A Patient and Grateful Heart

I came across this prayer in a church bulletin from my childhood church...I love that they still send me the bulletins because I get to stay in the know of the news in the church and they always have insightful articles written by all of the ministers. This one struck a chord with me because I feel it's something that I personally struggle with, as I am sure most of us do. This is an excerpt from a collection of Puritan prayers called Valley of Vision (I know that's supposed to be underlined, but I can't figure out how in blogger) and this excerpt is a prayer entitled Continual Repentance.....

O God of Grace,
Thou has imputed my sin to my substitute,
and hast imputed his righteousness to my soul,
clothing me with bridegroom's robe,
decking me with jewels of holiness.

But in my Christian walk I am still in rags;
my best prayers are stained with sin;
my penitential tears are so much impurity;
my confessions of wrong are so many aggravations of sin;
my receiving the Spirit is tinctured with selfishness.

I need to repent of my repentance;
I need my tears to be washed;
I have no robe to bring to cover my sins,
no loom to weave my own righteousness;
I am always standing clothed in filthy garments,
and by grace am always receiving change of raiment,
for thou dost always justify the ungodly;
I am always going into the far country,
and always returning home as a prodigal,
always saying, Father, forgive me,
and though art always bringing forth the best robe.

Every morning let me wear it,
every evening return in it,
go out to the day's work in it,
be married in it,
be wound in death in it,
stand before the great white throne in it,
enter heaven in it shining as the sun.

Grant me never to lose sight of
the exceeding sinfulnes of sin,
the exceeding righteousness of salvation,
the exceeding glory of Christ,
the exceeding beauty of holiness,
the exceeding wonder of grace.

I know I get caught up in the hub bub of life and fail to realize who controls it all and that I need to more faith in Him...for He has never led us astray. It's easy to be grateful and prayerful in times of need but it's when you are reaping the fruits of His labor that we all forget to continue to thank Him and continue to pray for us, and those that we love.