A Prayer about True Freedom

by | Jul 3, 2022 | 4th of July, Daily Prayer, Gospel Coaching

A Prayer about True Freedom

For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery. Galatians 5:1

Merciful Father,

When the apostle Paul told the Galatians

they had been set free for freedom,

he wasn’t talking politics;

he was talking about

the rich, generous, and gracious

freedom we have in Christ.

On this Independence Day in America,

some of us celebrate America’s freedom,

but even more,

we celebrate the freedom we have

as citizens of your kingdom.

We are…

Freed from sin and shame

to bear the fruit of sanctification

and to live eternal life as your servants,

starting now (Romans 6:22).

Freed to outdo one another in love,

with honor, not slander,

with hospitable hearts,

assuming the best of others, not the worst (Romans 12:9-10).

Freed to serve God and serve others,

not to use our “freedom as a cover-up for evil” (1 Peter 2:16).

Best of all, we are freed

to spend all of our time, money, and energy

giving glory to you,

ourmighty and majestic God (Revelation 1:5-6).

Thank you for these truths which set us truly free (John 8:32).

In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Read Galatians 5:1-10; Romans 12:9-19; 1 Peter 2:16; Revelation 1:5-6; John 8:32.

A Prayer about the Perfection God Promises

by | Jul 2, 2022 | Daily Prayer, Theology

A Prayer about the Perfection God Promises

You therefore must be perfect as your Heavenly Father is perfect. Matthew 5:48

Heavenly Father,

As a recovering perfectionist,

I confess, this verse always makes me anxious

when I first read it.

But then I reread Dr. Dan Doriani’s commentary on Matthew,

and he reminds me,

the command is also a promise as phrased in Greek,

“You shall be perfect as your Heavenly Father is perfect.”

As he says, the word “perfect” also reveals

how completely inadequate we are

to live out Jesus’ commands

apart from his mercy and grace

operating in our lives.

The word “perfect” means “mature and complete,”

but we know we’re nowhere near

as mature and complete as God is,

so it must be a process.

Indeed,

becoming mature and complete

takes a lifetime of your sanctifying work

through the Spirit.

Becoming mature and complete

doesn’t mean “work harder”;

it means “depend on God more,”

because you are the God

who makes new selves out of old selves (2 Corinthians 5:17).

Becoming mature and complete

doesn’t mean “never make a mistake”;

it means “run to God

with all of your mistakes,

weaknesses, and sin.”

To be perfect

is to trust in you alone

to finish the good work

you began in us in Christ Jesus (Philippians 1:6).

In Jesus’ perfecting name. Amen.

Read Matthew 5:17-48; Philippians 3:12-16.

A Prayer about Being Truly Transformed

by | Jul 1, 2022 | Daily Prayer, Gospel living

A Prayer about Being Truly Transformed

Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Romans 12:2

Everlasting God,

I did it again.

I just scrolled away twenty minutes,

looking at this and that,

following this trail on someone’s post about their wayward cat,

clicking on this headline about a bizarre tragedy on a remote island,

checking the weather for Wimbledon…

Have mercy on me, have mercy on us.

Sometimes it seems we have no self-control

when a screen is in our hand or at our fingertips.

We long to know the “rest for my soul”

that Jesus has promised (Matthew 11:28-30),

and yet so much of what we do

fills our heads and heart

with noise and trivia

that is impotent to change our lives.

Transform us, we pray,

renew our minds by the work of your Spirit,

so that we can sit still

and remember that you are God (Psalm 46:10).

Speaking of sitting,

help us to do just that sometimes,

to sit quietly with no phone, no tablet, not even a book,

and listen for your voice delighting in us,

for in this very moment,

you are singing over us,

quieting us with your love (Zephaniah 3:14-17).

In Jesus’ life-changing name. Amen.

Read Romans 12:13; Matthew 11:28-30; Psalm 46:10; Zephaniah 3:14-17.

A Prayer about the Wisdom We So Desperately Need

by | Jun 30, 2022 | Daily Prayer, Gospel living

A Prayer about the Wisdom We So Desperately Need

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom,
    and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight. Proverbs 9:10

Awesome God,

In this confusing and chaotic world,

how desperatelywe need your wisdom.

Parents need your wisdom to know how to

help their children stay safe and on a wise path;

adult children need your wisdom to know how to

talk to their parents about letting go of the car keys;

bosses need your wisdom to know how to

steward their employees’ gifts,

and on and on…

Whoever we are,

whatever our situation,

we need your wisdom,

whether we realize it or not.

May we first realize that it is your wisdom we need,

and then may we turn to you to find it.

When we “fear” you,

that is live in awe of you,

live in gratitude of you,

live seeking your Word,

live listening to pastors and ministry leaders and wiser friends,

you promise,

we will grow in your wisdom.

It is indeed through you,

as Eugene Peterson puts it,

that [our] life deepens,

and the years of [our] life ripen.

May we “live wisely”

so that “wisdom will permeate [our] lives.” (Proverbs 9: 11, The MSG).

Read Proverbs 9. 

A Prayer about the Questions Jesus Asks

by | Jun 29, 2022 | Daily Prayer, Scripture

A Prayer about the Questions Jesus Asks

Where have you come from, and where are you going? Genesis 16:8

Pursuing God

Thank you for chasing after us when we try to run away.

Like Hagar in the wilderness,

we can run ourselves into the ground,

but you seek us,

and you draw us out of our hiding,

asking questions we really need to hear:

Where have you come from?

Where are you going?

Or, as you asked Adam and Eve

when they “hid” from you after eating the fruit,

Where are you?

You don’t ask these questions

because you don’t know the answers.

You don’t ask these questions

because you want to trap us.

You ask them

to invite us to see where we are,

to see where we’ve been,

to see where we’re headed without you.

But you also ask them

to reveal the most important thing

we need to know—

where you are (right here with us),

and who you are:

“The God Who Hears,

The God Who Sees,”

the God who looks after us (Genesis 16:13).

May we listen to your questions,

letting them draw us

to your loving and forgiving presence.

In the name of our Savior,

Immanuel (“God-with-us”), we pray. Amen.

Read Genesis 16:1-16.

A Prayer about Help When We’re Vulnerable

by | Jun 28, 2022 | Daily Prayer, Suffering, worship, gratitude

A Prayer about Help When We’re Vulnerable

I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth. Psalm 121:1

Maker of Heaven and Earth,

Whatever makes us feel vulnerable, weak, frail:

Our jobs, our health, our finances,

our families, our relationships,

the steady stream of bad news that flits across our screens…

Send us to our knees,

send us to our Bibles,

to remember where our help comes from—

From you, our Lord, our God,

our Shepherd, our Father,

our King of Kings and Prince of Peace.

You just happen to be the Creator of all good things,

the warrior who defeated evil,

the Risen One who overcame death,

the returning One who will bring us

to live forever in your eternal city of light and love,

of healing and joy,

in the new heavens and the new earth.

Indeed, Lord, in our weakness,

we have every reason to hope,

for you keep our lives safe and secure.

In Jesus’ protecting name. Amen.

Read Psalm 121.