Welcome to the Daily Blade. The Word of God is described as the sword of the spirit, the primary spiritual weapon in the Christian's armor against the forces of evil. Your hosts are Joby Martin and Kyle Thompson, and they stand ready to equip men for the fight. Let's sharpen up.

All right, guys, I'm just going to tell you right from the beginning.

This might be my favorite, the Daily Blade episode that I've written because I just really,

really enjoy the content. And guys, if you're just finding us, this week we've been digging into

some Puritan prayers from the book, The Valley of Vision. So we've hit themes of God seeing us

through our valley, what man's purpose ultimately is, and how to be patient as God is patient.

Well, today we're going to take a bit of a turn to the dark side, so let's look at a prayer called the Dark Guest. I'll read it here.

Oh, Lord, bend my hands and cut them off, for I have often struck thee with a wayward will. With these fingers should embrace

thee by faith. I am not yet wean from all created glory, honor, wisdom, and esteem of others.

For I have a secret motive to eye my name in all I do. Let me not only speak the word sin,

but see the thing itself. Give me to view a discovered sinfulness, to know that though my sins are crucified,

they are never wholly mortified.

Hatred, malice ill will, vain glory that hungers for and hunts for man's approval and applause,

all are crucified, forgiven.

But they rise again in my sinful heart. Oh, my crucified,

but never wholly mortified sinfulness. Oh, my lifelong damage and daily shame. Oh, my

indwelling and besetting sins. Oh, the tormenting slavery of a sinful heart. Destroy, oh God,

the dark guest within, whose hidden presence makes my life a hell, yet thou hast not left me here without grace. The cross still stands and meets my needs in the

deepest straits of the soul. I thank thee for my remembrance of it is like David's sight of Goliath's sword which preached for

thy deliverance. The memory of my great sins, my many temptations, my falls, bring afresh into my mind

the remembrance of thy great help, of thy support from heaven, of the great grace that

saves such a wretch as I am. There is no treasure so wonderful as the continuous experience of thy grace toward me,

...