As we approach the New Year (2020), I thought I’d share two prayers to meditate and contemplate on. The first one is a written prayer (known as a “collect”) from the Book of Common Prayer of the Anglican tradition, originally written for the observance of Christmas Day. (The prayers of the BCP have been passed down from the early centuries of the church and have been translated into modern English.) The second prayer is adapted from “The Valley of Vision: A Collection of Puritan Prayers and Devotions.” Together, they are meditations on the two central mysteries of the Christian faith: the Trinity and the Incarnation.
#1) A Collect for The Nativity of Our Lord
“Almighty God, you have given your only‑begotten Son to take our nature upon him, and to be born of a virgin: we pray that we, who have been born again and made your children by adoption and by grace, may be daily renewed by your Holy Spirit; through our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom with you and the same Spirit be honor and glory, now and for ever. Amen.”
adapted from the Book of Common Prayer
#2) A Meditation on the Trinity
(NOTE: One of my favorite things to meditate on about God is His Triune nature. This prayer uses the language of the early church fathers in describing the Trinity, as well as biblical concepts of the Triune God’s action in our world and in salvation.)
“Three in One, One in Three, God of my salvation,
Heavenly Father, blessed Son, eternal Spirit, I adore you as one Being, one Essence, one God in three distinct Persons, for bringing sinners to your knowledge and to your kingdom.O Father, you have loved me and sent Jesus to redeem me; O Jesus, you have loved me and assumed my nature, shed your own blood to wash away my sins, wrought righteousness to cover my unworthiness; O Holy Spirit, you have loved me and entered my heart, implanted there eternal life, revealed to me the glories of Jesus.
Three Persons and one God, I bless and praise you, for love so unmerited, so unspeakable, so wondrous, so mighty to save the lost and raise them to glory.
O Father, I thank you that in fullness of grace, you have given me to Jesus, to be his sheep, jewel, [and] portion; O Jesus, I thank you that in fulness of grace you have accepted, espoused, [and] bound me; O Holy Spirit, I thank you that in fullness of grace you have exhibited Jesus as my salvation, implanted faith within me, subdued my stubborn heart, made me one with him for ever. O, Father, you are enthroned to hear my prayers. O Jesus, your hand is outrestched to take my petitions. O Holy Spirit, you are willing to help my infirmities, to show me my need, to supply words, to pray within me to strengthen me that I faint not in supplication.
O Triune God, who commands the universe, you have commanded me to ask for those things that concern your kingdom and my soul. Let me live and pray as one baptized into your threefold Name.”
Through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, a world without end. Amen.
adapted from “The Valley of Vision: A Collection of Puritan Prayers and Devotions”
” May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer.”–Psalm 19:14
Soli Deo Gloria
The Confessing Millennial 