A Prayer about God’s Silence

by Elizabeth | Apr 5, 2023 | Daily Prayer, Easter, Lent

A Prayer about God’s Silence

‘Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours be done.’ Luke 22:42

Father God,

As we walk with Jesus through Holy Week,

as we kneel with him

while he washes his disciples’ feet,

as we listen to him

give the new commandment

to love one another as he has loved them (John 13:34),

may we also stay awake with him

in the garden as he agonizes in prayer.

As we watch and listen with Jesus,

may we notice that no answer comes to his prayer.

You do not speak.

You do not send an angel.

You are silent in Jesus’ moment of agony.

And may your silence speak

into every empty space

we have ever known in our prayers.

When we beg you for years

to bring our child home

and she just seems to wander farther away from you.

When we urge you for decades to heal our chronic pain,

and it lingers, weakening us and making us irritable.

When we plead with you daily to free us from addiction,

but the craving still strikes out of the blue.

In your silence to Jesus

may we hear your whispered response

to every prayer that hangs in the balance:

I abandoned my Son to the cross for you (Psalm 22:1-2).

I sent my Son to take on your punishment and your pain (Romans 3:25-26).

I sentenced my Son to death that you might be raised to new life.

I am your beloved, and you are mine (Song of Solomon 2:16).

As we remember these answers to prayers we did not pray,

may we draw near to the throne of grace

and find mercy to help in time of need (Hebrews 4:16).

In Jesus’ suffering name. Amen.

Read Luke 22:39-46; Psalm 22:1-2; Romans 3:25-26; Song of Solomon 2:16; Hebrews 4:16.

Note: This prayer is based on my Holy Week devotional, The Gospel Day-by-Day. Get your Holy Week devotional e-book free now. Link in profile or copy/paste link into browser: http://eepurl.com/b__teX.

A Prayer about the Hope of the Cross

by Elizabeth | Apr 4, 2023 | Daily Prayer, Death and Resurrection, Easter, Lent

A Prayer about the Hope of the Cross

Then one of the twelve, whose name was Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests and said, ‘What will you give me if I deliver him over to you?’ And they paid him thirty shekels of silver. Matthew 26:14-15

Merciful Father,

This scene ranks right up there

as one of the saddest moments in all of Scripture.

Judas, disgusted with Jesus’ mercy,

makes his final decision to betray Jesus,

and for a pittance.

While it’s tempting to point fingers at Judas and ask,

“How could he,”

we must also look in the mirror and see

our own betrayal of you, of Jesus,

our rebellious hearts that Jesus died to restore.

Even as we see the darkness of our own sin,

may we step back and survey the wondrous cross

on which our Prince of Glory died.

May we truly comprehend

the depth and breadth of your love for us

and your complete forgiveness of our sins.

As we do, may we fall at your feet to worship as Mary did,

extravagantly and spectacularly.

In Jesus’ loyal name.

Read Matthew 26:6-16.

Note: This prayer is based on my Holy Week devotional, The Gospel Day-by-Day. Get your Holy Week devotional e-book free now. Link in profile or copy/paste link into browser: http://eepurl.com/b__teX.

A Prayer about Learning to Forgive

by Elizabeth | Apr 3, 2023 | Daily Prayer, Easter, Lent

A Prayer about Learning to Forgive

And whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father also who is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses. Mark 11:25

Heavenly Father,

On this Tuesday of Holy Week,

as Jesus taught his disciples essential lessons

they would need in the coming days,

he chose to highlight forgiveness.

May we never misunderstand Jesus’ command to forgive:

It is not our forgiving others that earns your forgiveness.

It is your forgiveness alone through Christ’s death and resurrection

that empowers us to forgive.

And yet, you have made your design clear:

there is no room for bitterness and unforgiveness

in the Christian’s heart.

You have shaped our hearts

for your contra-conditional love,

undeserved mercy,

and costly forgiveness.

Almighty God, help us.

Help us to name the harm that seems unforgivable.

Move mighty mountains of bitterness

far from our hearts;

toss them into the depths of the sea.

Free us to run in the boundless love

which flowed fully down from the cross.

In Jesus’ forgiving name. Amen.

Read Mark 11:20-25; Matthew 6:7-15.

Note: This prayer is based on my Holy Week devotional, The Gospel Day-by-Day. Get your Holy Week devotional e-book free now. Link in profile or copy/paste link into browser: http://eepurl.com/b__teX.

A Prayer about Becoming Fruitful Fig Trees

by Elizabeth | Apr 2, 2023 | Daily Prayer, Easter, Lent

A Prayer about Becoming Fruitful Fig Trees

And seeing a fig tree by the wayside, he went to it and found nothing on it but only leaves. And he said to it, ‘May no fruit ever come from you again!’ And the fig tree withered at once. Matthew 21:18

Creator God,

We confess,

many of us are as confused

as the disciples about why you cursed the fig tree.

What we don’t understand

is that the fig tree represents Israel, your people,

who had been saved for a purpose:

to bear fruit (grow figs);

yet they repeatedly turned away from you,

the God who saved them:

“What I gave them has passed away from them” (Jeremiah 8:13).

Their leaves of life had withered

and their figs of fruit had passed away.

Lord, save us from our wayward hearts.

Help us to grasp

that Christ’s death and resurrection

alone will change us into fruit-bearing trees,

flourishing in your kingdom,

waving our bright green leaves

and offering others a taste

of the rich juicy fruit of your glory.

In Jesus’ fruit-bearing name. Amen.

Read Matthew 21:18-22; Mark 11:12-14.

Note: This prayer is based on my Holy Week devotional, The Gospel Day-by-Day. Get your Holy Week devotional e-book free now. Link in profile or copy/paste link into browser: http://eepurl.com/b__teX.

A Prayer about Perfect Peace

by Elizabeth | Apr 1, 2023 | Daily Prayer, Easter, Lent

A Prayer about Perfect Peace

Jesus said to them again, ‘Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.’

John 20:21

Heavenly Father,

Even as Holy Week begins,

may we remember its conclusion.

In the days leading up to his death,

Jesus suffered physical, mental, and emotional pain.

And yet, he always remained at peace,

because he knew he had been sent by you to complete a mission—

to bring your people back to your loving embrace.

Now, we your people carry on that mission.

And sometimes we too will suffer physical, mental, and emotional pain.

When we do,

may we remember Christ’s words

and know his profound comfort:

‘Peace be with you.’

In Jesus’ peace-bringing name. Amen.

Read John 20:19-23.

A Prayer about Dying to Bear Fruit

by Elizabeth | Mar 31, 2023 | Daily Prayer, Lent, Spiritual Growth

A Prayer about Dying to Bear Fruit

Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. John 12:24-25

Lord Jesus,

I’m not much of a gardener,

but I do know that you begin by burying a seed in dirt,

and then, if all goes well,

a few days or weeks later,

something green starts to poke out of that dirt.

I also know that if properly nurtured,

that green poke

will turn into a stalk

and eventually bear the fruit

of a cherry tomato

or a mammoth sunflower

or a juicy piece of corn.

As we approach the days

when we celebrate your death and resurrection,

may we remember our calling

to be buried with you

that we might rise with you.

May we learn to let go of the things

we think are so precious and necessary in our daily lives

in order to discover

the precious and necessary life you have for us,

a flourishing life of bearing fruit,

an eternal life of joy and glory.

In your fruit-bearing name. Amen.

Read John 12:20-26.