A Prayer about Seeing God’s Glory

by | May 15, 2023 | Daily Prayer, worship, gratitude

A Prayer about Seeing God’s Glory

But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, ‘Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord.’ Luke 5:8

God of Glory, Holy Lord,

Recently our pastor encouraged us 

to pray to see God’s glory. 

I’m so thankful for his encouragement. 

Glory is such a weighty and unwieldy concept to grasp. 

Furthermore, Isaiah 6:3 tells us, 

“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty; 

the whole earth is filled with his glory.”

So in other words, your holiness and your glory are intertwined. 

How do we grasp your holiness and your glory? 

I think Peter gives us a clue in this moment with Jesus. 

He was a fishermen; he knew fish. 

He had been fishing all night 

without catching so much as a minnow. 

So when Jesus, after concluding one of his teaching sessions, 

tells him to cast his nets, 

we can imagine Peter’s eye-roll. 

And we can also imagine the commanding look 

Jesus gave him in return, 

because Peter quickly says, 

“But at your word I will let down the nets.” 

Sure enough, so many fish swim into the nets 

they almost burst wide open. 

And it is here that Peter sees Jesus 

for who he really is. 

Holy. 

Glorious. 

Something other. 

Something beyond. 

Something beautiful. 

And that is why this rough and rowdy fisherman 

collapses in a pile of fish 

and prays this prayer, 

“Depart from me, 

for I am a sinful man, O Lord.’ 

How we thank you for your holiness, Lord, 

for your glory, 

and for how you reveal it to us. 

May we see it all day every day—

in the sun and moon and stars 

and fish and faces and fellowship, 

in your Word and in your work in this world. 

In Jesus’ beautiful name we pray. Amen.

Read Isaiah 6:3; Luke 5:1-11.

A Prayer about Joy in Trials

by | May 14, 2023 | Daily Prayer, Joy, Suffering

A Prayer about Joy in Trials

Consider it a great joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you experience various trials, because you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance. James 1:2-3

Father of All Comfort,

We admit, “joy” is not often our first response 

when our car won’t start 

or when we receive a difficult diagnosis 

or when our child struggles in school 

or when we have a bad day at work…

And yet, you call us to “consider it a great joy” 

when we encounter all kinds of trials. 

You must have a good reason, 

and your gospel has made that reason clear:

Trials test our faith (James 1:2). 

When our kids are happy and our health is good and work works, 

we don’t always recognize you as the giver of these good gifts; 

we don’t always recognize our desperate dependence on you. 

But when trials come, when storms bring rough waters, 

we must anchor ourselves to your steadfast love.

You will sustain us, 

and “steadfastness” will one day have its full effect: 

having gone through this trial, 

we will be “mature and complete, lacking nothing” (James 1:4). 

Gracious Father, that is what we want most of all: 

to be more and more like Christ, 

who “for the joy set before him, endured the cross…” (Hebrews 12:1-2).

By his grace, teach us to “count it joy” when we face trials, 

and grow our endurance.

In Jesus’ joy-full name. Amen. 

Read James 1:1-4; Hebrews 12:1-11.

A Prayer about Sorrow and Joy on Mother’s Day

by | May 13, 2023 | Daily Prayer, Mother's Day

A Prayer about Sorrow and Joy on Mother’s Day

“Can a woman forget her nursing child, or show no compassion for the child of her womb? Even these may forget, yet I will not forget you.”  Isaiah 49:15

Heavenly Father,

Today we honor mothers, 

rising up and blessing them 

for their tender care of their children. 

We thank you for nurturing mothers, 

for strengthening and helping them 

to do all of the things asked of moms—

clean, feed, and clothe; 

teach, admonish, and guide; 

counsel, cheer, and encourage….

Even as we do so, 

we recognize this can be a painful day 

for those who want that white rose at church 

but have not been blessed with a child 

or who have lost a child early in life, 

whether in the womb or beyond.

It can be a painful day 

for those whose mothers 

were unable to mother them 

for any number of reasons. 

It can be a painful day 

for those who lost their mothers 

seemingly too soon or in the recent past.

We thank you that we can all come to you, 

the one who nurtures and gathers your children 

and teaches and guides and counsels and encourages us, 

for you care for us wherever we find ourselves on this Mother’s Day. 

In Jesus’ caring name. Amen.

Read Proverbs 31:10-31; Isaiah 49:15-16. 

A Prayer about the Gift of Prayer

by | May 12, 2023 | Daily Prayer, Prayer

A Prayer about the Gift of Prayer

Now Jesus was praying in a certain place, and when he finished, one of his disciples said to him, ‘Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples.’ And he said to them, ‘When you pray, say:….’ Luke 11:1-2

Holy Father,

Thank you for the gift of prayer.

Grow our understanding of the power and richness of prayer.

Thank you for David Powlison’s words 

that remind us of a key feature of prayer we often forget:

“We usually ask God to change events in people’s lives…

But [we need to] think about the spiritual needs of each of these life situations….”

So, even as we pray,

“Lord, please bless my friend’s business,” 

we can also pray, 

“Lord, please give my friend faith that you will provide for her in this business….”

Even as we pray,

“Lord, please heal my friend from chronic pain,” 

we can also pray, 

“Lord, please sustain my friend’s hope in this hard season….”

Even as we pray,

“Lord, please bring my friend’s daughter back home,” 

we can also pray, 

“Lord, please help my friend forgive her daughter for causing so much pain….”

[Name some prayers of your own following this model….]

Thank you Lord, for the privilege of prayer. 

Please shape us more and more 

into the image of your Son as we learn to pray. 

In Jesus’ praying name. Amen. 

Read Luke 11:1-13.

A Prayer about the Transforming Work of the Spirit

by | May 11, 2023 | Daily Prayer, Spiritual Growth

A Prayer about the Transforming Work of the Spirit

…that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being… Ephesians 3:16

Risen Jesus,

Thank you for sending your Spirit as our Helper. 

No shriveled weakling is your Spirit; 

indeed, your Spirit strengthens us 

with a superpower far surpassing 

Superman’s or Wonderwoman’s. 

Your Spirit raises us 

right out of our spiritual death. 

Your Spirit softens hard hearts. 

Your Spirit renews our inner beings. 

Your Spirit roots your love deep 

in the once-rocky soil 

of our heart, soul, mind, and body. 

Your Spirit transforms us, 

that we may bear the fruit of being grafted into you: 

We walk in your love; 

we share your joy; 

we seek your peace; 

we wait with your patience; 

we move in your kindness; 

we reflect your goodness; 

we trust with your faithfulness; 

we touch with your gentleness; 

we resist with your self-control. 

Oh, yes, Lord, how we thank you 

for leaving your Spirit as our best Help!

In your kind name we pray. Amen.

Read Ephesians 3:14-21; John 14:15-17; Galatians 5:22-26.

A Prayer about Battling the True Enemy

by | May 10, 2023 | Daily Prayer, Spiritual Growth

A Prayer about Battling the True Enemy

O God, do not remain silent; do not turn a deaf ear, do not stand aloof, O God. Psalm 83:1

Mighty God,

We lift up all 

who are in a fierce battle with enemies. 

Remind us that our true enemy 

is the enemy, 

the evil one who growls and prowls, 

our vicious foe 

who rears his beastly head, 

conspiring with cunning against us, 

your people (Psalm 83:2-3). 

The evil one seeks 

to destroy relationships you have forged; 

the evil one seeks to puncture hope 

you have breathed into us; 

the evil one seeks to ruin beauty 

you have allowed us to be a part of creating….

May we hear you speaking to us:

I am not silent.

I am not turning a deaf ear.

I am not standing aloof.

I am making the evil one like “whirling dust” (Psalm 83:13).

I am consuming the evil one as a fire consumes a forest (Psalm 83:14). 

I am filling the evil one’s face with shame (Psalm 83:17).

One day, I will toss the devil deceiver  into the lake of fire, and evil will be no more (Revelation 20:10).

As we see your might defeating evil, 

help us to hope and pray for healing 

and reconciliation with our earthly enemies. 

In Jesus’ victorious name. Amen.

Read Psalm 83.