John Wesley’s Covenant Prayer: Renewing Our Commitment to God
Portrait of John Wesley by William Harrington. Painting given to the National Portrait Gallery, London in 1871
John Wesley’s Covenant Prayer:
I am no longer my own, but yours.
Put me to what you will, place me with whom you will.
Put me to doing, put me to suffering.
Let me be put to work for you or set aside for you,
Praised for you or criticized for you.
Let me be full, let me be empty.
Let me have all things, let me have nothing.
I freely and fully surrender all things
To your glory and service.
And now, O wonderful and holy God,
Creator, Redeemer, and Sustainer,
You are mine, and I am yours.
So be it.
And the covenant which I have made on earth,
Let it also be made in heaven.
Amen.
A Covenant of Remembrance and Renewal
John Wesley’s Covenant Prayer actually started with Richard Alleine, a Puritan who published it in 1663. John Wesley adapted it and first used it in 1755. He encouraged people to pray this covenant prayer at the beginning of each new year to remember and reaffirm the vows made at their baptism.
What is the Covenant Prayer about? It’s simply a time at the beginning of the new year to recommit ourselves to God. It’s a bit like a New Year’s resolution, only deeper and more personal, and it’s about our relationship with God.
In his blog on the United Methodist Discipleship website, Steve Manskar describes the covenant renewal service and prayer as “important and powerful Wesleyan/Methodist traditions. They remind us who and whose we are. This makes them a great way to begin each new year as Christ’s representatives in the world that needs to know and see his love and justice.”
The Covenant at Dearborn First UMC
Along with John Wesley’s Covenant Prayer, we have a Dearborn First UMC Covenant, which helps us with our own faith walk in the church and community. It highlights five different areas that we can focus on, although not necessarily all at the same time. In fact, it asks us to pick two of the following:
I will share radical hospitality
I will be passionate in worship
I will be intentional in my faith development
I will be risk-taking in mission and service
Last but not least, I will be extravagant in my generosity
The “What and How” of Living in Covenant
John Wesley’s Covenant Prayer defines our commitment to God. It offers the “what.”
The Dearborn First UMC Covenant provides the “how” — the means and methods to live out that covenant. It offers the opportunities to be the hands and feet of God through mission and ministry.
During the worship service this Sunday, Jan. 7 @ 10 a.m., the Dearborn First UMC faith community will be invited to renew their covenant with God. A covenant card will be available for everybody to review, and renew, a commitment to God. The card won’t be collected; it is only between you and God.
Please prayerfully consider how you might enter into a relationship with God this year. Where, and how, might you commit yourself?
Learn more about John Wesley’s Covenant Renewal Service and Covenant Prayer at umcdiscipleship.org.
