Wednesday, January 02, 2008

starting the New Year right

At the beginning of a New Year, many people make New Year's resolutions that might include starting diets or exercise programs. Many stores have containers on sale to help with getting organized. In some sense, each of these is a way to bring about a better quality of life.


John Wesley was continually encouraging others toward living a consistent Christian life – a better quality of life. Wesley developed a covenant prayer to help articulate that rededication and recommitment to a God centered life. Below is an updated version of Wesley's Covenant Prayer that can be used for a renewal of the commitment to a Christlike life for the coming year.

I am no longer my own, but yours.
Put me to what you will, place me with whom you will.
Put me to doing, put me to suffering.
Let me be put to work for you or set aside for you,
praised for you or criticized for you.
Let me be full, let me be empty.
Let me have all things, let me have nothing.
I freely and fully surrender all things to your hope and service.
And now, O glorious and blessed God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,
you are mine, and I am yours.
So be it.
And the covenant which I have made on earth,
let it be made also in heaven.
Amen.

3 comments:

Jan said...

I've always liked this hard, good commitment of John Wesley's. Thanks for reminding me.

Crimson Rambler said...

Hello Vicar -- the Higton quote is up on my blog -- thanks for asking!

Michelle said...

I use a similar prayer from Ignatius of Loyola to start each day, I like Wesley's version, too...

Receive, O Lord, all my liberty. Take my memory, my understanding, my entire will. Whatsoever I have or hold, you have given me. I give it all back to you and surrender it wholly to be governed by your will. Give me only your love and your grace and I am rich enough and ask for nothing more.

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