A Prayer about the Questions God Asks

by | Jun 30, 2021 | Daily Prayer, Gospel Coaching

A Prayer about the Questions God Asks

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.

If you’d like to read more about Hagar’s story, check out this week’s blog. 

A Prayer about Being Perfect

by | Jun 28, 2021 | Daily Prayer, Gospel living

A Prayer about Being Perfect

Heavenly Father, 

As a recovering perfectionist, 

I confess, this verse always makes me anxious 

when I first read it.

But then I reread Dr. 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 the Wisdom Parents Need

by | Jun 27, 2021 | Daily Prayer, Parenting

A Prayer about the Wisdom Parents Need

Good Father,

It’s sad to say but still true 

that some verses in the Bible 

have been misused to do a lot of harm. 

Many parents misunderstand this verse 

because of poor teaching. 

Some of us have been told 

that all we have to do 

is plant our kids 

in Sunday school and church every week, 

and they will follow you. 

Others have felt guilt 

because even though we thought 

we were guiding our kids toward you, 

they’ve headed in the opposite direction. 

The reality is that we need 

the Wisdom of Proverbs, 

your Son, 

to guide us as parents every step of the way. 

We need the forgiveness of your Son 

to save us and our kids 

from our parenting mistakes, weaknesses, and sin.

We need the grace of your Son 

to heal us from the heavy guilt 

that weighs us down. 

With all of those things in place, 

we will be able to guide and direct and train our kids, 

to show them your amazing love 

in the way we live. 

With all of those things in place, 

we’ll be able to trust your perfect parenting 

when our kids seem to be going 

in any direction but toward you. 

Draw us near to you, Lord, 

wherever this verse finds us today, 

and give us your peace and hope.

In Jesus’ perfectly wise name. Amen. 

Read Proverbs 22:6; Deuteronomy 6:6-7; Psalm 37:30-31.

Know a parent who needs this reminder? Please share!

A Prayer about Rehearsing for Our Wedding Day

by | Jun 25, 2021 | Church, Daily Prayer

A Prayer about Rehearsing for Our Wedding Day

Lord Jesus

In this wedding season,

may every celebration 

of a man and woman being joined together 

lead us to dream of the day 

when we, your church, 

will become your ready bride, 

clothed “with fine linen, bright and pure” (Revelation 19:8). 

Today we may wrestle 

with the split of sin and the fracture of the fall, 

but the day is coming when, 

nourished and cherished by  you, 

our perfect bridegroom, 

we will be fully sanctified. 

Even today, by your gracious work in us, 

we are becoming more united 

in thought, word, and deed. 

Even today, by your gracious work in us, 

we are learning to delight fully 

in receiving your love 

and in sharing that love with others (Ephesians 5:25-27). 

As we gather for worship every week, 

may we remember that this is just a rehearsal—

one day we will join all of our fellow saints 

in a wildly wonderful wedding march. 

What a glorious day that will be!

In your cherished and cherishing name we pray. Amen. 

Read Revelation 19:6-9; Ephesians 5:25-33.

A Prayer about Feeling Anger

by | Jun 23, 2021 | Daily Prayer, Gospel living

A Prayer about Feeling Anger

Faithful Lord,

Thank you for feelings. 

We confess, too many of us have mistakenly believed 

that Christians aren’t supposed to feel feelings, 

especially negative ones. 

And yet, your word is filled with feelings, 

yes, even negative ones: 

sorrow, lament, anger, confusion. 

Forgive us for not listening carefully.

It is true—anger can be a knee-jerk response 

after a hot and exhausting day 

of touring a new city. 

It can be thoughtless and mean.

And yet, it might be a clue — 

to our sin or to another’s. 

It might reveal deep harm to your image in us. 

That’s why anger should make us pause. 

Lead us to ask you and ourselves, 

“Why am I feeling so angry?” 

Help us to stay silent for the moment 

so we can hear your answer. 

It may take more than one night, 

but if we keep coming back to you 

every day with our anger, 

pursuing you in our anger, 

anger will not control us—

it won’t make us bitter, 

it won’t lead us to destroy others. 

Lord, only by your grace 

can we feel our anger 

and allow it to take us to healthier places—

choosing to remain silent 

or choosing to engage in healthy conflict; 

choosing to ask forgiveness

or choosing to forgive. 

Read Psalm 4; Ephesians 4:26-27.

A Prayer about Kindness to Strangers

by | Jun 21, 2021 | Daily Prayer, Gospel living

A Prayer about Kindness to Strangers

Gracious Lord, 

Many of us have known 

the undeserved kindness of a stranger. 

Someone we didn’t know brought us a meal 

when our loved one when was in the hospital; 

a kind grandmotherly woman 

picked up our toddler’s tossed bottle in Target 

and handed it back to us smiling with empathy; 

a fellow traveler helped us get our suitcase into the overhead bin 

when we were clearly struggling. 

As bright and lovely as these kindnesses are, 

they pale in comparison to the kindness you have shown us, 

those estranged from you by sin.

Through your Son, you have extended us forgiving welcome.

You have fed our hunger on the body of Christ; 

you have quenched our thirst with his blood, the wine. 

Empowered by your grace to us, 

may we extend your kindness to strangers:

feeding the hungry, 

giving drink to the thirsty, 

clothing the naked, 

and visiting the sick and imprisoned (Matthew 25:35-36).

In Jesus’ welcoming name.

Amen.

Read Matthew 25:31-46.