Where Great Sin Meets Greater Grace
GREAT GOD,
In public and private, in sanctuary and home,
may my life be steeped in prayer,
filled with the spirit of grace and supplication,
each prayer perfumed with the incense of atoning blood.
Help me, defend me, until from praying ground
I pass to the realm of unceasing praise.
Urged by my need,
invited by thy promises,
called by thy Spirit,
I enter thy presence,
worshipping thee with godly fear,
awed by thy majesty, greatness, glory,
but encouraged by thy love.
I am all poverty as well as all guilt,
having nothing of my own with which to repay thee,
But I bring Jesus to thee in the arms of faith,
pleading his righteousness to offset my iniquities,
rejoicing that he will weigh down the scales for me,
and satisfy thy justice.
Bless thee that great sin draws out great grace,
that, although the least sin deserves infinite punishment because done against an infinite God,
yet there is mercy for me,
for where guilt is most terrible,
there thy mercy in Christ is most free and deep.
Bless me by revealing to me
more of his saving merits,
by causing thy goodness to pass before me,
by speaking peace to my contrite heart;
Strengthen me to give thee no rest
until Christ shall reign supreme within me,
in every thought, word, and deed,
in a faith that purifies the heart,
overcomes the world,
works by love,
fastens me to thee;
and ever clings to the cross.
—Dennis Kinlaw,
This Day with the Master
This prayer from The Valley of Vision captures the tension many of us live with daily—feeling the weight of guilt and poverty of spirit, yet daring to approach a holy God because of Jesus. If you’re struggling, this can feel especially raw. But here is the good news: you don’t have to come with strength, only with need. Grace meets you there. Not with shame, but with mercy deeper than your deepest guilt. When you feel most unworthy, remember this line: “I bring Jesus to thee in the arms of faith.” That is enough. God does not ask you to measure up—He asks you to hold fast to Christ. Make this your prayer today: that Jesus would reign within you more fully, that His mercy would quiet your fear, and that your heart would cling, again and again, to the cross. Rest in His love. —DH
—David Hoskins, Founder & Care Guide, Sanctuary Clinics