Recalling the Greatness of God

One part of the book I have been helped by is where John encourages us to use Scripture itself or even prayers from other saints to help remind us of and focus us on the greatness of God. How true what he wrote is:

In the modern, developed world, our minds are permeated with superficial entertainment. Coming to God in prayer with reverence and awe is not natural. Feeling the utter seriousness of the fight for joy in God is foreign to us...It may be that some of you are naturally inclined and able to tell the Lord Jesus how great and wonderful he is as you begin your prayers. But most of us are prone to bluster into the throne room of heaven—as into a hardware store with a broken piece of plumbing—rather than with joyful wonder that we are admitted here only by the blood of Christ and that we come to the greatest Being in the universe. (164)

Oh, how I relate! To my shame, there are times when I almost giggle at language used to describe the holiness of God because being so informed by the world so often, the language seems silly.

Using Scripture and referring to prayers of other saints as an aide has largely benefited me in bringing me back to a proper reverence for our great Savior and loving Heavenly Father.

Scripture has tons of prayers and even just meditating on Scripture often can bring us to prayer - i.e. God make me holy, God forgive me for not seeking you as hidden treasure, etc, but there are also lots of books that categorize and write a lot of them out for us (Beth Moore's Praying God's Word, etc).

As far as prayers from saints of old, I recently purchased the book "Valley of Vision" and many of the prayers compiled within are breathtakingly beautiful and have encouraged me much in my desires to pray more in line with God's will and more in tune with who God is. One such prayer is...

THE SAVIOUR

THOU GOD OF ALL GRACE,

Thous hast given me a Saviour,
produce in me a faith to live by him,
to make him all my desire,
all my hope,
all my glory.
May I enter him as my refuge,
build on him as my foundation,
walk in him as my way,
follow him as my guide,
conform to him as my example,
receive his instructions as my prophet,
rely on his intercession as my high priest,
obey him as my king.
May I never be ashamed of him or his words,
but joyfully bear his reproach,
never displease him by unholy or imprudent conduct,
never count it a glory if I take it patiently when buffeted for a fault,
never make the multitude my model,
never delay when thy Word invites me to advance.
My thy dear Son preserve me from this present evil world,
so that its smiles never allure,
nor its frowns terrify,
nor its vices defile,
nor its errors delude me.
May I feel that I am a stranger and a pilgrim on earth,
declaring plainly that I seek a country,
my title to it becoming daily more clear,
my meetness for it more perfect,
my foretastes of it more abundant;
and whatsoever I do may it be done in the Saviour's name. (The Valley of Vision, 78-79)

Amen and amen.