A Prayer about Learning from Younger People

by | Oct 28, 2025 | Daily Prayer

A Prayer about Learning from Younger People

Have you ever thought about what you can learn from younger people?

Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity.

1 Timothy 4:12

All-Wise God,

Just as we prayed yesterday 

about seeing that each member of the body of Christ 

has gifts given by the Spirit to bless the whole body, 

today we remember to look to and learn from youth in our body. 

I recently heard a podcast with a senior ministry team leader

interviewing a teenager from her church,* 

and the young woman urged older people 

to reach out to teenagers and younger people, 

saying young people desperately need their wisdom and experience. 

This young woman set an example for me 

“in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity.” 

Lord, we confess, sometimes we don’t know 

what to do with younger generations, 

and yet, if we will look at them with compassion 

as Jesus looked on people of every age, 

if we will listen with curiosity, 

we have much to learn. 

And, as this teenaged woman so wisely said, 

“We need people in our lives

 who have walked with Christ much longer than we have.” 

Oh, Heavenly Father, may we heed her cry; 

may we be willing to learn from younger people 

and to pour into their lives. 

In Jesus’ compassionate name. Amen.

Read 1 Timothy 4:6-16.

*Podcast can be found here: “Sanctuary Spectacles: Being a Teenage Woman in the Church” 

A Prayer about Continuing to Grow as We Age

by | Oct 27, 2025 | Daily Prayer

A Prayer about Continuing to Grow as We Age

Do you ever think you’re done growing?

But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. 2 Peter 3:18

Gracious Father, 

Like the saints who received Peter’s letter, 

we encounter many false teachings, 

especially as we age. 

We are told we have done our part, 

now it’s time to rest; 

we are told to retire and live lives of leisure; 

we are even told your grace forgives all (which it does), 

so we can sin all we want (which is antithetical to living in your grace).

Good Father, help us close our ears and our hearts to such teaching. 

Help us to live out 

the righteousness you have given us in Christ 

by multiplying the grace and peace 

you have multiplied to us 

through our knowledge of you and Jesus (2 Peter 1:2). 

Because your “divine power has granted us all things 

that pertain to life and godliness” 

through this knowledge, 

because you have called us 

to your “own glory and excellence” 

and made us “partakers of your divine nature” (2 Peter 1:4), 

may we “make every effort” 

to continue growing, 

every day of our lives. 

May we “supplement our faith with virtue, 

and virtue with knowledge, 

and knowledge with self-control, 

and self-control with steadfastness, 

and steadfastness with godliness, 

and godliness with brotherly (and sisterly) affection, 

and brotherly (and sisterly) affection with love” (2 Peter 1:5-7). 

Indeed, you have promised 

to continue growing these qualities in us 

until the day of Christ Jesus. 

In that day, we will be fully conformed 

to the image of Christ. 

In that day, we will live in your eternal glory. 

How we long for that day!

In Jesus’ perfect name. Amen.

Read 1 Peter 1; 3:14-18.

A Prayer about Shouting for Joy instead of Frustration

by | Oct 26, 2025 | Daily Prayer

A Prayer about Shouting for Joy instead of Frustration

Do you feel like shouting?

Shout for joy to God, all the earth, sing the glory of his name; give to him glorious praise! Psalm 66:1-2

Glorious God,

How easily we shout for joy to you 

when we wake up after a great night’s sleep 

and look out at the sun rising 

over calm waters and sugar-white sand. 

And yet, you know we more easily shout out of frustration or anger 

when we awaken after a terrible night’s sleep 

and face all sorts of Monday madness. 

In some seasons, when we feel that you are “testing and trying us” (Psalm 66:10), 

or when we feel that you have brought us or our loved ones “into the net,” 

“laid a crushing burden on our backs,” (Psalm 66:11),

 or taken us through “fire and water,” 

we more easily shout, “Why is this happening to me?!” 

Move in us, by your Spirit, we pray: 

jog our memories, 

that we might recall the “awesome deeds “ 

you have done (Ps. 66:2)—

the times you “brought us out into a place of abundance” (Ps. 66:12), 

the way you “turned the sea into dry land” (Ps. 66:6). 

Where we have amnesia about your mercy and kindness, 

remind us of our Savior, 

who endured our crushing burden of sin, 

who acquainted himself with our grief, 

that we might be healed (Is. 53: 3,5). 

In Christ, we can surely find our voices 

to “Shout for joy” to you.

In the name of our Suffering Savior. 

Amen.

Read Psalm 66

A Prayer about the Words We Speak

by | Oct 25, 2025 | Daily Prayer

A Prayer about the Words We Speak

How do you want to use your words?

One who has a pure heart and speaks with grace will have the king for a friend. Proverbs 22:11

Author God,

Your Word flows with words about our words. 

Because we are in Christ, 

we pray that the words of our mouth 

will bless and encourage and lift others up. 

Today, we pray about our words:

“A person’s words can be life-giving water,

words of true wisdom 

are as refreshing as a bubbling brook” (Proverbs 18:4).

Lord, make our words life-giving; 

make our presence as refreshing as a bubbling brook.

“Gentle words bring life and health; 

a deceitful tongue crushes the spirit” (Proverbs 15:4).

Lord, make our words full of life and health; 

guard our tongues from ever speaking deceit 

or crushing another’s spirit.

“Kind words are like honey – 

sweet to the soul and healthy for the body” (Proverbs 16:24).

Lord, make our words kind, 

flowing over others like sweet honey, 

giving them hope and health in truth and love.

Thank you, Lord, 

for redeeming our hearts, 

our tongues, our words. 

Send us into your hurting world today 

to bring words of encouragement 

to all we meet.

In Jesus’ transforming name. Amen.

Read Proverbs 22:11, 18:4, 15:4, 16:24.

A Prayer about Being a Sheep

by | Oct 24, 2025 | Daily Prayer

A Prayer about Being a Sheep

Do you ever feel “sheep-ish”?

All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one, to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all. Isaiah 53:6

Good Shepherd,

Wrap our minds and hearts 

around this profoundly good news. 

We are like sheep, 

and sheep are prone to wander. 

Sheep tend to get themselves in mucky ruts, 

forget to eat, 

stumbling down wrong paths 

right into predators’ jaws. 

We, like sheep, 

were stuck, belly up in our own sin, 

helpless to right ourselves. 

Into our helplessness, 

God sent a Lamb, 

his own Lamb, 

to be our spotless sacrifice. 

On you, the Lamb of God, 

our sin was laid: 

“Like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, 

and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent,

so [you] opened not [your] mouth” (Isaiah 53:7). 

Now you are our faithful Shepherd, 

and you lead us beside “waters of rest,” (Psalm 23:2), 

on “right paths,” 

turning us away from the sin-ruts 

we would dig for ourselves. 

Now you lead us in paths of righteousness, 

and you receive the glory (Ps. 23:3). 

Faithful Shepherd, 

thank you for your perfect sacrifice for us, 

and for restoring our sheepish souls.

In your sacrificial name we pray. Amen.

Read Isaiah 53:6-12; Psalm 23.