A Prayer about God’s Purpose and Plan

by | Oct 11, 2021 | Daily Prayer, kingdom living

A Prayer about God’s Purpose and Plan

Lord,

It’s so humbling as I make plans for the week 

to meditate on your eternal purpose and plan:

Many of us make plans throughout our lives; 

many of us live with purpose; 

but not only have you made a plan, 

you’ve already “realized” that plan 

in Christ Jesus. 

Your purpose was to reconcile fallen sinners 

with your holy self 

through the death and resurrection of Jesus. 

Your plan now is 

to make known this good news 

to people from every tribe, tongue, and nation. 

Your plan is to create a new humanity, 

people who love and worship Christ the King 

so fully that we love and care for one another faultlessly. 

You have already realized this plan in Jesus, 

and one day, we will see its completion.

Thank you for this good news as we begin our week.

In Jesus’ name.

A Prayer about Praying Lament Back to God

by | Oct 8, 2021 | Daily Prayer, Suffering

A Prayer about Praying Lament Back to God

Today, we are praying one of the lament Psalms back to God. Maybe you are hurting, or maybe you know someone who is. Sometimes when we’re hurting, we are afraid to be honest with God. The Psalms of lament can help us know what to say in such a time. 

How long, O Lord? (Psalm 13:1)

Lord, it feels like we’ve been waiting forever for …

[Name what you have been waiting for: e.g. my husband to get a new job, our son to return to the Lord, a viable pregnancy…]

Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me? (Psalm 13:1)

I hate to admit it, 

but sometimes I wonder if you have forgotten me. 

Sometimes, even though the Bible says 

“You are with me,” 

it feels like you’re hiding your face from me.

[Name how you feel forgotten or as if God is absent.]

How long must I take counsel 

in my soul and have sorrow in my heart all the day? (Psalm 13:2)

Father, it just feels like the tears will never dry, 

the days of wanting to stay in bed will never end, 

the heartache will never be less intense.

Will you ever return joy to my heart?

[Name your sorrow and pain.]

How long shall my enemy be exalted over me?

Lord, I don’t understand why you’re allowing evil people to have so much goodness in their lives. Why don’t other people see the truth about the person who betrayed and abused me?

Consider and answer me, O Lord my God; 

light up my eyes,

 lest I sleep the sleep of death, 

lest my enemy say, 

“I have prevailed over him,” 

lest my foes rejoice because I am shaken. 

Lord, please send me a word, a verse, a sign, a friend that reminds me 

you will redeem this broken story 

[Name the broken story…

e.g. that you will rescue me from a destructive relationship, 

that you will heal my disease, 

that you will defeat the obstacles in the way of a healthy pregnancy 

or that you will help me be at peace with not having my own biological children….]

I feel like I’m going to die from the pain.

Lord, rescue again, so the enemy cannot say, “I’ve beaten her. I’ve won,” 

because we know in Christ that you have won the victory. 

But I have trusted in your steadfast love; 

my heart shall rejoice in your salvation. 

Lord, I know you. I’ve seen you rescue in my life; 

I know that Jesus died on the cross because you loved us so. 

I know that your love will sustain me. 

And because of your love that changes everything, 

I can at least rejoice 

because I am saved from sin and death, 

and one day I will live with you forever. 

I will sing to the Lord, 

because he has dealt bountifully with me.”

Even though I hurt so badly right now, 

I know that you have blessed me abundantly in Christ, 

and in my life, giving me so many good things — 

[Name some of the good things…

e.g. friends who love me, a faithful husband, wise doctors and nurses, a supportive church…] 

Thank you for all of the ways 

you have provided for me in the midst of this terrible time. 

In Jesus’ saving name. Amen. 

Read Psalm 13.

Holy Father,

How can we be your children and yet deploy our words as wicked weapons?

How unlike our holy Father who delights in his precious image-bearers.

We confess, 

when we are not rooted in your steadfast love, 

immersed in your Word, 

we can so quickly and rashly 

wield words that wound others. 

Help us to spend some time 

thinking through our words, 

asking, “Are my words full of deadly poison? 

If I type this comment, 

send this email, 

make this remark, 

will it hurt someone’s feelings?

If I share this rant, 

could someone feel guilty 

or ashamed 

or angry

or sad?” 

Change us, Lord, 

conforming us to the image of your Son,

because we know that our tongue tendencies 

are deeply rooted in sinful selves. 

Only through the love 

of your Son, 

only through the transforming power 

of the Holy Spirit, 

can we learn to speak words 

of wisdom, truth, and kindness. 

In Jesus’ kind name. Amen.

Read James 3:1-12.

A Prayer about Making a Joyful Noise

by | Oct 6, 2021 | Daily Prayer, Joy

A Prayer about Making a Joyful Noise

Hi Friends,

Today and tomorrow, we are going to pray through Psalm 100. Praying through Scripture is a great way to fuel our prayers with the Spirit’s words. It’s fairly simple: we begin with the Scripture and pray whatever comes to mind. I will give examples for each verse, but feel free to simply say your own.

Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth (Psalm 100:1)! 

Lord, you know I’m not very musical, but I sure can make a joyful noise. 

I imagine it might sound a bit noisy 

in the new heavens 

with all the saints and angels 

and gorillas and giraffes 

shouting their praise. 

Today we make joyful noises 

about all the good gifts you have given us: 

our salvation, our work, our children…

[Name some of the good gifts you are thankful for]

Serve the Lord with gladness (Psalm 100:2)!

Lord, you are our Redeemer and our Master; 

we delight to serve you— 

help us to remember that we are serving you today 

in driving carpool, 

in talking with co-workers about a project, 

in going to Bible study, 

in teaching children, 

in coming alongside a hurting friend…

[Name some ways you might be called to serve the Lord today 

and pray that you will serve him with gladness]

Come into his presence with singing! (Psalm 100:2)

Lord, we are amazed that you invite us into your holy and glorious presence.

Not only that, you have given us your presence through your Holy Spirit. 

Not only that, but you are rejoicing over us with singing!

How could we not come into your presence singing and making joyful noises!

[You could also sing a favorite hymn or praise song here.]

In Jesus’ joy-filling name. Amen. 

Read Psalm 100. 

Bible Study: 14 Ways to Whet Your Appetite

by | Oct 5, 2021 | Bible study, Prayer, Scripture, Spiritual Growth

Bible Study: 14 Ways to Whet Your Appetite

 

“Yes, he humbled you by letting you go hungry and then feeding you with manna, a food previously unknown to you and your ancestors. He did it to teach you that people do not live by bread alone; rather, we live by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.” Deut. 8:3

Most of us know we can’t live by bread alone; some of us are even counseled by our doctors not to eat bread at all. But do we know that we can’t live by work alone or family alone or approval alone or achievement alone or whatever it is that we try to fill our hearts up with alone? Do we know that we are desperate—desperate for every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord?

I have to admit, a lot of the time I act as if I’m just fine without the words that come from the mouth of the Lord. I mean, I may read my Bible every morning, but I don’t read it as if my life depended on it. And that’s what Moses is saying here. God actually let the Israelites go hungry in the wilderness then fed them with manna.

You may know what happened. At first they thought this lovely frosted flaky looking stuff was delicious. But they soon tired of it and complained to Moses that they wanted to get back to their old familiar lives (where they were slaves in Egypt!). (Note: something else I love about the Bible—it is hilarious in places! (Until you realize that you act just as foolishly as the Israelites sometimes)).

In today’s enCourage blog, I asked, “Do we really need to read the whole Bible?” Today, I’m going to suggest fourteen ways to read the Bible. These are not so much strategies as they are attitudes and approaches. Next week we’ll talk strategy.

1. Read it as if your life depended on it.

Because it does. At least, that’s what Jesus told Satan (Matthew 4: 4). Everything we need for life and breath and even death is right here in this beloved book.

3. Read it as if it is a love letter written to you by God…

…the most holy, most perfect, most just, most loving, most merciful Being—God, your Creator, Redeemer, and Sustainer (1 John 4:7-12). Because it is.

2. Read it as if you don’t know everything.

As if you don’t know everything about the Bible and as if you don’t know everything, period. In other words, read with humility (James 4:6).

4. Read it to develop a relationship with the Author…

that same God who is holy, perfect, just, loving, and merciful. (The Psalms, all of them). As you read, ask “Who is this God? What is he like?”

5. Read it as if all of it points to Jesus God’s Son, your Savior (Luke 24:27).

Because it does. Read it to learn how Jesus lived, and ask him to help you live that way too.

7. Read it as if you are going to—hard word alert—submit to it…

surrender to it, obey it, live it out (Psalm 119:4, 5, 7, 11, 33-34, etc.). (And as if you actually can, because of the power of the Holy Spirit (see number six above)).

6. Read it to learn more about the third person of the Trinity, the Holy Spirit…

who not only raises the dead (Titus 3:4-7), but who also mysteriously and remarkably transforms (sanctifies) all who have trusted in Christ as Savior (Romans 15:15).

8. Read it as if it was written in Hebrew and Greek and Aramaic.

Because it was. This means that you will sometimes need help understanding the words, the concepts, and the culture. Seek out good translations, commentaries and teachers to help you.

9. Read it to find out how you are relevant to it.

We often ask, “How is the Bible relevant to me?” But the whole point is, that we don’t fold the Bible into our story; it folds us into its story (Psalm 119:154, 156, and 159).

11. Read it to learn how to pray. 

In fact, do this, too: pray to learn how to read it (Matthew 6:7-13).

10. Sometime, in some seasons of your life, read all of it…

because you really need to know the whole story to understand its individual parts.

12. Read it to make sense of suffering—

yours, the world’s, Christ’s (2 Cor. 4: 16-18).

13. Read it as if it will bring you great joy, delight, and hope…

yes, even, or especially, when you are suffering. (Psalm 119:14).

14. Read it as if it was the best news you’ve ever heard!

The Bible tells the whole and true story of the God who created the cosmos…

how his created people destroyed that cosmos by rebelling against him; how God restored, redeemed and reconciled his people and his creation by sending his very own sinless Son, Jesus Christ, to die on a cross for their sins; and how, one day, this same Jesus, who was resurrected from the dead, will return to establish his heavenly kingdom here on earth, reuniting forever the holy Creator God with his beloved creation, and there will be glory, glory, glory and lots of hallelujahs!

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A Prayer about Our To-Be, To-Do, and To-Don’t Lists

by | Oct 4, 2021 | Daily Prayer

A Prayer about Our To-Be, To-Do, and To-Don’t Lists

Lord Jesus,

As our week begins, some of us are thinking of all the things we need to get done. 

Help us to think instead of all the ways we need to be this week because we belong to you. 

Shape our to-do lists according to the things you did: 

giving up your rights as God, 

humbling yourself “in obedience to God,” 

dying a “criminal’s death on a cross” (Philippians 2:6-8).

Help us to hear you calling us to be like you:

Be encouraging, be comforting, be in fellowship with the Spirit. 

Be tender; be compassionate (Philippians 2:1).

Help us do what you would have us do: 

“Agree wholeheartedly with one another; 

love one another; 

work together with one mind and purpose” (Philippians 2:2).

And by the power of your Spirit, help us cross off the things on your “to-don’t” list:

”Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others….

don’t look out only for your own interests….” (Philippians 2:3).

In your humble and highly honored name. Amen. 

Read Philippians 2:1-11.