Prayer for Imputed Righteousness

“Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ, unto all and upon all those who believe.” Romans 3:22

Almighty God, Father of all mercies, I desire to draw near into Your sacred presence on this the evening of another day, under a deep sense of my own great unworthiness. What am I, guilty, sinful, polluted — that I should be permitted to take Your name into my lips, or so much as lift up my eyes to the place where You in glory dwell!

I desire to renounce all dependence on myself. I come with all the great burden of my great guilt — to my great Savior. I seek to bring the unrighteousness of an unworthy creature — to the infinite righteousness and everlasting faithfulness of my loving Redeemer. Where would I have been, Blessed Jesus — but for You! All that I am, and all I have — I owe to Your free, sovereign, unmerited grace!

All my temporal mercies are sweetened to me as flowing from Your cross, and bearing on them the image and superscription of Your love. And for every spiritual blessing I enjoy, and every spiritual hope I entertain — I desire doubly to adore you, O Great Author and Finisher of my faith!

Whom have I in Heaven but You, and there is none in all the earth I desire besides You. You alone can fill up the aching voids of my heart. In vain can I look to a transient world, or to the perishable creature — for solid peace and permanent enjoyment. All my well-springs are in Yourself; with You for my portion I am independent of every other.

I desire this night to obtain a lively and humbling view of my own spiritual poverty and deep creature destitution — that I may rejoice in the fullness and all-sufficiency of that righteousness which is unto all, and upon all those who believe. In that righteousness I would seek to live — and in that righteousness I would seek to die. There is nothing else but Your righteousness, between me and everlasting ruin. But for You, O great Covenant-Angel standing in the breach — the fire of God would break forth and mingle my blood with this my evening sacrifice! But I “will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my soul shall be joyful in my God, for He has clothed me with the garments of salvation, He has covered me with a robe of righteousness.” I take You, O adorable Savior, as mine alone, mine wholly; mine for all my needs and all exigencies. I rejoice in the inexhaustible riches treasured up in You — that Your fullness is adequate to supply all my present necessities; and out of that fullness I may still continue receiving, and that forever and ever!

O my Father, look in great kindness, on all whom I love. Pity a perishing world. Arrest the careless; reclaim the wandering; strengthen the feeble. Hasten Your Son’s coming and kingdom. How long shall the wicked — how long shall the wicked triumph? Save Your people; bless Your inheritance; feed them also, and lift them up forever.

Let the curtain of Your protecting providence be drawn around me this night. Let me fall asleep at peace with You — ready, if need be, to awake up in glory. And all I ask is for Jesus’ sake. Amen.

“Let my prayer be set forth before You as incense — and the lifting up of my hands, as the evening sacrifice.”