A Prayer

Lord, High and Holy

Meek and Lowly,

Thou has brought me

to the valley of vision,

where I live in the depths

but see thee in the heights;

hemmed in by mountains

of sin I behold Thy glory.

Let me learn by paradox

that the way down

is the way up,

that to be low,

is to be high,

that the broken heart

is the healed heart,

that the contrite spirit

is the rejoicing spirit,

that the repenting soul

is the victorious soul,

that to have nothing

is to possess all,

that to bear the cross

is to wear the crown,

that to give

is to receive

that the valley

is the place of vision.

Lord, in the daytime stars can

be seen from the deepest wells,

and the deeper the wells

the brighter thy stars shine;

Let me find thy light

in my darkness,

thy life in my death,

thy joy in my sorrow,

thy grace in my sin,

thy riches in my poverty

thy glory in my valley.

*Prayer taken from The Valley of Vision, a collection of Puritan prayers & devotions.

Consider the Lilies