A Prayer about All the Peoples of God

A Prayer about All the Peoples of God

Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.” 1 Peter 2:10

Heavenly Father,

Psychologists say we need to belong

to someone or something,

but we resist losing our autonomy,

our individualism.

And yet, you have created us to belong to you,

and you have made us your people,

your peoples.

So many kinds of people belong to you:

people with purple hair,

people with poodles,

people with posh homes,

people with poor shacks.

People from Potatoville,

people from Paris,

people from Pripyat.

To us all, you have shown us your mercy

in your Son Jesus Christ,

and now we are your people,

your multicolored

multinational

multicultural

people.

You tell us who we are:

precious and chosen,

treasured and beloved.

As we wait for the day

when we will all gather together

in the new heavens and new earth,

send us out

to “proclaim the excellencies of him

who called [us] out of darkness

into his marvelous light,”

so that we might invite

even more kinds of people

to become your people.

Read 1 Peter 2:1-12.

A Prayer about Being Delivered from Distress

A Prayer about Being Delivered from Distress

Whoever is wise, let him attend to these things, let them consider the steadfast love of the Lord. Psalm 107: 43

Heavenly Father,

Thank you for Psalm 107,

which teaches us that we become wise

by remembering the stories of how we cried out to you in trouble,

and you delivered us from our distress (Psalm 107:6).

When we sat in darkness and the shadow of death,

We cried out to you in trouble

and you delivered us from our distress.

When we were destroying ourselves and others through our own sin and folly,

We cried out to you in trouble,

and you delivered us from our distress.

When we were pummeled by storms of disaster,

We cried out to you in trouble,

and you delivered us from our distress.

When we trudged through spiritual deserts,

We cried out to you in trouble,

and you delivered us from our distress.

When we plunged in despair because of “oppression, evil, and sorrow,”

We cried out to you in trouble,

and you delivered us from our distress.

Lord, may we consider each and every day the many ways

you have delivered us from our distress.

In Jesus’ saving name. Amen.

Read Psalm 107. 

A Prayer about the Best Father for Father’s Day

A Prayer about the Best Father for Father’s Day

But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him. Luke 15:20

Good and Faithful Father,

On this day

when some celebrate their earthly fathers

while some grieve fathers who’ve left this earth

and others long for the presence of a good father,

we thank you that you are a better father even

than this waiting father

in the story of the lost sons (Luke 15:11-32).

You have run to us through your Son;

you have embraced us by his death for our sins;

you have robed us in Christ’s righteousness;

you have kissed us and welcomed us home

because of your extravagant grace.

On this Father’s Day on earth,

let us remember that for those who belong to you,

every day is Father’s Day,

every day is a day to praise and thank you,

our good and glorious Father.

In your precious Son’s name. Amen.

Read Luke 15:11-32.

A Prayer about Being Motivated by Gratitude

A Prayer about Being Motivated by Gratitude

Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. Romans 8:1

Dear Father,

As a woman who can tend to be motivated by guilt,

I am so thankful for the book of Romans!

Paul lays out his argument so clearly:

grace reigns through righteousness

and leads to eternal life (Romans 5:21),

there is “no condemnation for those

who are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1).

And yet, this grace in Jesus Christ

doesn’t lead us to sin freely (Romans 8:12-13);

it leads us to live and love freely out of gratitude.

Yes! Grace leads to gratitude.

Charis leads to eucharisteo.

But wait—there’s even more good news—

it doesn’t even make sense

to continue in sin, the way of death,

because we have been raised with Christ,

who defeated sin and death (Romans 6:4-11).

Today and every day, let us bask in this good news

and celebrate and live out the reality

that grace reigns in us

through our Savior Jesus Christ!

Amen.

Read Romans 8:1-17.

A Prayer about the Grace in Which We Stand

A Prayer about the Grace in Which We Stand

Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. Romans 5:1-2.

Lord Jesus Christ,

What peace and hope and joy we have

when we trust in you for our salvation.

In you, we have “obtained access,”

that is, gained entrance into secure relationship with God.

It’s like the Queen of England has an open door policy

inviting us into her state room.

But it’s even better than that.

Not only are we given an audience with the Queen,

she welcomes us with delight,

like familiar family she really loves.

We don’t wobble in your grace

as though we’re about to fall out of it;

we stand in it.

We are held secure in your grace,

which will not let us go.

We stand tall and strong like mighty oaks,

Unmoved by difficult circumstances.

Not only that, in this grace we rejoice, even boast.

We are so confident in your grace

that we want to shout it out like thrilled fans at a football game.

Our sure hope for today and for the coming years

is that the glory of God will be known throughout all the earth.

Our joy comes in knowing

that we get to play a bit part in the story of your glory.

In your justifying name. Amen.

Read Romans 4:13-5:2.