John Wesley's Covenant Prayer

Five prayers in the spirit of John Wesley — for entire consecration, the covenant "I am no longer my own," holy living, spreading scriptural holiness, and Methodist class meeting accountability.

Get a Personal Prayer Written by AI →

Wesley's Covenant Prayers

Prayer 1 — For Entire Consecration

Almighty God, I come before You with the desire to consecrate my entire self to Your service. Not merely my Sunday piety, not only my spoken words, but my whole being—body, soul, and spirit—I offer up to You. I consecrate my mind to think Your thoughts and seek Your truth; I dedicate my will to choose always what is right in Your sight; I present my body as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable. I surrender my ambitions to Your purposes, my comforts to Your calling, my very life to Your glory. Yet I confess this consecration is not easy or natural to the proud human heart. Grant me grace to make this offering not once only but daily, moment by moment, renewing my surrender. Grant me to understand that this consecration is not loss but gain, for in losing my life for Your sake I find it transformed and filled with purpose. Guard me from the half-hearted piety that sounds sincere but holds back the deepest chambers of the heart. Grant me instead a whole-hearted devotion that withholds nothing from Your claim upon me. In entire consecration, I find my truest freedom. Amen.

Romans 12:1 — "I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship."
Prayer 2 — Covenant: I Am No Longer My Own

O God, I come to make a covenant with You, binding myself by solemn vow before heaven and earth. I am no longer my own, but Yours. Put me to what You will, rank me with whom You will. Put me to doing, put me to suffering. Let me be employed by You or laid aside for You, exalted for You or brought low for You. Let me have all things, let me have nothing. I freely and heartily yield all things to Your pleasure and disposal. I declare with full knowledge and willing heart that I belong entirely to You. I renounce every claim to independence and self-governance. This covenant is not made in passing emotion or enthusiastic fervor that will fade with the morning sun; it is a deliberate and thoughtful surrender, made with sober mind and steady purpose. I ask You to accept this covenant and to hold me to it when my flesh would rebel, when temptation would entice me back to self-seeking. Grant that through all the seasons of my life—prosperity and adversity, health and sickness, honor and reproach—I may keep this covenant steadfast. I ask that You work in me the grace to make this covenant not merely words but the living reality of my transformed existence. Amen.

Galatians 2:20 — "I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me."
Prayer 3 — For Holy Living

God of holiness, You have called me to be holy as You are holy. I cannot achieve this holiness through my own effort or strength; it must be worked in me by Your grace. Yet I am not passive in this work—I must cooperate with Your Spirit through discipline, obedience, and the cultivation of holy habits. Grant me to live a life of genuine piety, not mere outward conformity. Grant me to be honest in my dealings, truthful in my speech, just in my business, and merciful in my judgments. Guard me from the hypocrisy that appears righteous on the outside while harboring pride and covetousness within. I desire not just to do righteous acts but to become a righteous person, transformed by the renewal of my mind. Grant me to overcome the besetting sins that so easily trip me—pride, anger, lust, avarice—through the power of Your Spirit. Give me strength to watch over my thoughts, to discipline my tongue, to order my affections rightly. Grant me also the fellowship of others committed to holiness, that in their presence and through their prayers I might be strengthened. Make me an example to those around me not of perfection but of genuine seeking after righteousness, of honest repentance when I fall, and of steady growth in grace. Amen.

1 Peter 1:15-16 — "But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: 'Be holy, because I am holy.'"
Prayer 4 — For Spreading Scriptural Holiness

O Lord, You have given to us the gift of the Gospel, news that transforms hearts and saves souls. Yet so many have not heard this good news, and among those who have heard, so many live in spiritual darkness and moral confusion. Grant me a burning passion to spread scriptural holiness throughout my sphere of influence. Let the sanctifying grace I have received overflow toward others. Grant me courage to speak of my faith, wisdom to know when and how to speak, and love to ensure that my words are always winsome and true. I desire not merely to increase church membership but to see genuine transformation in the lives of those I encounter—the drinking man freed from his enslavement, the dishonest woman finding integrity, the proud soul learning humility, the selfish heart learning to love. Grant me to be a living epistle of the Gospel, my changed life testifying to Your power. Help me to labor not alone but in partnership with others, that together we might accomplish more for Your kingdom than we could separately. Grant me also to see that spreading holiness includes working for justice, relieving poverty, and standing against oppression, for genuine scriptural holiness always produces love for the whole person. Let my life and labor contribute to the coming of Your kingdom of righteousness and peace. Amen.

Matthew 5:16 — "In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven."
Prayer 5 — For Accountability in Community

Father, You have designed us not as isolated individuals but as members of one body. I come to You acknowledging that I cannot live the Christian life alone, that I need the support, exhortation, and prayer of other believers. Grant me a deep commitment to genuine Christian community where we bear one another's burdens and confess our faults one to another. I ask for grace to be honest about my struggles rather than projecting false piety. Grant me the humility to receive correction from brothers and sisters who love me enough to speak truth. Grant me also the courage to exhort others in love, not from a spirit of superiority but from genuine concern for their spiritual growth. Help me to see accountability not as threat but as grace—for in knowing that others are praying for me and watching my progress, I am strengthened to resist temptation and to press forward. Give me friends in faith who will ask difficult questions: How is your prayer life? Are you growing in love for others? Are you living with integrity in your business dealings? Are you serving those in need? Grant that we might meet regularly to encourage one another, to share our struggles and our victories, to pray with and for one another. In such loving accountability, grant that we might grow together toward the fullness of Christ. Amen.

Hebrews 10:24-25 — "And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another."
🙏

Prayer Copilot: AI-Powered Prayer

Prayer Copilot uses AI to write a personalized, Scripture-rooted prayer for your exact situation in seconds.

Download Free on the App Store →

About This Prayer

John Wesley (1703–1791), the founder of Methodism, was born into an Anglican clergy family and spent his life as an ordained minister of the Church of England. Yet he became a revolutionary force in Christianity, emphasizing personal conversion, lived holiness, and the power of disciplined community. Wesley's entire vision of Christian life centered on what he called "scriptural holiness," a term he used so frequently that it became synonymous with Methodist spirituality. He believed that authentic faith in Christ inevitably produced holy living and that this transformation was not merely individual but social in its implications.

At the heart of Wesley's spirituality stands the Covenant Prayer, "I am no longer my own, but thine." This prayer represents the supreme expression of Methodist piety: total surrender to God's will without reservation, without conditions, accepting whatever role God assigns—whether exaltation or humiliation, activity or suffering. Wesley first used this prayer in his Covenant Service, a liturgical practice that became central to Methodist spirituality. The prayer was and remains a means by which believers formally renew their commitment to God's kingdom, often prayed corporately on New Year's Day or at other significant moments.

What made Wesley's approach distinctive was his insistence that entire consecration and holy living must be lived out in community. He developed the Methodist class meeting—small groups of a dozen or so believers who met weekly to pray, to study Scripture, and to hold one another accountable. In these meetings, members asked tough questions and shared their struggles honestly. This was not mere socializing but disciplined spiritual formation. Wesley believed that humans are creatures of habit and that transformation comes through practicing spiritual disciplines in community, not through isolated effort or emotional experience alone.

Wesley also insisted that scriptural holiness must address not just personal piety but social justice. The famous phrase "spread scriptural holiness throughout the land" included his passionate opposition to slavery, his advocacy for the poor, and his work for prison reform. For Wesley, inner transformation in Christ naturally overflows into love for neighbor and commitment to the common good. The prayers inspired by Wesley invite us into this holistic vision of Christianity—a faith that involves complete surrender to God, rigorous personal discipline, accountable community, and active love for the world God so loved.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is John Wesley's famous Covenant Prayer?

Wesley's Covenant Prayer begins: "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 by thee or laid aside for thee, exalted for thee or brought low for thee." It represents a total surrender of self to God's purposes, asking for no conditions but to serve wherever and however He wills.

How does Wesley connect personal holiness with spreading scriptural holiness?

Wesley believed that true salvation always produces holy living and that personal holiness naturally overflows into service to others. He taught that Christians must be "entirely sanctified," made perfect in love. This inner transformation inevitably leads to active love for others and commitment to social righteousness, spreading what he called "scriptural holiness throughout the land."

What is meant by entire consecration in Wesley's theology?

Entire consecration means the complete surrender of one's whole self to God—not just assent to doctrines but a complete reordering of life. It involves offering your body, mind, will, emotions, and all you possess to God's service. For Wesley, this was not a one-time crisis experience but a commitment renewed through disciplined prayer, the Methodist class meeting, and accountable community.

More Prayers

Lord's Prayer Serenity Prayer Prayer of Jabez Hannah's Prayer St. Francis Prayer Daniel's Prayer Morning Prayer Prayer for Wisdom Prayer for Faith Prayer for Guidance Prayer for Peace All Prayers →