The Deeper Life

Today begins our fellowship community’s “40 Days of Prayer and Fasting”. It is our church leadership’s desire to lead our fellowship “out into the deeper waters” of communion with the Lord and fully come under His reign and authority. A template for this season of asking, seeking and knocking[1] would be the forty days and nights Moses spent before the Presence, during which He passionately asked the Lord on the behalf of the “church in the wilderness” to go before them[2]. In fact, Moses did not mince words in expressing his inability to lead His people unless their God led the way.

This is what we are saying, Lord: if You don’t, it won’t. We are not able to go outside the camp[3], out to You, unless You call and equip us. This is our desire, Lord, that You distinguish us with the stain of Your glory. Take us into the deeper waters of loving You[4], the deeper waters of carrying about in our lives the dying of the Lord Jesus[5] and the deeper waters of true community by the laying down our lives for one another[6].

What better way to commence our journey than to hark back to this aged yet timeless cry of the panting heart as expressed by our Puritan brothers…

The Deeps

Lord Jesus, give me a deeper repentance, a horror of sin, a dread of its approach. Help me chastely to flee it and jealously to resolve that my heart shall be Thine alone.

Give me a deeper trust, that I may lose myself to find myself in Thee, the ground of my rest, the spring of my being. Give me a deeper knowledge of Thyself as Savior, Master, Lord, and King. Give me deeper power in private prayer, more sweetness in Thy Word, more steadfast grip on its truth. Give me deeper holiness in speech, thought, action, and let me not seek moral virtue apart from Thee.

Plough deep in me, great Lord, heavenly husbandman, that my being may be a tilled field, the roots of grace spreading far and wide, until Thou alone art seen in me, Thy beauty golden like summer harvest, Thy fruitfulness as autumn plenty.

I have no master but Thee, no law but Thy will, no delight but Thyself, no wealth but that Thou givest, no good but that Thou blessest, no peace but that Thou bestowest. I am nothing but that Thou makest me. I have nothing but that I receive from Thee. I can be nothing but that grace adorns me. Quarry me deep, dear Lord, and then fill me to overflowing with living water.

–From “The Valley of Vision: A Collection of Puritan Prayers and Devotions”
Compiled by Arthur Bennett

You can find the rest of the prayers here

[1] Matthew 7:7

[2] Exodus 33:15,16

[3] Hebrews 13:13

[4] John 17:26

[5] 2 Corinthians 4:10

[6] 1 John 3:16