A Prayer about a Strange Trade-Off

by | Mar 26, 2025 | Daily Prayer, Gospel living, Spiritual Growth

A Prayer about a Strange Trade-Off

“For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit.”

1 Peter 3:18

Holy and Merciful God,

Thank you for these show-stopping words from 1 Peter. 

As we focus on this reality in Lent 

our eyes should widen, and our jaws drop:

Christ suffered for sins (our sins). 

He who was fully God and fully man 

died in the flesh; 

he was raised in the spirit.

And now, we who believe in him 

will never suffer punishment for our sins again. 

Why would he do such a thing?

For one reason only: 

So that he might bring us to God, 

for we could not come near God before—

the unrighteous cannot be near the righteous (Psalm 5:5). 

But when Christ became sin for us, 

we became the righteousness of God in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:21). 

Holy God, we admit, 

with our myopic human perspective, 

this great exchange makes no sense at all.

It only makes sense if you are an unfailingly loving God 

who would go to unimaginable extremes

to bring his beloved people to him. 

And that is what you are. 

How we praise you and thank you for this good news!

In Jesus’ substituting name. Amen.

Read 1 Peter 3:18; Psalm 5; 2 Corinthians 5:21.



A Prayer about Never Dying

by | Mar 25, 2025 | Daily Prayer, Gospel living, Spiritual Growth

A Prayer about Never Dying

“Jesus said to her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?’”

 John 11:25-26

Lord Jesus,

How I love the true story 

in which you asked your beloved friend Martha this crucial question. 

Her brother, Lazarus has died, 

and she knows that you could have saved him, 

but you didn’t. 

Now he lies in a tomb, 

and she has the faith to say, 

“But even now, I know that whatever you ask from God, 

God will give you” (John 11:22).

And you made this bold assertion: 

“Your brother will rise again” (John 11:23). 

But you didn’t stop there. 

You revealed your true identity to Martha: 

‘I am the resurrection and the life.’ 

And you promised that anyone who believes in you 

will never die (John 11:25-26). 

Jesus, as we walk toward Resurrection Sunday, 

may we see you, the risen and ascended Jesus, 

not only risen from the dead 

but seated at the right hand of the Father in heaven (Hebrews 10:12). 

And may we address this most crucial question: 

“Do we believe this?” 

It is truly a matter of eternal life and eternal death. 

By your grace, may we believe.

Read John 11:1-44. 



A Prayer about Returning to the Lord

by | Mar 24, 2025 | Daily Prayer, Gospel living, Spiritual Growth

A Prayer about Returning to the Lord

Return to the Lord your God, for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love, and he relents over disaster. Joel 2:13

Merciful and Gracious God,

What an astounding invitation! 

May we read and rehearse these words 

until they change our wayward neural pathways. 

For we have two big problems: 

the first problem is our sin; 

the second problem, a bigger problem, 

is our rooted unbelief. 

We simply refuse to believe 

that you are as good as you say you are 

throughout Scripture. 

Today, may we bring the worst 

of our sinful and doubting selves 

to the wildest of your promises to us:

But Lord, you don’t know what I’ve done.

I do, and I am gracious.

But Lord, you don’t know how many times I’ve done it.

I do, and I am merciful.

But Lord, you don’t know how dark my thoughts are.

I do, and I am slow to anger.

But Lord, you don’t know how cruel I’ve been.

I do, and I am abounding in steadfast love.

But Lord, you don’t know how badly I’ve screwed things up.

I do, and I relent over disaster.

Good Father, plant these truths down deep in us, 

that we may return to you, confess our sin, 

and know the joy of your forgiveness and the delight of serving you. 

Read Joel 2:12-32.



A Prayer about the Peace and Healing Jesus Brought

by | Mar 21, 2025 | Daily Prayer, Gospel living, Spiritual Growth

A Prayer about the Peace and Healing Jesus Brought

“But he was wounded for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; on him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and by his stripes we were healed.” Isaiah 53:5

Lord Jesus,

As we move closer to Resurrection Sunday (Easter), 

may we envision you headed toward the cross: 

beaten and broken, mocked and maimed—

For what?

For our transgressions (our rebelliousness),

For our iniquities (our twistedness).

At the same time, may we drink deeply of the peace 

your punishment yielded 

for our bodies, minds, souls, and hearts.

The peace of forgiveness, 

the peace of resting in you, 

the peace of your sacrificial love,

May we dance happily in joyous wonder 

at the healing your blood bought 

for our bodies, minds, souls, and hearts.

In your sacrificing name. Amen.

Read Isaiah 53:4-12.



A Prayer about the Hope for Sins, Transgressions, and Iniquities

by | Mar 20, 2025 | Daily Prayer, Gospel living, Spiritual Growth

A Prayer about the Hope for Sins, Transgressions, and Iniquities

For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me. Psalm 51:3

God of Abundant Mercy,

We return to David’s prayer of confession today 

to name our own sins, transgressions, and iniquities:

We know our transgression—

ways we’ve crossed the line, 

taken your good gifts and turned them into demands.

[Name some ways you’ve crossed the line.]

We need cleansing from our sin—

ways we’ve fallen short 

of the high mark Jesus set 

for loving our friends, family, neighbors, and enemies.

[Name some ways you’ve fallen short of the love Jesus commands.]

We need to be washed thoroughly from our iniquity—

our distorted way of seeing the world and walking in it, 

for indeed, we were born in iniquity (Psalm 51:2; 5).

[Name some ways your view of God’s world is distorted.]

We know our desperate need for a Savior, 

and we thank you and praise you 

for the perfectly righteous One you sent, 

who died that we may be washed 

“whiter than snow” (Psalm 51:7).

In Jesus’ freeing name. Amen. 

(Thanks to ligonier.org for their helpful article, “What is the difference between sin, transgression, and iniquity?”).