A Prayer about God Hearing Our Prayers

by | Oct 21, 2021 | Daily Prayer, Prayer

A Prayer about God Hearing Our Prayers

Loving Father,

We confess, sometimes we wonder 

if you hear our prayers. 

Thank you for giving us the words of your Word, 

other travelers voicing our questions, 

“Why, Lord, do you stand far off? 

Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble?” (Psalm 10:1) 

“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Matthew 27:46). 

In days of doubt, 

remind us that you have not rejected our prayers 

or withheld your love from us (Psalm 66:20). 

Remind us of the many awesome deeds you have done:

You “turned the sea into dry land; 

they passed through the river on foot” (Psalm 66:6).

You have “kept our soul among the living 

and has not let our feet slip” (Psalm 66:9). 

Most of all, you allowed your Son to be forsaken 

that we might never be forsaken again (Matthew 27:46). 

Because of your great mercy, 

we join the Psalmist in singing your praise,

“But truly God has listened; 

he has attended to the voice of my prayer” (Psalm 66:19).

Read Psalm 66. 

A Prayer for When We’re Overburdened

by | Oct 20, 2021 | Daily Prayer, Suffering

A Prayer for When We’re Overburdened

God of All Comfort,

Thank you! 

You know we are plagued

by weakness and weariness.

You know our world demands

that we be strong, independent, 

powerful, competent. 

You know some Christians boast, 

“I can do all things through Christ 

who strengthens me,” (Philippians 4:13), 

but we feel inadequate. 

Thank you for Paul’s honesty about his weakness 

in the face of “deadly peril,” 

“a thorn in the flesh,” 

and countless other threats. 

Lord, for those of us who “despair of life itself,” 

may our weakness drive us straight into your strength. 

May our weakness teach us 

to “rely not on ourselves but the God who raises the dead” (2 Corinthians 1:9). 

When we feel overburdened,

whether from a shipwreck of relationship,

the shadow of sickness

or the shouting accusation of failure,

may we remember 

that you have you have already delivered us 

from the “deadly peril” of sin and death, 

and that you will continue to deliver us,

until the day you return. 

In your trustworthy name. Amen.

Read 2 Corinthians 1:8-11; 2 Corinthians 12:1-10.

A Prayer for When We’ve Committed “Big” Sins

by | Oct 19, 2021 | Daily Prayer

A Prayer for When We’ve Committed “Big” Sins

Lord Jesus, 

I know you’ve said my sins are forgiven 

when I trusted in you as Savior, but…

You don’t know how big and bad this one is.

You don’t know how many times I’ve done it.

You don’t know how many people I’ve harmed 

and how severe the damage is.

You don’t know how helpless I feel 

to never do this terrible thing again.

Hear how Jesus might respond to such a prayer, 

based on what Scripture tells us:

“Actually, I do know, because I know everything about you. 

I know the dark depths of your heart. 

I know that you were dead in your sin (Ephesians 2:1).

I know you were helpless to rescue yourself (Matthew 9:36).

That’s why I drank the full cup 

of our holy Father’s wrath on your behalf (Isaiah 51:17),

so you could drink of the overflowing cup 

of his mercy and forgiveness (Ephesians 2:4).

And I know the consequences of this sin (Hebrews 12:4-7).

I am in the business of restoring broken things, 

so I know you’ll need to keep coming to me 

to learn how to love and live in the freedom 

for which I have set you free (Galatians 5:1).”

Thank you, Jesus, that Scripture gives us such hope, 

that when we come to you with all of our sins, “big” and “little,” 

you will never cast us out.

In your restoring name. Amen.

[This prayer was inspired by a chapter in Dane Ortlund’s book Gentle and Lowly: The Heart of Christ for Sinners and Sufferers].

A Prayer about What Happens When We Die

by | Oct 18, 2021 | Daily Prayer, Death and Resurrection

A Prayer about What Happens When We Die

Resurrecting Lord,

We admit, we sometimes get a little confused 

about what happens when we die. 

We know we “will be with you in Paradise” (Luke 23:43). 

We understand that for a season, 

our souls will be with you, 

enjoying your presence, 

but our bodies will await resurrection. 

The apostle Paul tried to explain this to the Corinthians, 

who just couldn’t understand 

how a body that dies 

can be made whole again. 

He likens it to a seed and a plant. 

Just as a small ivory-colored pumpkin seed 

goes into the ground and comes out three to four months later 

with large leafy vines and plump orange melon, 

so, our mortal bodies will decay and die. 

But one day, when you return, 

they will be “changed, 

in a moment, 

in the twinkling of an eye.”

As Eugene Peterson puts it, 

“On signal from that trumpet from heaven, 

the dead will be up and out of their graves, 

beyond the reach of death, 

never to die again” (1 Corinthians 15:52).  

We wonder, 

in that day, 

in the new heavens and the new earth, 

will we look like ourselves? 

We can only guess that there must be some resemblance, 

for indeed, the disciples and others were able to recognize you, 

and you showed poor skeptical Thomas 

your scarred hands and side. 

And yet, our bodies will be somehow different—

whole, fully what they were meant to be, 

radiant in your glory as we see you face to face (1 John 3:2; Revelation 22:4). 

Oh, make us eager for that day, Lord, 

when we will be with you, 

and for that day when you will return 

to raise our bodies to new life forever. 

In your life-giving name. Amen. 

Read 1 Corinthians 15:35-58; 1 John 3:2; Revelation 22:4.

A Prayer about Diversity and Unity in the Kingdom

by | Oct 17, 2021 | Daily Prayer, kingdom living

A Prayer about Diversity and Unity in the Kingdom

King Jesus,

How thirsty our imaginations are 

for the vision of our new beginning 

in your new heavens and new earth. 

As we imagine the diversity and unity 

of your heavenly kingdom, 

we pray even more fervently,

Come, Lord Jesus, 

and unify all of the people of your church, 

even today.

Just as one day all the kings and queens and princes and princesses 

will come marching into your heavenly kingdom 

with all of their brightly colored array 

and different colored skin tones, 

even today, join us together.

In anticipation of the day we will worship you 

as the King of Kings, 

send us into unfamiliar cultural territory now — 

whether that’s swaying along to praise songs 

or shouting “Amen” to pastor’s preaching 

or serving squid at our potluck suppers.  

In anticipation of the day we will worship you 

as the King of Kings, 

open wide the doors of our hearts 

to welcome people who might feel like outsiders, 

that they might feel as comfortable as old family friends. 

In your glorious name we ask. Amen.

Read Revelation 21:22-22:5.

A Prayer about the Bodies God Made

by | Oct 16, 2021 | Daily Prayer, Gospel living

A Prayer about the Bodies God Made

Creator God,

Forgive us for being so spiritually-minded 

we sometimes see little bodily good!

Pastor Sam Allberry points out that our bodies do matter*—

they matter to you, as we realize 

when we think of how you formed Adam. 

You didn’t first create a soul or spirit 

and then find a container for it. 

No, you worked as an artisan 

in fashioning the body of Adam (and later Eve), 

and then you breathed life into it. 

We confess, we don’t always like parts of our bodies 

or even the whole thing.  

Maybe someone made fun of us 

for being too small or too big,

 too tall or too short, 

too brown or too white. 

Help us, Lord. 

Help us to look again in the mirror. 

Help us to see there 

the dark umber or bright hazel eyes 

you have fashioned, 

the long curly or short straight hair, 

the sturdy bones or wiry frame.  

Help us to name where our bodies 

have been broken by the fall. 

Help us to know how you have redeemed our shame 

over our bodies 

by the cleansing blood of Jesus Christ. 

And help us to remember that one day, 

when Jesus returns, 

we will live in a renewed and whole body forever. 

May we learn to thank you for the body you have given us, 

and may we learn to inhabit and steward it for your glory.

In Jesus’ enfleshed name. Amen.

Read Genesis 2:5-7, 2:21-25.

*For more on this topic, see Sam Allberry’s excellent book, What God Has to Say about Our Bodies: How the Gospel Is Good News for Our Physical Selves