A Prayer about Living the Legacy We Want to Leave

by | Apr 15, 2023 | Daily Prayer, legacy, Parenting

A Prayer about Living the Legacy We Want to Leave

and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. Ephesians 5:2

Heavenly Father, 

In this world, 

the focus of leaving a legacy 

is often on making a name for ourselves. 

We ask you, 

by the mercies of Christ our Lord, 

to help us “walk in the way of love,” 

that we might become “models of goodness” (Titus 2:3, The MSG). 

Help us to throw off the sour smell of self-centeredness, 

to give ourselves up as “a fragrant offering and sacrifice to [you]” (Ephesians 5:2).

Help us to live out our unique giftedness and passions 

in ways that draw others to inhale the fragrance of Christ. 

Draw us to repent quickly when we sin 

and to live lives 

characterized by seeking 

and granting forgiveness. 

Help us to inhale the pure, fresh air 

of our righteousness in Christ 

and to exhale the sweet scent of words 

that build up and encourage others. 

In this way, Lord, 

we will live lives that matter—

to you, and to others. 

In this way, 

we will live the legacy we want to leave.

In Jesus’ loving name. Amen.

Read Ephesians 5:1-2; Titus 2:1-8.

 

If you would like to read more about living the legacy we want to leave, I wrote about this topic recently at Numbering Your Days.

A Prayer about Answers to Prayer

by | Apr 14, 2023 | Daily Prayer, Prayer

A Prayer about Answers to Prayer

Truly I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says will come to pass, it will be done for him. Mark 11:23

Miracle-Working Father,

We confess, 

we’re a little confused about what Jesus said 

to his disciples about prayer. 

If someone suffering from mental illness 

truly believes that you will heal her psyche, 

will it come to pass?

If someone suffering from quadriplegia 

truly believes that you will make her walk, 

will it come to pass?

What do we make of Jesus’ words, 

“whatever you ask in prayer, 

believe that you have received it, 

and it will be yours” (Mark 11:24)? 

There are no easy answers to these questions. 

What we do know is that we are called to trust in you, 

and we are called to surrender to your will (Matthew 6:10). 

We are called to believe 

that you can toss a mountain into the sea, 

you can heal a hemorrhaging woman (Mark 5:25-34), 

and you can raise your Son from the dead. 

We are also called to pray as Jesus did, 

“Father, all things are possible for you…

Yet not what I will, but what you will…” (Mark 14:36).

Help us Lord, to persist in as-yet-unanswered prayer. 

Help us Lord, to submit to your will 

in the way you answer prayer, 

knowing that you always give us good gifts (Matthew 7:11), 

even if they are not the gifts we think we need.

Read Mark 11:20-25; Mark 14:36; Matthew 6:9-13.

A Prayer about Caring for Those Who Care for Others

by | Apr 13, 2023 | Caregiving, Daily Prayer, Leadership

A Prayer about Caring for Those Who Care for Others

“casting all your cares on him, because he cares about you” 1 Peter 5:7

Jesus, our Great High Priest,

Today we lift up 

pastors, priests, and ministry leaders 

who care for your people. 

We confess, 

we don’t think often enough 

about how what their days look like, 

these hard days of comforting the broken-hearted, 

of sitting with the doubts and denials of your goodness, 

of bearing the burdens of so very many. 

We don’t think often enough 

about how the devil prowls around like a ravenous beast, 

eager to destroy 

their faith, 

their marriages, 

their children, 

their health, 

their homes. 

Now, as we remember our ministry leaders, 

we lift them up by name [name your ministry leaders], 

praying that they would indeed 

“humble themselves under the mighty hand of God,” 

confessing their own weakness 

confessing their need for your help. 

We ask that they would cast their cares 

and worries 

and fears 

and frustrations 

onto your broad shoulders. 

We pray that they would experience 

your mercy 

and love 

and comfort 

and pleasure 

in this very moment. 

Give them relief, 

and make us the answer 

to some of their prayers.

Lord, bless those 

who bless you 

by blessing us 

with the hope of the gospel.

In your comforting name. Amen.

Read 1 Peter 5:6-8. 

A Prayer about How Long Grief Lasts

by | Apr 12, 2023 | Daily Prayer, Grief, Suffering

A Prayer about How Long Grief Lasts

How long must I take counsel in my soul and have sorrow in my heart all the day? How long shall my enemy be exalted over me?  Psalm 13:2

O Lord,

How long indeed?

It’s been just over two weeks 

since the tragic shooting at a school in Nashville. 

The news cycle has moved on. 

Most people have moved on. 

But those who lost loved ones that day haven’t,

and they won’t, 

not for a long time. 

Dark images are engraved in their mind’s eye; 

tears at such sudden, shocking loss 

of so many precious lives, 

burst forth without warning.

And there are others 

who lost loved ones that week, 

but no one seemed to notice their loss. 

Their loved one died a “normal death,” 

cut down by cancer, 

destroyed by disease,

succumbing to old age.

Oh Lord, how long indeed? 

How long will we wait for the day 

of no more death, 

for indeed there is no such thing 

as a “normal” death. 

How long will it seem that our enemy, 

death and evil, 

is exalted over us?

We are tired. 

We are weary. 

We don’t think we can endure another day.

Will you come, even now, 

Lord Jesus,

So near to the brokenhearted?

Will you revive us again?

We long, like David, 

who sang Psalm 13, 

to sing out in hope, 

even in the midst of our grief, 

to utter the words 

which we do believe are true:

“But I have trusted in your steadfast love;

    my heart shall rejoice in your salvation.

I will sing to the Lord,

    because he has dealt bountifully with me” (Psalm 13:5-6).

Give us voice to your goodness

even as we continue to grieve.

In Jesus’ hope-full name. 

Amen.

Read Psalm 13

A Prayer about Marvelous Nonsense

by | Apr 11, 2023 | Daily Prayer, Death and Resurrection

A Prayer about Marvelous Nonsense

“But they did not believe the women, because their words seemed to them like nonsense.”

Luke 24:12

Lord, 

We rejoice today, remembering the early days after your resurrection. 

The women had gone to the tomb looking for you 

and had been told by angels that you weren’t there, 

for you had risen. 

They did as instructed, 

running to tell the apostles the unbelievable good news.

But the apostles thought it was “an idle tale,” “nonsense,” 

even though you had told them on multiple occasions 

that you would rise from the dead (Mark 9:30-32; Matthew 16:21-28; Matthew 17:22-23). 

Lord, we live in a skeptical and cynical world, 

where belief in miracles is often scoffed at. 

Open our minds to study the Scriptures 

and our hearts to the unimaginable 

good news of the gospel. 

Make us like Peter, 

who ran to the tomb to see for himself, 

bent down, looked in, and saw your grave-clothes 

lying in an empty tomb. 

When he realized you were gone, 

he “marveled” at what had happened. 

Make us marvelers too. 

It is an amazing story. It is a marvel-ous story. 

It is a story that changes everything about life and death.

In your risen name. Amen.

Read Luke 24:1-12.

A Prayer about Missing the Obvious

by | Apr 10, 2023 | Daily Prayer, Death and Resurrection, gratitude, Scripture

A Prayer about Missing the Obvious

And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself. Luke 24:27

Risen Lord,

This story reminds us that William Shakespeare 

was not the first person to use dramatic irony to humorous effect. 

You walked along the road with two of your followers all the way to Emmaus. 

They thought you were really out of it 

not to have heard anything about 

“Jesus of Nazareth, 

a man who was a prophet mighty in deed and word…

and how our chief priests and rulers 

delivered him up to be condemned to death and crucified him” (Luke 24:19-20).

What did your heart feel 

when you heard their aching disappointment: 

“But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel” (Luke 24:21)?

We don’t know, but we do know you gave these two followers 

the best Bible study ever, 

showing them how all of Scripture 

pointed to your redemption of not only Israel 

but of every tribe, tongue, nation, and people group (Luke 24:27).

You arrived at the village, 

accepting their invitation to dine with them.

You “took the bread and blessed and broke it and gave it to them” (Luke 24:30). 

Only then were their “eyes opened and they recognized him” (Luke 24:31).

Lord, we have been given so much more opportunity 

to see you than these two followers. 

May we never be blind to your risen presence 

among us through the Holy Spirit. 

May we seek you in the Scriptures morning by morning, 

day by day, knowing the truth about you 

flashes at us from every direction like the neon signs on Broadway. 

And may we, in recognizing the reality of your resurrection, 

worship you by telling others this profoundly good news. 

In your ever-present name. Amen.

Read Luke 24:13-35.