A Prayer about Remembering the Wonders of the Lord

by | Feb 10, 2022 | Daily Prayer, worship, gratitude

A Prayer about Remembering the Wonders of the Lord

Wonder-Working God,

As a lover of stories, 

I’ve always appreciated Asaph’s call 

to tell the stories of the “glorious deeds, 

about his power and his mighty wonders” (Psalm 78:4).

Psalm 78 vividly portrays the terrible things that happen 

when we forget to remember and tell the stories of your deliverance: 

The Israelites forgot how you had divided the sea 

so they could escape from the Egyptians, 

and they became “stubborn and rebellious” (Psalm 78:8).

The Ephraimites forgot that you were their covenant-keeping King, 

their chief warrior, 

and they turned and ran away in the day of battle (Psalm 78:9).

What stories of your mighty wonders have we forgotten?

How you came to a teenage girl 

who never went to church 

and surrounded her with delightful and loving Christians, 

who showed her the way to hope in the midst of darkness?

[Name some wonders of your life you might have forgotten].

Everyday, may we remember the most wonder-full news:

You remembered your compassion 

and sent your Son to deliver us from our sins (Psalm 78:38).

In his saving name. Amen.

Read Psalm 78:1-72.

A Prayer about How Not to Judge

by | Feb 9, 2022 | Daily Prayer, Gospel living

A Prayer about How Not to Judge

Holy Lord,

Help us to correctly understand your prohibition against judging. 

On the one hand, you “prohibit a critical spirit.”*

On the other, you do “not forbid the use of all critical faculty.”*

We are not to judge for a number of reasons: 

First, God is the only one worthy to judge us.

Second, we’ve got a blind spot 

as big as Texas 

blocking our view of  our own hearts.

Third, we’ve been forgiven our sins so fully by you, 

why would we judge someone else’s sins? 

On the other hand, you have provided us 

with wisdom and “righteous judgment” (John 7:24).

You have given us the Holy Spirit 

to show us what is true and what is false. 

And you instructed your disciples 

about an honorable way to approach a brother or sister 

when they have sinned against us.

Lord, only by your Spirit and by your guidance 

can we properly judge anyone or anything. 

May we enlighten our minds and hearts with your Word 

that we might live out your love in this world.

In your advocating name. Amen.

Read Matthew 7:1-6; John 7; 1 John 4:1. 

*I’m grateful for the Matthew commentary by Daniel Doriani that helped me understand this passage better. 

A Prayer about Our Soul-Thirst

by | Feb 8, 2022 | Daily Prayer, Suffering

A Prayer about Our Soul-Thirst

Thirst-filling Lord,

Today we lift up all who ache for you to appear, 

all who remember the days 

we used to lead the procession of praise (Psalm 42:4), 

all who now suffer turmoil within and attack from without (Psalm 42:5). 

Restore their hope again, 

even as they feel 

“all your breakers and your waves 

have gone over me” (Psalm 42:7).

At night, sing your steadfast love over them, 

“a prayer to the God of my life” (Psalm 42:8). 

At daybreak, remind them 

that you are their rock 

and that you have not forgotten them (Psalm 42:9).

Even as they feel the “deadly wound” 

of adversaries taunting 

or the grief of a relationship 

lost to death or conflict, 

remind them that because of Jesus, 

the one who suffered separation from you 

for the sake of our sins, 

they stand in your loving presence forever. 

Because of Jesus, 

we shall all “Hope in God, 

for we shall again praise you, 

our salvation and our God.”

In Jesus’ hope giving name. Amen.

Read Psalm 42. 

A Prayer about the Lord’s Enjoyment of Us

by | Feb 7, 2022 | Daily Prayer, Joy

A Prayer about the Lord’s Enjoyment of Us

Mighty God,

Slow us down 

that we might take in the wonder of these words!

You, the Creator of the cosmos, 

the maker of heaven and earth, 

are in our midst! 

You are a mighty one who has already saved us 

by your Son and adopted us as your children. 

And now you rejoice in us with gladness—

you are always happy to see us, 

even when we are coming to confess our sin.

When chaos makes life noisy or scary, 

you quiet us with your love. 

But you don’t stay quiet about your love—

like a proud Papa, you sing loudly your joy in us!

We believe; help our unbelief. 

Father, help us to enjoy 

your glorious enjoyment of us, 

today and every day. 

A Prayer about Moving from the Domain of Darkness

by | Feb 6, 2022 | Daily Prayer, kingdom living, Spiritual Growth

A Prayer about Moving from the Domain of Darkness

Father, 

I confess, 

sometimes the darkness of this world 

seems all-encompassing. 

The depressing news, 

the bent toward meanness, 

the joy in judginess

…I see it everywhere—

in my own heart and in the hearts of others. 

What good news it is to remember then, 

that we who are in Christ

no longer live in the “domain of darkness.” 

You have transferred us and transformed us. 

Now we have a rich inheritance: 

“the inheritance of the saints in the light” (Colossians 1:12). 

Now we are freed from the tyrant Satan 

to serve you, our redeeming and forgiving King. 

Now our primary language is “thanksgiving” 

and our primary work is “endurance and patience and joy” (Colossians 1:11). 

Now we have been “strengthened with all power, 

according to his glorious might” (Colossians 1:11).

to live as citizens of the kingdom of the beloved Son.

So very gratefully we pray. Amen. 

Read Colossians 1:9-14.

A Prayer about God’s Purposes in Aging

by | Feb 5, 2022 | aging, dying, and death, body, Daily Prayer

A Prayer about God’s Purposes in Aging

Everlasting Father,

In a world that often marginalizes or mocks the elderly, 

transform us into people who honor and value the elderly.

Even as we age, may we see your holy purposes for aging—

some may no longer have the energy to tend to babies all night long, 

but they do wake up in the night, 

and they can pray for those who do.

Some may no longer have the physical agility 

to perform skilled labor, 

but they do have years of experience 

and can teach those who do.

Some may no longer have the responsibilities 

of running a business, 

but they do have the ability and wisdom 

to give good counsel to those who do.

Lord, may we see the opportunities aging affords, 

and may we embrace not only our own aging, 

but the aging of others. 

May we see that you call the elderly 

to continue giving you glory 

by learning and leading every day of their lives. 

In Jesus’ redeeming name. Amen.

Read Proverbs 20:29; Titus 2:2-5; 1 Timothy 5:1 .