John Wesley Covenant Service

Invitation and Covenant Prayer
Commit yourselves to Christ as his servants. Give yourselves to him,….

Let us, therefore, go to Christ and pray:
Let me be your servant, under your command. I will no longer be my own. I will give up myself to your will in all things.

Be satisfied that Christ shall give you your place and work.

I am no longer my own, but Thine.
Put me to what thou wilt, rank me with whom thou wilt.
Put me to doing, put me to suffering.
Let me be employed for thee, or laid aside for thee, exalted for thee or brought low by thee.
Let me be full, let me be empty.
Let me have all things, let me have nothing.
I freely and heartily yield all things to
thy pleasure and disposal.
And now, O glorious and blessed God,
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,
thou art mine, and I am Thine. So be it.
And the covenant which I made on earth,
let it be ratified in heaven. Amen.

John Wesley’s Advice for the effective reading of Scripture

• Set aside time every day for reflection on Scripture.
• Read with the single intention of knowing the will of God, and make your own resolution to follow it.
• Begin your time with prayer so that your understanding of Scripture is shaped by the Spirit who inspired it. Close your Scripture reading in prayer so that the words you read will be embedded in your heart.
• Pause to examine yourself by what you read in order to praise God for the ways your life has conformed to God’s will and to be conscious of the ways to which you have fallen short.
• Use whatever insight you receive immediately so that the written word will have its full power in your life.