A Prayer about Becoming Weak and Inefficient

by | Aug 8, 2025 | Daily Prayer, Learning Story

A Prayer about Becoming Weak and Inefficient

Do you love to be efficient and strong?

…but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint Isaiah 40:31.

Gracious Lord,

I remember memorizing this verse 

as an achievement-oriented high school student, 

a fifteen-year-old eager to renew my strength 

and to run and not be weary. 

It’s easy to see now how I misunderstood 

a lot of what this verse was about, 

but I confess, in our achievement-oriented, 

efficiency-seeking society, 

it’s not always easy to remember 

that the gospel isn’t about strength, 

accomplishment, 

or efficiency.

Indeed, you were speaking to the Israelites in exile 

in these verses, 

assuring them in the midst of their frailty, 

in the aftermath of their sinful rebellion, 

that you would send a Savior:

“Comfort, comfort my people, 

says your God. 

Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, 

and cry to her that her warfare has ended, 

that her iniquity is pardoned” (Isaiah 40:1).

Oh, patient and merciful God, 

help us to see that in our weakness, 

you alone are our strength; 

that in our idol of efficiency, 

you alone are our salvation. 

Help us to learn to wait on you, 

to watch to see 

what you are doing in our lives 

and in this world 

through the transforming love of Jesus Christ.

In Jesus’ perfectly sufficient name. Amen.

Read Isaiah 40. 

 

A Prayer about Being More than Conquerors

by | Aug 8, 2025 | Learning Story

A Prayer about Being More than Conquerors

A Prayer about Being More than Conquerors

Have you ever thought that living a victorious Christian life was all up to you?

No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. Romans 8:37

Heavenly Father,

Thank you for showing us

where our real hope lies 

for victory in spiritual battle. 

My praying friends and I need to remember 

a few things about these verses in Romans:

First of all, being “more than a conqueror” 

is about a spiritual battle, 

not about a football game, 

a fight with a friend, 

or a political agenda. 

Second, being “more than a conqueror” 

is not about us conquering in our own strength—

the emphasis must be placed on THROUGH HIM…

THROUGH HIM, we conquer in the spiritual battle 

that rages against 

the world hostile to God’s kingdom, 

the devil rebelling against God’s rule, 

and or our own sinful hearts seeking to rule our lives. 

THROUGH JESUS, the one who conquered evil on the cross.

Third, the way we conquer is through his love, 

through arming ourselves with his forgiving, cleansing love 

against any accusations the evil one 

or the world, 

or our own sinful hearts might throw at us—

knowing that we are “in Christ,” 

and “in Christ,” 

there is no condemnation, 

no charge that can stand against us.

Oh Lord, take us deeper into that love 

which has indeed conquered sin and death forever.

In Jesus’ victorious name. Amen. 

Read Romans 8:31-38; 1 John 5:4-5; Revelation 2:7; 2:26;  3:12; 5:5; 21:7.

#Dailyprayer #devotional

A Prayer about God’s Grace for Our Sin

by | Aug 6, 2025 | Daily Prayer, Learning Story

A Prayer about God’s Grace for Our Sin

Will you join me in asking God to examine our hearts?

They were filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness. They are gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless. Romans 1:29-31.

Merciful Lord,

It’s impossible to read the list of sins 

describing people who don’t “see fit to acknowledge God,” 

and not see ourselves somewhere in it—

have I ever gossiped, 

speaking ill of people behind their backs? 

Have I ever been boastful and haughty, 

thinking I know the right thing to do 

about raising children, 

protecting from disease, 

or even teaching Bible study? 

Was I ever disobedient to my parents as a teenager? 

Have I ever wanted to possess what someone else has? 

Have I ever not only done these things 

but given approval to others who do them (Romans 1:32)? 

If so, I deserve to die for my sins (Romans 1:32).

I have, and I do.

And yet. 

By your mercy, 

through your undeserved grace, 

you have turned my heart toward Jesus 

as my only hope for salvation. 

Although I will continue to struggle 

with some of these sins 

until the day you take me home, 

“There is therefore now no condemnation 

for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1).

Lord, help us to take stock of our sins. 

Forgive us when we judge others’ sins 

more harshly than our own. 

Open our hearts to our one true hope for salvation. 

And empower us to fight the battle 

against besetting sin 

through the might of your sanctifying Spirit. 

In Jesus’ saving name. Amen. 

Read Romans 1:18-32; Romans 7:7-8:1.

A Prayer about Who God Is and Why It Matters

by | Aug 5, 2025 | Daily Prayer, Learning Story

A Prayer about Who God Is and Why It Matters

Do you know how praising the Lord can change you and your prayers? 

Praise the Lord!

Praise the Lord, O my soul!

I will praise the Lord as long as I live;

I will sing praises to my God all my life long. Psalm 146:1

God-Above, Maker of Heaven and Earth,

How often do we pause to consider who you are, 

your graciousness, 

your goodness, 

your generosity? 

Not often enough. 

When we take time to consider 

your “wondrous works” and “mighty acts,” 

we receive a blessing—

our worry shrinks and our confidence grows. 

Let’s start naming just a few of the things we praise you for:

You “uphold all who are falling 

and raise up all who are bowed down” (Psalm 145:15)

[Name why this matters to you or those you pray for.]

You are our help and our hope, 

the God “who made heaven and earth, the sea, 

and all that is in them” (Psalm 146:6).

[Name why this matters to you or those you pray for.]

You “execute justice for the oppressed, 

you give food to the hungry” (Psalm 146:7).

[Name why this matters to you or those you pray for.]

You “lift up the humble; 

you cast the wicked to the ground” (Psalm 147:6).

[Name why this matters to you and those you pray for.]

You “take pleasure in your people; 

you adorn the humble with salvation” (Psalm 149:4).

[Name why this matters to you and those you pray for.]

Good and gracious Father, 

for all of these things and thousands more, 

we praise your name, 

we rejoice in you, 

we adore you, 

we give you glory. 

Develop in us a regular rhythm 

of praising all of your goodness.

In Jesus’ wonder-full name. Amen.

Read one or more from Psalms 145-150. 

 

A Prayer about the Mission of Jesus

by | Mar 12, 2025 | Daily Prayer, Gospel living, Mission, Spiritual Growth

A Prayer about the Mission of Jesus

The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor…

Isaiah 61:1

Lord Jesus,

Dazzle us again with this strange but good news:

You weren’t just a man who decided to go about preaching. 

You were “anointed,” set apart for a special mission, 

designated to be a different kind of king. 

You weren’t anointed 

by the board of your church or by a seminary. 

You were set apart for this mission 

by the other two members of the Holy Trinity: 

the Holy Spirit and the Holy God. 

Together, in trinitarian agreement, 

since the foundation of the world, 

you all planned this special mission:

You would come, as the only God-in-flesh, 

not to the rich and the rulers, 

but to the poor, the afflicted, and the broken-hearted. 

And you would bring “good news.” 

We are grateful for your mission 

and grateful to be the people for whom you came.

In your anointed name. Amen. 

Dear friends, stay tuned. Tomorrow, we’ll pray more about Isaiah 61 and that good news. 



A Prayer about the Mission of Jesus

by | Feb 21, 2024 | Daily Prayer, Mission, Spiritual Growth

A Prayer about the Mission of Jesus

The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor…Isaiah 61:1

Lord Jesus,

Dazzle us again with this strange but good news:

You weren’t just a man who decided to go about preaching. 

You were “anointed,” set apart for a special mission, 

designated to be a different kind of king. 

You weren’t anointed 

by the board of your church or by a seminary. 

You were set apart for this mission 

by the other two members of the Holy Trinity: 

the Holy Spirit and the Holy God. 

Together, in trinitarian agreement, 

since the foundation of the world, 

you all planned this special mission:

You would come, as the only God-in-flesh, 

not to the rich and the rulers, 

but to the poor, the afflicted, and the broken-hearted. 

And you would bring “good news.” 

We are grateful for your mission 

and grateful to be the people for whom you came.

In your anointed name. Amen. 

Dear friends, stay tuned. Tomorrow, we’ll pray more about Isaiah 61 and that good news.