“I will pray” by John Bunyan

“Now, while these Scriptures lay before me, and laid sin ‘anew’ at my door, that saying in the 18th of Luke, with others, did encourage me to prayer.

Then the tempter again laid at me very sore, suggesting, That neither the mercy of God, nor yet the blood of Christ, did at all concern me, nor could they help me for my sin; ‘therefore it was in vain to pray.’

Yet, thought I, I will pray.

But, said the tempter, your sin is unpardonable.

Well, said I, I will pray.

It is to no boot, said he.

Yet, said I, I will pray.

So I went to prayer to God; and while I was at prayer, I uttered words to this effect:

Lord, Satan tells me that neither Thy mercy, nor Christ’s blood, is sufficient to save my soul.

Lord, shall I honour Thee most, by believing Thou wilt and canst? or ‘him,’ by believing thou neither wilt nor canst?

Lord, I would fain honour Thee, by believing Thou wilt and canst.”

–John Bunyan, Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners, Works of John Bunyan, Vol. 1 (Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software, 2006), 31-32. [HT: MED]