A Prayer for Humility

O My Father and my God,
Look upon Thine helpless child!
Thou hast laid aside Thy rod,
Thou in Christ art reconciled:
Hear me then, my Father, hear,
Good and gracious as Thou art,
Fill me with an holy fear,
Give me, Lord, an humble heart.

O! 'tis all I want below,
Jesus and myself to feel;
Only sin and grace to know,
All the good and all the ill.
Show me, Father, what I am;
Show me what in Christ Thou art,
All my glory, all my shame;
Give me, Lord, an humble heart.

Listen to my ceaseless cries;
Mean and little may I be,
Base and vile in my own eyes,
Grieved at my own misery.
Show, and then my sickness cure;
Make me know as I am known,
Wound my spirit, make me poor,
Break, O break this heart of stone.

Dust and ashes is my name;
Sinful dust and ashes, I
Back return from whence I came,
Earth to earth I sink, and die.
Abject I, yet haughty too,
Nothing of my own possess,
Nothing of myself can do,
Proud of sin and proud of grace.

O the curse, the plague I feel,
By the demon Pride pursued!
Proud to see I merit hell,
Proud I am that God is good,
Proud that Thou my works hast wrought.
Proud that I was justified,
Proud in every word and thought;
All my fallen soul is pride.

My own glory still I seek,
Still I covet human praise,
Still in all I do, or speak,
Thee I wrong, and rob Thy grace:
Nature will usurp a share,
Fondly of Thy graces boast,
Needlessly Thy gifts declare,
Needlessly declared and lost.

And must that which is so good
Evil prove to helpless me?
Poison shall I draw from food,
Sin from grace, and pride from Thee?
O forbid it, humble love;
Hide me, O my Father, hide;
Far away this snare remove,
Save me from the demon Pride,

Wean my soul, and keep it low;
Do not with Thy gifts destroy;
Lowhness of heart bestow,
Give me this, or take my joy:
If with me Thou wilt not stay,
Let my comfort all depart;
Take my joy and peace away,
Leave me but an humble heart.

Father, hear; to Thee I cry,
Thee in Jesu's name conjure,
With my one request comply,
Make me humble, make me poor;
This of all Thy gifts impart:
When I am of this possest,
When Thou giv'st an humble heart,
If Thou canst, withhold the rest.