A Prayer about Being Afraid

by | Aug 24, 2025 | Daily Prayer

A Prayer about Being Afraid

How do you pray when you’re afraid?

When I am afraid, I put my trust in you. Psalm 56:3

Lord God,

Thank you for your compassion 

for our fearfulness. 

Today, we bring our fears to you:

When we are afraid that we will fail 

[name any failures you fear],

We put our trust in you.

When we are afraid 

that we’ve made the wrong decisions for our children or grandchildren

[name any parenting or grandparenting decisions you fear],

We put our trust in you.

When we are afraid that our health 

or the health of a loved one will not improve 

[name any health fears you have],

We put our trust in you.

When we are afraid that we won’t find jobs or find finances 

[name any fears for provision you have],

We put our trust in you.

Father, you know all of our fears, 

and you invite us to bring them to you. 

As we do so, calm our hearts and minds 

in the hope of your kind provision.

In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Read Psalm 56.

A Prayer about the Wrath of God

by | Aug 23, 2025 | Daily Prayer

A Prayer about the Wrath of God

What do we do with what the Bible says about the wrath of God?

But for those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, there will be wrath and fury. Romans 2:8.

Holy and Just God,

We confess, we don’t like to talk much about your wrath and fury. 

And yet, your Word tells us 

that “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23), 

and that there is only one way to be saved from our sin—

by your Holy Spirit awakening us from our spiritual death

and through our trust in your Son our Savior. 

There are people who refuse to seek you, 

who refuse to obey you, 

who, even worse, 

obey unrighteousness, 

who “cannot rest until they do evil” (Proverbs 4:16). 

For such people, there will truly be “tribulation and distress” (Romans 2:9) 

on the “day of wrath” (Romans 2:5). 

As people who belong to Jesus, 

may we never judge people who seem to be following evil. 

May we instead reach out to the unrepentant, 

praying for them, 

urging them by the power of your Spirit 

to turn away from evil, 

to turn back to you, 

to know your abounding mercy, 

that they may never know 

your wrath and fury on judgment day. 

In Jesus’ evil-crushing name. Amen.

Read Romans 2:1-16.

A Prayer about Seeking Immortality

by | Aug 22, 2025 | Daily Prayer

A Prayer about Seeking Immortality

How do you seek glory and honor and immortality?

To those who by patience in well-doing seek for glory and honor and immortality, he will give eternal life…Romans 2:7

Just Judge,

Again today, we grapple with Paul’s strong words 

about your judgment in Romans 2:1-11. 

We know the gospel tells us 

we are saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ (Eph. 2:8). 

And yet, here we read: “He will render each according to his works…” (Romans 2:6). 

Help us to understand what one biblical scholar wrote,

“Judgment by deeds is not salvation by works…

our words and deeds follow our heart commitments.”* 

Lord, if we truly belong to you, 

then the Holy Spirit is transforming 

our hearts, 

our words, 

our deeds, 

so that we do become “patient in well-doing,” 

so that we do seek “glory and honor and immortality,” 

and so that we will bask in the joy of eternal life with you. 

Reading our Bibles, 

driving a friend to chemo, 

helping a co-worker figure out a problem, 

feeding a homeless person—

these are the acts that flow from being united with you. 

By your faithfulness in us through your Holy Spirit, 

we will persevere in glorifying you to the end.

In Jesus’ saving name. Amen.

Read Romans 2:1-11. 

*See Ch. 5 of Dr. Dan Doriani’s Romans commentary.

A Prayer about the God Who Answers before We Call

by | Aug 21, 2025 | Daily Prayer

A Prayer about the God Who Answers before We Call

Do you know the God who anticipates your prayers?

Before they call I will answer; while they are yet speaking I will hear. Isaiah 65:24

All-Knowing, All-Seeing Father,

We confess, we often forget 

that you know all things; 

you see all things.

And because you do, 

you are orchestrating your world 

such that even before affliction or adversity come, 

you are working in all things 

to provide comfort and consolation. 

Before the word “Help!” forms on our tongues, 

you are already moving 

to provide what we need. 

Before we have uttered a sound, 

you have heard, and when you hear, 

you move to act (See Exodus 2:23-25). 

When we feel incapable of praying, 

when we don’t know how to pray, 

we need not worry, 

for “the Spirit himself intercedes for us 

with groanings too deep for words” (Romans 8:26). 

Like the Good Father who ran toward his son 

while he was still a long way off (See Luke 15: 17-24), 

you have come near to us in your Son, 

who himself “lives to make intercession for [us]” (Hebrews 7:25). 

Oh Father, your love for us, 

your nearness to us, 

is incomprehensible! 

May we grasp the hope this gives us; 

the confidence and comfort it brings!

Amen.

Read Isaiah 65:24; Hebrews 7:20-28, Romans 8:26-39. 

A Prayer about the Silence of Adam

by | Aug 20, 2025 | Daily Prayer

A Prayer about the Silence of Adam

Have you ever wondered if it was all Eve’s fault?

…she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate. Genesis 3:6

Heavenly Father,

Recently I’ve been reminded of how crucial it is 

that we read your Word carefully. 

Otherwise, we can fall prey to human teachings 

that only do harm. 

Long ago, some misguided theologians 

started the terrible teaching 

that the fall of humanity was all Eve’s fault. 

As we revisit the first three chapters of Genesis, 

we see your design for the first man and the first woman, 

as well as your design for every marriage. 

Adam was called to name both beauty and sin (See Genesis 2:16-22). 

When the woman was formed from his flesh,

 he spoke the first poem in the Bible: 

“This at last is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; 

she shall be called Woman, 

because she was taken out of Man” (Genesis 2:23). 

We sometimes miss the fact 

that Adam was standing with Eve 

when Satan, disguised as the serpent, 

approached her. 

We often fail to consider what might have happened 

if Adam had spoken up. 

“No sir, we will not  eat of that tree, 

for it’s the only tree that God forbade us. 

Our God is so generous. 

Our God has given us everything we need.” 

Sadly, those words aren’t in the Bible. 

Either Adam was equally drawn in by the serpent’s words, 

or he just couldn’t find the courage to oppose him. 

So when Eve reached for the fruit, 

he said nothing.

When Eve turned to him as he stood “with her,” 

he ate. 

Oh, Lord, may it never be! 

May we work together as husband and wife, 

as men and women too, 

to know your Word, 

your profound goodness, 

your lavish generosity, 

your rich mercy, 

and may we remind one another 

when the other is tempted.

In Jesus’ forgiving name. Amen. 

Read Genesis 1-3. 

A Prayer about Praying for Children and Grandchildren

by | Aug 19, 2025 | Daily Prayer

A Prayer about Praying for Children and Grandchildren

Do you ever struggle to know how to pray for your children, grandchildren, and/or others’ children?

And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people. Ephesians 6:18

Heavenly Father,

I confess, as a parent, 

I so often forget 

the powerful tool 

of praying for my children. 

I remember when my kids were younger, 

I would often ask a friend just ahead of me 

if her child ever exhibited a certain behavior 

(biting, not eating her whole meal, talking back, etc.), 

and her answer became my go-to 

when younger moms asked me later, 

“Yes, my child did that, 

and I don’t remember what I did, 

but I know I prayed.” 

Father, today I pray 

for all of my parenting 

and grand parenting friends out there. 

As we feel the normal anxieties 

over our children and grandchildren, 

draw us by your Spirit to lay them all before you:

Worried about our granddaughter getting a job? 

Lord, provide for her.

Worried about our baby sleeping through the night? 

Lord, grant sleep and rest.

Worried about our son being overwhelmed as he enters high school? 

Lord, guide and keep him. 

[Name some worries you have for your children and/or grandchildren. Ask the Lord for help.]

Thank you for the powerful peace 

that comes from entrusting our children 

and grandchildren to you. 

In Jesus’ comforting name. Amen.

Read Ephesians 6:18, 1 Peter 5:6-7, Psalm 55:22, John 14:27

Friends, if you have children or grandchildren or simply want to pray for children, be sure to check out my printable guide to creating prayer cards for children. Go here to get it: http://eepurl.com/b__teX.