A Prayer about Loving God and Loving Others

by Elizabeth | Mar 30, 2023 | Daily Prayer, Lent

A Prayer about Loving God and Loving Others

‘And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ Mark 12:30-31

Triune God,

In a day when hatred seems more common than love,

when mocking seems more common than meekness,

when taking offense seems more common than taking up our cross,

we confess, the greatest commandment seems impossible.

And yet, you have not only called us to love you

with all of our beings, our hearts, our souls, our minds, our strength,

you have empowered us through your Spirit to do so.

You have not only called us to love you in this way,

but you have called us to love our neighbors

(including strangers and enemies)

as much as we love ourselves (which we have to admit, is a lot!)

Thank you for Jesus, who loved us,

Your enemies,

so much that he died

so that we might become your friends.

May we live and love

out of our gratitude

for his sacrifice

and out of the power

of his resurrection.

In Jesus’ loving name. Amen.

Read Mark 12:28-34.

A Prayer about Honoring Jesus

by Elizabeth | Mar 29, 2023 | Daily Prayer, Easter, Gospel living, Lent

A Prayer about Honoring Jesus

In pouring this ointment on my body, she has done it to prepare me for burial. Truly, I say to you, wherever this gospel is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will also be told in memory of her. Matthew 26:12-13

Lord Jesus,

How often we,

like the disciples,

have different values than yours.

They were alarmed that Mary had anointed your head

with her expensive ointment (Matthew 26:6-7; John 12:3).

Religious and practical,

they called her sacrifice “a waste,”

saying the ointment could have been sold

and the money given to the poor (Matthew 26:8).

(Judas was disgusted because he wanted to sell it

and take the money for himself (John 12:6).

You disagreed, telling the disciples,

“she has done a beautiful thing for me” (Matthew 26:10).

You knew you would soon die,

and your followers’ opportunity

to enjoy and honor you in person

would come to an end.

Save us, Lord, from our self-made plans to serve you.

Draw us to your feet, to see you as Mary did,

to know your desires as Mary did,

and to love you “impractically” as Mary did.

Grow our enjoyment of you,

so that we will delight in your presence

and focus our lives fully on you.

In our devotion to you,

may we show the world the good news

of your sacrifice for us.

In your worship-worthy name. Amen.

Read Matthew 26:6-16.

A Prayer about Believing God’s Love is Unfailing

by Elizabeth | Mar 28, 2023 | Daily Prayer, Death and Resurrection, Easter, Lent

A Prayer about Believing God’s Love is Unfailing

For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:38-39

Steadfastly Loving God,

I haven’t done a study on it,

but I’m willing to bet the word “love” ranks high

as one of the most common words and themes in Scripture,

especially as it is associated with you.

Here are just a few of the things the Bible says about

what your love means for us:

“See how very much our Father loves us,

for He calls us His children, and that is what we are!” (1 John 3:1)

“But God showed His great love for us

by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners” (Romans 5:8).

“For this is how God loved the world:

He gave His one and only Son,

so that everyone who believes in Him

will not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16)

“For the LORD corrects those He loves,

just as a father corrects a child in whom He delights” (Proverbs 3:11-12).

The question we must answer is

do we believe

in your everlasting,

unfailing,

unearned,

undeserved

love for us?

And if we do,

how will we respond?

Will we live in the security of your love,

loving our neighbors

and even ourselves (who we sometimes find hardest to love)?

Will we live without fear,

because your perfect love casts out fear (1 John 4:18)?

Will we live in service to you,

grateful for your love to us?

Oh, loving Lord, may it be so!

May we rest and rejoice in your incomprehensible love for us, today and every day!

In Jesus’ sacrificially loving name. Amen.

Read 1 John 3:1-3; John 3:16; Proverbs 3:11-12; 1 John 4:7-21.

A Prayer about Jesus’ Determination

by Elizabeth | Mar 27, 2023 | Daily Prayer, Death and Resurrection, Easter, Lent

A Prayer about Jesus’ Determination

And they will mock him and spit on him, and flog him and kill him. And after three days he will rise. Mark 10:34.

Lord Jesus,

Enlarge our imaginations

so that we might walk with you

on the day you told your disciples

this alarming news.

You were marching resolutely toward Jerusalem,

toward your certain suffering and death.

Your face was “set like a flint” (Isaiah 50:7),

unwavering as you headed toward your final destination.

Your followers were both “amazed” and “afraid,”

maybe because you had twice before told them

what would happen in Jerusalem (Mark 10:32; 8:31; 9:31).

Lord Jesus, enliven our hearts

that we might be amazed again—

amazed that you moved on toward your mission,

knowing what you knew—

that your opponents would mock you

and spit on you

and flog you

and kill you;

amazed that because you willingly endured this suffering,

we have full forgiveness for our sins;

amazed that you rose from the dead

and that by believing in you we are raised to new life.

In your amazing name. Amen.

Read Mark 10:32-34; Mark 8:31; Mark 9:31; Isaiah 50:7.

A Prayer about the Unoffended Preacher

by Elizabeth | Mar 26, 2023 | Daily Prayer, Lent

A Prayer about the Unoffended Preacher

And they rose up and drove him out of the town and brought him to the brow of the hill on which their town was built, so that they could throw him down the cliff. Luke 4:29.

Lord Jesus,

Every time I read this story of you

preaching in your hometown temple,

I’m astonished that your own people

hated you so much.

You announced that you were the Messiah with the words,

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,

because he has anointed me

to proclaim good news to the poor” (Luke 4:18).

How could anyone hate such a sermon?

You gently but firmly

reminded this hometown congregation

that when God’s prophet is rejected,

he is sent elsewhere (Luke 4:24-27).

How did they respond?

They sought to throw you off a cliff (Luke 4:29).

Jesus, may we receive your words into our hearts

and honor you in our lives.

May we never attack you or others

who tell us the hard truth about ourselves.

May we walk in your ways,

the gentle and strong ways

of the one who “passed through their midst”

and “went away”

as the people of your town sought to kill you.

In your unoffended name we pray. Amen.

Read Luke 4:16-30.

A Prayer about Preparing for Eternal Glory

by Elizabeth | Mar 25, 2023 | Daily Prayer, Death and Resurrection, Lent

A Prayer about Preparing for Eternal Glory

And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. 1 Peter 5:10

Glorious Father,

We confess,

we don’t often enough tear ourselves away

from the busy demands of this world

to think of the eternal glory just beyond.

After all, we have baby showers we have to attend,

emails we to answer,

yards to mow.

What do we even mean by eternal glory?

Eternal glory is that to which we have been called,

by “the God of all grace” “in Christ” (1 Peter 5:10).

Eternal glory is the future glory “to be revealed in us”

after “the sufferings of this present time” (Rom. 8:18).

Eternal glory is that for which

we and all of creation “groan inwardly” as we “wait eagerly” (Rom. 8:23).

Eternal glory is the glory for which

the sufferings of this world prepare us.

Eternal glory is so weighty

that it will one day prove our sufferings

to have been as light as a feather (2 Cor. 4:17-18).

In one sense, of course, we have already inherited this eternal glory

if we are in Christ: “….those whom he justified he also glorified” (Rom. 8:30).

And yet, our glory’s full fruition awaits the day of Christ’s return:

“When Christ who is your life appears,

then you will also appear with him in glory” (Col. 3:3).

Oh, Lord, draw our minds to contemplate the joys

that await us in eternal glory,

that we might live every day in anticipation of it.

In Jesus’ glorious name. Amen.

Read Romans 8:18-30; 1 Peter 5:6-11.