THE SERVANT IN BATTLE

OLord,

I bless thee that the issue of the battle between thyself and Satan

_______has never been uncertain,

_______and will end in victory.

Calvary broke the dragon’s head,

_______and I contend with a vanquished foe,

_______who with all his subtlety and strength

_______has already been overcome.

When I feel the serpent at my heel

_______may I remember him whose heel was bruised,

_______but who, when bruised, broke the devil’s head.

My soul with inward joy extols the mighty conqueror.

Heal me of any wounds received in the great conflict;

_______if I have gathered defilement,

_______if my faith has suffered damage,

_______if my hope is less than bright,

_______if my love is not fervent,

_______if some creature-comfort occupies my heart,

_______if my soul sinks under pressure of the fight.

O thou whose every promise is balm,

_______every touch life,

_______draw near to thy weary warrior,

_______refresh me, that I may rise again to wage the strife,

_______and never tire until my enemy is trodden down.

Give me such fellowship with thee that I may defy Satan,

_______unbelief, the flesh, the world,

_______with delight that comes not from a creature,

_______and which a creature cannot mar.

Give me a draught of the eternal fountain

_______that lieth in thy immutable, everlasting love and decree.

Then shall my hand never weaken, my feet never stumble,

_______my sword never rest, my shield never rust,

_______my helmet never shatter, my breastplate never fall,

_______as my strength rests in the power of thy might

The Valley of Vision: A Collection of Puritan Prayers & Devotions by Arthur Bennett