What a joy to consider all that Jesus accomplished for us as our representative in His resistance to temptation (Luke 4:1-13)! And yet we know in our daily experience that our growth in holiness is incomplete and occurs in fits and starts. Thus, our need to keep continually before us the message of both John the Baptizer and the Lord Jesus that our lives be ones of repentance.

With that in mind, meditate on this Puritan prayer found in The Valley of Vision:

O God of grace,

Thou hast imputed my sin to my substitute,

and has imputed his righteousness to my soul,

clothing me with a bridegroom’s robe,

decking me with jewels of holiness.

But in my Christian walk I am still in rage;

            my best prayers are stained with sin;

            my penitential tears are so much impurity;

            my confessions of wrong are so many aggravations of sin

            my receiving the Spirit is tinctured with selfishness.

I need to repent of my repentance;

I need my tears to be washed;

I have no robe to bring to cover my sins,

            no loom to weave my own righteousness;

I am always standing clothed in filthy garments,

            and by grace am always receiving change of raiment,

            for thou dost always justify the ungodly;

I am always going into the far country,

            and always returning home as a prodigal,

            always saying, Father, forgive me,

            and thou art always bringing forth the best robe.

Every morning let me wear it,

            every evening return in it,

            go out to the day’s work in it,

            be married in it,

            be wound in death in it,

            stand before the great white throne in it,

            enter heaven in it shining as the sun.

Grant me never to lose sight of

            the exceeding sinfulness of sin,

            the exceeding righteousness of salvation,

            the exceeding glory of Christ,

            the exceeding beauty of holiness,

            the exceeding wonder of grace.