"Thy Divine Will"

Help me to pray in faith and so find thy will,
by leaning hard on thy rich free mercy,
by believing thou wilt give what thou has promised;

Strengthen me to pray with the conviction
that whatever I receive is thy gift,
so that I may pray until prayer be granted;

Teach me to believe that all degrees of mercy arise
from several degrees of prayer,
that when faith is begun it is imperfect and must grow,
as chapped ground opens wider and wider until rain comes.

So shall I wait thy will, pray for it to be done,
and by thy grace become fully obedient.

from "Thy Divine Will," The Valley of Vision: A Collection of Puritan Prayers