Father, let me discover in this life what I am before you, that I may not find myself another character hereafter.

Discover in this life what I am before You expresses a desire for self-awareness of our true spiritual state from God’s perspective. How we stand in God’s eyes while still alive. This request is for divine insight into our heart, character, and standing before God, acknowledging that God’s judgment is the ultimate truth.

That I may not find myself another character hereafter reflects the fear of being revealed as something unexpected or undesirable in the afterlife, particularly at the final judgment. Character is the true nature of one’s soul, which will be fully exposed before God after death. The supplicant dreads the possibility of discovering in the hereafter (too late) that they were not who they thought they were. Perhaps they were not truly saved or had lived hypocritically.

This prayer is a plea for God to grant clarity and truth about the speaker’s spiritual condition in this life, so they can repent, grow, or align themselves with God’s will before facing eternal judgment. It reflects the Puritan emphasis on living authentically before God, avoiding self-delusion, and preparing for eternity.

Puritans believed in rigorous self-examination to discern whether one was truly aligned with God, living in accordance with His will, or merely deceiving themselves about their faith. Puritans were acutely aware of the possibility of self-deception, of thinking oneself righteous while being far from God’s grace.