanding.