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 for you or laid aside for you,
exalted for you or brought low for you;
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 your pleasure and disposal.
And now, glorious and blessed God,
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,
you are mine and I am yours.
So be it.
And the covenant now made on earth,
let it be ratified in heaven.
Amen.
METHODIST JOHN WESLEY, COVENANT SERVICE, 1755
The Wesleyan Covenant Prayer
Also known as Methodist Covenant Prayer ยท I Am No Longer My Own
About this prayer
The Wesleyan Covenant Prayer is the central text of the Methodist Covenant Service, which John Wesley introduced in 1755 and which has been observed annually in Methodist churches ever since. Wesley adapted the covenant from an earlier Puritan tradition: Richard Alleine's Covenant with God (1663) was a major source, as were Joseph and Richard Alleine's Vindiciae Pietatis (1663). Wesley simplified and reshaped the covenant into the form used today. The Covenant Service is typically held on New Year's Day or the first Sunday of the new year, when congregations renew their commitment to God. The prayer is an act of total self-surrender, in which the worshipper places every circumstance of life, whether suffering or honor, fullness or want, into God's hands.
When it's said
The Wesleyan Covenant Prayer is said at the annual Methodist Covenant Service, traditionally held on New Year's Day or the first Sunday of January. It may also be used at confirmation services, ordinations, and other occasions of personal dedication. Many individual Methodists and other Christians use it as a personal daily prayer of surrender. It is one of the most beloved and widely known prayers in the Methodist tradition and is used in many other Protestant denominations.
Notes on the text
The prayer's theology reflects Wesley's doctrine of entire sanctification: the complete yielding of the will to God as the fruit of saving grace. The paired contrasts, 'doing and suffering,' 'exalted and brought low,' 'full and empty,' 'all things and nothing,' express the total scope of self-surrender, covering every possible circumstance of life. The closing ratification, 'let it be ratified in heaven,' echoes Matthew 18:18. The prayer is sometimes said responsively, with the minister leading and the congregation responding.
Common questions
What is the Wesleyan Covenant Prayer?
The Wesleyan Covenant Prayer is the central prayer of the Methodist Covenant Service, in which the worshipper renews their commitment to God without reservation. It begins 'I am no longer my own, but thine' and proceeds through a series of opposite pairs (put me to doing or to suffering, exalted or brought low, full or empty) accepting whatever role God assigns. It is one of the most demanding prayers of self-surrender in the Protestant tradition.
Did John Wesley write the Covenant Prayer?
John Wesley adapted the prayer in 1755 AD from an earlier Puritan covenant prayer composed by Richard Alleine (1611-1681), an English Puritan minister ejected from his parish in 1662. Wesley revised Alleine's text for use in the Methodist Covenant Service and made it the central act of personal renewal in Methodism. The form used today is essentially Wesley's, with minor modernization in some modern Methodist hymnals.
When is the Covenant Prayer said?
Methodists traditionally say the Covenant Prayer at the annual Covenant Service, held on the first Sunday of the new year or on New Year's Eve. The whole congregation says it together as an act of corporate renewal. Many Methodists also use it in private devotion at significant moments such as ordination, the start of a new year, or times of major decision.
Source
John Wesley, Covenant Service, 1755; adapted from Richard Alleine, Covenant with God, 1663. Public domain.
Last reviewed: May 2026 against primary source.