A Prayer about the Very Near Word

by | Sep 4, 2026 | Daily Prayer

A Prayer about the Very Near Word

How does the Word come near to your heart? 

But the word is very near you. It is in your mouth and in your heart, so that you can do it. Deuteronomy 30:14

Author of Life,

As this day dawns, 

many words have probably already crossed the screens of our lives—

words of encouragement, words of attention-grabbing news, 

words of hope, words of horror. 

Quiet our minds and draw our hearts 

to The Word that most matters—

your Word, 

which is near to us in Scripture, 

which has come near to us in your Living Word, 

Jesus Christ, our Savior (John 1:1). 

Draw us to drink deeply 

from your well of life-giving words, 

words of wisdom, 

words of the best good news—

that your Son took on flesh 

that he might die in our place for our sins, 

that after your Son died for our sins and descended to the dead, 

he was raised from the dead, 

walked on this earth as our risen Savior, 

and ascended to heaven, 

where he rules 

over this universe 

at this very moment.

Today and every day, 

help us to choose to dine on your life-giving Word 

rather than stuffing our face with junk food words 

that will quickly leave us hungry again. 

In the name of your Word-made-flesh, Jesus, we pray.

Amen.

Read Deuteronomy 8:3, Deuteronomy 30:11-14; John 1:1-18.

A Prayer about Meditating on Good Things

by | Sep 3, 2026 | Daily Prayer

A Prayer about Meditating on Good Things

What kinds of things do you give your attention to?

Finally brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable — if there is any moral excellence and if there is anything praiseworthy — dwell on these things. Philippians 4:8

Holy God,

Yesterday we prayed about anxiety, 

and we could have included this verse in that prayer. 

Yet another way to combat anxiety 

is to focus our mind on things 

that renew them in gospel realities.

Help us, we pray, 

to turn our minds and ears and eyes away 

from negative Nellies and sour Sallies, 

from rude Rickies and blabbering Bobbies. 

Instead, may we meditate on things 

that are true 

and will lead us to speak the truth in love, 

things that are honorable 

and will lead us to honor the dignity of your creation,

things that are just 

and will lead us to act justly in every arena of our lives, 

things that are pure and will lead us to live and love purely, 

things that are lovely 

and will lead us to speak in lovely ways, 

things that are commendable 

and will lead us to act in a way that reflects your praiseworthy name.

In short, may we think, speak, live and love in a way 

that is the gracious outworking 

of your transforming love in our lives. 

As we do so, 

may we know the peace 

you have promised will envelop us. 

In Jesus’ peace-giving name. Amen.

Read Philippians 4.

A Prayer about What to Do with Anxiety

by | Sep 2, 2026 | Daily Prayer

A Prayer about What to Do with Anxiety

How do you deal with feeling anxious?

The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. Philippians 4:5-6

Ever-present Lord,

In these troubling days, 

Thank you for this reminder of what to do with our anxiety:

Pray. Get on our knees. Lift our hands. 

(In our day and age, we might add, 

“For starters, power down the screen 

and quit scrolling.”)

As we turn our minds away from the headlines 

that seek to captivate us

and turn toward you in prayer,

naming our every need, 

remembering that you are with us 

and will help us, what happens?

Our minds ease.

Who is near?

The Lord who made heaven and earth. 

The Lord who walked the earth as Jesus. 

The Lord who fed the multitudes and ate with them, 

The Lord who healed the sick and raised the dead.

As we begin to list all of the ways 

we are thankful for you, what happens?

Your peace descends.

The peace of rest that comes when we trust in you.

The peace of reconciliation that Christ won for us.  

The peace of shalom that you are restoring now and will fully restore one day.

Today and every day, Lord,

May we combat our anxiety 

with your powerful weapons:

prayer, supplication, and thanksgiving. 

In Jesus’ praying name. Amen.

Read Philippians 4. 

A Prayer about Our Reason for Rejoicing

by | Sep 1, 2026 | Daily Prayer

A Prayer about Our Reason for Rejoicing

What gives you joy?

Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Philippians 4:4

Gracious Lord,

In these days of sorrow over wars and plagues and division, 

help us understand what Paul is not saying and what he is saying.

He’s not saying, 

Cheer up! Put on a happy face!

He’s not saying,

Fake it till you make it!

He is saying,

Because “our citizenship is in heaven, 

and from it we await a Savior, 

the Lord Jesus Christ, 

who will transform our lowly body 

to be like his glorious body…” (Philippians 3:20-21), 

we have every reason to rejoice.

We don’t have to put on a happy face, 

but we do need to remember 

all of our reasons for rejoicing, 

even in the midst of suffering:

You have made us righteous in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:21);

You have made us your children (Ephesians 1:5);

You have made us citizens of your world, 

heaven, here and now (Philippians 3:20; Ephesians 2:6).

One day, soon, 

our Savior, the one who died for our sins, will return.

In that day, not only will he transform our lowly bodies, 

making them like his glorious body (can we believe it?!), 

he will transform the entire cosmos, 

“making all things new” (Revelation 21:5).

Today and every day, may we rejoice in all of this marvelously good news!

In Jesus’ transforming name. Amen. 

Read Philippians 4; Philippians 3:20-21. 

A Prayer about the Fear that Changes All of Our Fears

by | Aug 31, 2026 | Daily Prayer

A Prayer about the Fear that Changes All of Our Fears

Do you fear the Lord, or are you afraid of the Lord?

Oh fear the Lord, you his saints, for those who fear him have no lack. Psalm 34:9

Holy Father,

We confess, especially in our culture, 

which loves to focus on your 

“nearness to the brokenhearted” (Ps. 34:18), 

we often forget to focus on growing 

in the “fear of the Lord.” 

Some of us also have experienced upbringings 

or ministry leaders 

who darkly threatened us with the Lord’s wrath 

in messages filled with shame and condemnation 

but utterly lacking in the equally true reality 

of your mercy and forgiveness for our sins. 

Help us to settle into a place 

of an appropriate fear of the Lord 

that settles all of our fears.* 

To fear you as our Father, 

the one who has loved and adopted us 

is to desire to please you, 

to honor you, 

to recognize that you are greater 

than all of our fears. 

Because you are the Sovereign, the King, 

who rules over all, 

our souls tremble appropriately 

as we approach you 

even as we claim a hope 

based in the death and resurrection of your Son 

that you will admit us into your presence. 

Holy Father, grow in us a “holy fear.” 

Such fear “delivers us from all our fear” 

and reminds us that you provide all we need (Ps. 34:4, 9). 

Amen.

Read Psalm 34; Matthew 10:28; Proverbs 1:7; Rev. 15:4.

*For a brilliant and readable book on this topic, I highly recommend A Holy Fear: Trading Lesser Fears for the Fear of the Lord by Christina Fox. 

A Prayer about Being Transformed by Love

by | Aug 30, 2026 | Daily Prayer

A Prayer about Being Transformed by Love

How do we become people marked by the love of God?

So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love. 1 Corinthians 13:13

Shaping Spirit,

Yesterday we meditated on the wondrous love of God. 

Today we ponder how that love changes us. 

We know when we read 1 Corinthians 13 

that it wasn’t originally written for a wedding; 

it was written to gently rebuke the Corinthians 

for a notable lack of love. 

Humbly we come to you, 

asking that your love would change us, 

that we might not be 

“noisy gongs” 

and “clanging cymbals” (1 Corinthians 13:1). 

Through your transforming power, 

may we not become “nothing,” 

people who seem outwardly spiritual 

but who have no love inside (1 Cor. 13:2-3). 

Instead, may we become people 

marked by the love of God:

[With each of these characteristics, name specific situations and/or specific people with whom you’d like to see the Spirit change you]:

Patient and kind 

Does not envy or boast

Is not arrogant or rude

Does not insist on its own way

Is not irritable or resentful

Does not rejoice at wrongdoing

Rejoices with the truth

Bears all things

Believes all things

Hopes all things

Endures all things (1 Corinthians 13:4-7).

Holy Spirit, because the love of God never ends, 

we know you will never stop interceding for us 

to become more loving, 

more like Christ. 

We thank you for this good news 

and pray that we will see the fruit of your love 

blossoming in our lives 

and spreading its fragrant aroma. 

In Jesus’ perfectly loving name. Amen.

Read 1 Corinthians 13.