A Prayer about the Questions God Asks

A Prayer about the Questions God Asks

Where have you come from, and where are you going?

Genesis 16:8

Pursuing God

Thank you for chasing after us when we try to run away.

Like Hagar in the wilderness, 

we can run ourselves into the ground,

but you seek us, 

and you draw us out of our hiding, 

asking questions we really need to hear:

Where have you come from?

Where are you going?

Or, as you asked Adam and Eve 

when they “hid” from you after eating the fruit,

Where are you?

You don’t ask these questions 

because you don’t know the answers.

You don’t ask these questions 

because you want to trap us.

You ask them 

to invite us to see where we are, 

to see where we’ve been, 

to see where we’re headed without you. 

But you also ask them 

to reveal the most important thing 

we need to know—

where you are (right here with us), 

and who you are: 

“The God Who Hears, 

The God Who Sees,” 

the God who looks after us (Genesis 16:13). 

May we listen to your questions, 

letting them draw us 

to your loving and forgiving presence.

In the name of our Savior,

 Immanuel (“God-with-us”), we pray. Amen. 

Read Genesis 16:1-16.



A Prayer about Finding Joy When Life Is a Struggle

A Prayer about Finding Joy When Life Is a Struggle

Let the righteous one rejoice in the Lord and take refuge in him.

Psalm 64:10

Saving God,

Thank you for calling us to rejoice, 

even when we’re under attack.

My Bible reading plan took me today to Psalms 63-68, 

many of them authored by David 

when he was being chased by Saul 

or being attacked by other enemies. 

Amazingly, he didn’t cry out, 

“Oh poor me, everyone hates me, 

and I’m going to die.” 

Instead, he professed his hope 

that you would save him. 

He cried honestly for help, lamenting the trials he was experiencing. 

He remembered your past help 

and proclaimed his confident hope 

that you will help again. 

As we recite some of the words David first penned,

strengthen our hope, 

increase our faith, 

and send us out out in joy at your salvation:

“O God, you are my God, earnestly I seek you; 

my soul thirsts for you; 

my flesh faints for you, 

as in a dry and weary land where there is no water” (Psalm 63:1).

“My soul will be satisfied as with fat and rich food, 

and my mouth will praise you with joyful lips, 

when I remember you upon my bed, 

and meditate on you in the watches of the night;

For you have been my help, 

and in the shadow of your wings I will sing for joy” (Psalm 63:5-7).

“The pastures of the wilderness overflow, 

the hills gird themselves with joy” (Psalm 65:12).

“Shout for joy to God, all the earth; 

sing the glory of his name; give to him glorious praise! 

Say to God, ‘How awesome are your deeds! 

So great is your power 

that your enemies come cringing to you.’” (Psalm 66:1-2). 

“God shall arise, his enemies shall be scattered….

But the righteous shall be glad; they shall exult before God; 

they shall be jubilant with joy!” (Psalm 68:3).

In Jesus’ joy-giving name. Amen.

Read any of Psalms 63-68.



A Prayer about Walking in the Spirit

A Prayer about Walking in the Spirit

If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Galatians 5:25

Merciful Lord,

Sin has twisted us, 

contorting our desires 

so that we limp along, 

trying out crutches 

like sex and drink 

and gossip and envy 

and strife and shopping (Galatians 5:19-21)

which will never fully heal us. 

Indeed, our hearts were made 

to walk in the Spirit 

and to live in the Spirit. 

The Spirit heals our sin-twisted hearts and minds and bodies 

by assuring us of your 

unbelievable 

undeserved 

unending 

love. 

Transformed by this love, 

we run the way you meant us to, 

in love, joy, peace, patience, 

kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 

gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23).

In Christ’s crucifying name. Amen.

Read Galatians 5:16-26.



A Prayer about Meditating on the Wondrous Works of God

A Prayer about Meditating on the Wondrous Works of God

On the glorious splendor of your majesty, and on your wondrous works, I will meditate.

Psalm 145:5

Our God and Our King,

Thank you for the words of Psalm 145

to give voice to our awe and gratitude 

at the wondrous works you have done. 

If we will pause to meditate, 

to chew on, 

to consider, 

to really think about…

YOU…

We will want to praise you, 

celebrate you, 

glorify you, 

in short…

tell everyone how great you are, 

so great that we can’t even figure you out, 

So great that we can’t even fully understand 

how great you are. 

And yet, we know your greatness 

when we see it, 

especially through your wondrous works—

Your mighty acts…[Name some of the Lord’s mighty acts in your life.] (Psalm 145:4)

Your glorious splendor…{Name some of the ways you see God’s splendor.] (Psalm 145:5)

Your awesome deeds…{Name some of the awesome deeds God has done.] (Psalm 145:6)

Your grace and mercy…[Name some of the ways you’ve seen God’s grace and mercy.] (Psalm 145:8).

Today, gracious and abundantly good God, 

we join with all of your works 

to give you thanks! (Psalm 145:10).

In Jesus’ righteous and loving name. Amen.

Read Psalm 145:1-13.



A Prayer about Believing that God Is for Us

A Prayer about Believing that God Is for Us

This I know, that God is for me. Psalm 56:9

Holy and Merciful God,

I admit, as I was reading this Psalm aloud in prayer the other day, 

I thought, how could David say these words so confidently: 

“This I know, that God is for me.” 

I thought about what a “big sinner” David was, 

and I wondered at his boldness to declare, 

right here in the middle of the Bible, 

that God was for him.

And then your Holy Spirit quietly spoke to my heart. 

Reminding me that I am certainly no less of a sinner 

than the “big sinner” David. 

Reminding me that you yourself called David, 

“a man after God’s own heart.” 

Even though you saw every one of his sins, 

“big and little.” 

Reminding me that we have all sinned 

and fallen short of your glory (Romans 3:23). 

Reminding me of the meaning of the atonement 

we prayed about yesterday: 

because Jesus bore the punishment for my sins on the cross, 

I am now reconciled to God. 

Indeed, “God is for me.” 

We too, as those who have known the freedom 

from our slavery to sin, 

can proclaim, 

loudly, 

boldly, 

confidently, 

“This I know, God is for me.” 

And even as we proclaim this truth, 

we can know in all of our ongoing battles 

with sin and suffering,

“If God is for us, who can be against us?” (Romans 8:31).

What astonishingly good news! 

In Jesus’ hope-giving name. Amen.

Read Psalm 56; Romans 8:31-39.