The Valley of Vision: A Collection of Puritan Prayers

I was blessed to receive a copy of The Valley of Vision this morning by a brother in my Care Group from church. It is a collection of Puritan prayers and is both encouraging and admonishing at the same time. Below, is the very first passage I read after receiving the book. Read and be refreshed.

The Gospel Way

Blessed Lord Jesus,
No  human mind could conceive or invent the gospel.

Acting in eternal grace, thou art both its messenger and its message, lived out on earth through infinite compassion, applying thy life to insult, injury, death, that I might be redeemed, ransomed, freed.

Blessed be thou, O Father for contriving this way.
Eternal thanks to thee, O Lamb of God, for opening this way.
Praise everlasting to thee, O Holy Spirit, for applying this way to my heart.

Glorious Trinity, impress the gospel on my soul, until its virtue diffuses every faculty; Let it be heard, acknowledged, professed, felt.


Teach me to secure this mighty blessing; Help me to vie up every darling lust, to submit heart and life to its command, to have it in my will, controlling my affections, moulding my understanding; to adhere strictly to the rules of true religion, not departing from them in any instance, nor for any advantage in order to escape evil, inconvenience or danger.

Take me to the cross to seek glory from its infamy; Strip me of every pleasing pretence of righteousness by my own doings.

O gracious Redeemer, I have neglected thee too long, often crucified thee, crucified thee afresh by my impenitence, put the to open shame.

I thank thee for the patience that has borne with me so long and for the grace that now makes mw willing to be thine.

O unite me to thyself with inseparable bonds, that nothing may ever draw me back from thee, my Lord, my Saviour.

What Modern Youth Group Should Look Like Steven Long 6/01/12

From the most recent issue of Voice of the Martyrs. Support the persecuted church with your prayers and financial gifts.

Eulalia—A.D. 304

Thirteen-year-old Eulailia yearned to die for Christ. She live in Merida, Spain, during the "Great Persecution," when Christians in the Roman Empire were commanded to sacrifice to the gods or face execution. Eulalia's parents, afraid of what she might do, sent her away from home to live in the coutnryside. But Eulailia's fiery spirit could not be quenched. She escaped the house where she was staying one night and appeared before the Merida tribunal the next morning.

"Ar you not ashamed to cast your own souls and those of others at once into eternal perdition by denying the only true God, the Father of us all, and the Creator of all Christians, that you may put them to death?" Eulalia asked the tribunal. "Behold, here am I, an adversary of your satanical sacrifices. I confess with heart and mouth God alone." She told the tribunal that she would not worship their three pagan gods or the emperor. Enraged, the tribunal judge called an executioner and demanded that Eulalia be tortured. Before the executioner began his work, the judge offered Eulalia freedom from the severe punishment if she would sacrifice to an idol.

The young Christian did not feel the need to respond. She upset the images, altar, censor and sacrificial books that sat on the table before her. Two executioners immediately stripped her and tortured her with hooks and torches.

As she counted the gashes in her body, Eulalia exclaimed, "Behold, Lord Jesus Christ! Thy Name is being written on my body; what great delight it affords me to read these letters, because they are signs of Thy victory! Behold, my purple blood confesses Thy holy Name." She spoke with great happiness and peace; she didn't even seem to feel pain as the blood poured out of her body.

After piercing Eulalia's body repeatedly with their hooks, the executioners applied burning lamps and torches to the wounds in her side and abdomen. Finally, they ignited her hair and she suffocated. Eulalia died loving her Savior more than her own life.

Perhaps our youth should be learning more of this than playing games and listening to "cool" music. I would much rather my children emulate this kind of devotion than trying to be cool for the world.