A Prayer about God’s Grace for Our Sin

by | Jul 26, 2022 | Daily Prayer, Gospel living

A Prayer about God’s Grace for Our Sin

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 Not Repaying Evil for Evil

by | Jul 4, 2022 | Daily Prayer, Gospel living

A Prayer about Not Repaying Evil for Evil

1 Thess 5:15: See to it that no one repays evil for evil, but always seek to good to one another and to everyone.
 
Good Father,
Not only are you “abundantly good,”
you sent your Son to defeat evil,
in our hearts, and in this world.
We know our hearts are “deceitful”
and “desperately sick” (Jeremiah 17:9),
and we know we are blind to our own potential
to harm others and to rebel against you.
Show us, we pray, by your Spirit,
the ways we harbor evil,
the ways we seek revenge
when someone has done us evil.
Destroy every crack and crevice
of bitterness or resentment
we might harbor.
Draw us to “seek to do good”—
to “one another” and to “everyone,”
not just to the people
who have been nice to us,
the people we agree with on all the hot-button issues,
or the people who look, talk, and act like us.
In Jesus’ kind name. Amen.
Read 1 Thessalonians 5:12-28.

A Prayer about Being Truly Transformed

by | Jul 1, 2022 | Daily Prayer, Gospel living

A Prayer about Being Truly Transformed

Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Romans 12:2

Everlasting God,

I did it again.

I just scrolled away twenty minutes,

looking at this and that,

following this trail on someone’s post about their wayward cat,

clicking on this headline about a bizarre tragedy on a remote island,

checking the weather for Wimbledon…

Have mercy on me, have mercy on us.

Sometimes it seems we have no self-control

when a screen is in our hand or at our fingertips.

We long to know the “rest for my soul”

that Jesus has promised (Matthew 11:28-30),

and yet so much of what we do

fills our heads and heart

with noise and trivia

that is impotent to change our lives.

Transform us, we pray,

renew our minds by the work of your Spirit,

so that we can sit still

and remember that you are God (Psalm 46:10).

Speaking of sitting,

help us to do just that sometimes,

to sit quietly with no phone, no tablet, not even a book,

and listen for your voice delighting in us,

for in this very moment,

you are singing over us,

quieting us with your love (Zephaniah 3:14-17).

In Jesus’ life-changing name. Amen.

Read Romans 12:13; Matthew 11:28-30; Psalm 46:10; Zephaniah 3:14-17.

A Prayer about the Wisdom We So Desperately Need

by | Jun 30, 2022 | Daily Prayer, Gospel living

A Prayer about the Wisdom We So Desperately Need

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom,
    and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight. Proverbs 9:10

Awesome God,

In this confusing and chaotic world,

how desperatelywe need your wisdom.

Parents need your wisdom to know how to

help their children stay safe and on a wise path;

adult children need your wisdom to know how to

talk to their parents about letting go of the car keys;

bosses need your wisdom to know how to

steward their employees’ gifts,

and on and on…

Whoever we are,

whatever our situation,

we need your wisdom,

whether we realize it or not.

May we first realize that it is your wisdom we need,

and then may we turn to you to find it.

When we “fear” you,

that is live in awe of you,

live in gratitude of you,

live seeking your Word,

live listening to pastors and ministry leaders and wiser friends,

you promise,

we will grow in your wisdom.

It is indeed through you,

as Eugene Peterson puts it,

that [our] life deepens,

and the years of [our] life ripen.

May we “live wisely”

so that “wisdom will permeate [our] lives.” (Proverbs 9: 11, The MSG).

Read Proverbs 9. 

A Prayer about Avoiding Foolish Controversy

by | Jun 26, 2022 | Daily Prayer, Gospel living, Leadership

A Prayer about Avoiding Foolish Controversy

Have nothing to do with foolish, ignorant controversies; you know that they breed quarrels. 2 Timothy 2:23

Gracious and Wise God,

Give us the wisdom

the apostle Paul urged young Timothy to have.

May we “run away from infantile indulgence” (2 Tim. 2:22,The MSG)

by refusing to engage in inane arguments

with unbelievers and false teachers.

May we “pursue righteousness,

faith,

love,

and peace”

by grounding ourselves in your Word

and in the fellowship of the Church,

by praying that your Spirit would transform us

from people quick to quarrel

to people patient and peaceable.

May we become the types of servants

who avoid foolish discussions,

instead focusing on

being “kind to everyone,

able to teach,

patiently enduring evil,

correcting opponents with gentleness” (2 Timothy 2:24-25).

May we pray for false teachers

and destructive leaders,

any who would lead others astray,

asking you to “grant them repentance,

leading [them] to the knowledge of the truth….

[that] they may come to their senses

and escape the snare of the devil,

after being captured by him to do his will.”

In Jesus’ truthful name. Amen.

Read 2 Timothy 2:22-26.   

A Prayer about the Best Father for Father’s Day

by | Jun 19, 2022 | Daily Prayer, Gospel living

A Prayer about the Best Father for Father’s Day

But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him. Luke 15:20

Good and Faithful Father,

On this day

when some celebrate their earthly fathers

while some grieve fathers who’ve left this earth

and others long for the presence of a good father,

we thank you that you are a better father even

than this waiting father

in the story of the lost sons (Luke 15:11-32).

You have run to us through your Son;

you have embraced us by his death for our sins;

you have robed us in Christ’s righteousness;

you have kissed us and welcomed us home

because of your extravagant grace.

On this Father’s Day on earth,

let us remember that for those who belong to you,

every day is Father’s Day,

every day is a day to praise and thank you,

our good and glorious Father.

In your precious Son’s name. Amen.

Read Luke 15:11-32.