Last December through March, our family got to take a three month sabbatical in Austin, TX.  It was wonderful in many ways, and one of those was Robert reading an excerpt from this book aloud to me in the mornings or evenings or both.  If I remember correctly, the book may have been a gift to Robert from our friend Greg. {Thank you, Greg!?} Yesterday, when I was struggling with words of prayer and confession, I remembered the profound, biblical, and always-resonating words from this book of Puritan prayers.

I don’t know that the following prayer is in the book, but it comes from a godly Puritan pastor named Richard Baxter, and was a good one for me to read and imitate yesterday in my loss for words…

O most great, most just and gracious God, You are of purer eyes than to behold iniquity, but You have promised mercy through Jesus Christ to all who repent and believe in Him.

Therefore we confess that we are sinful by nature and that we have all sinned and come short of the glory of God.

We have neglected and abused Your holy worship and Your holy name. We have dealt unjustly and uncharitably with our neighbours.  We have not sought first Your kingdom and righteousness.

We have not been content with our daily bread.  You have revealed Your wonderful love to us in Christ, and offered us pardon and salvation in Him; but we have turned away.

We have run into temptation, and the sin which we should have hated, we have committed.

Have mercy on us, most merciful Father!  We confess You alone are our hope.  Make us Your children and give us the Spirit of Your Son, our only Saviour.  Amen

I also enjoyed reading his “How to Spend the Day with God.”

And yes, I know that Lent, or at least the fasting and sacrificing part of it, is not practiced on Sundays.  I simply want to engage in the discipline of posting every day until Easter! Happy Sabbath! ☺