A Prayer about Seeing the Glory of Jesus

by | May 21, 2025 | Daily Prayer, Gospel living, Spiritual Growth

A Prayer about Seeing the Glory of Jesus

And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became white as light. Matthew 17:2

Glorious Jesus,

How we long to see your glory, 

to really see it, 

the way Peter, James, and John saw it 

in the transfiguration. 

You took them to a high mountain, 

and as you were praying, 

you began shining like the sun, 

your face lit up in fierce, overpowering light, 

your clothes whiter 

than newly bleached sheets. 

Even though we have not yet physically seen you 

in your glory, 

help us to engage our imaginations 

so that we see what Peter, James, and John saw. 

Dazzling in your glory, 

you spoke with Moses and Elijah, 

two men who had caught glimpses of God’s glory. 

God’s glory-cloud descended on this whole bunch 

gathered on the mountain, 

and the voice of your Father spoke, 

“This is my beloved Son, 

with whom I am well pleased. 

Listen to him” (Matthew 17:5). 

The disciples sank to the ground, 

terrified by it all. 

But you, the fiery yet gentle Jesus, 

touched them, 

telling them, 

“Rise, and have no fear” (Matthew 17:7). 

Lord, may we see your glory 

even in this very story. 

And may we imagine your glory 

shining today into every crack and crevice of sin, 

every rupture and ravage of evil, 

healing and cleansing 

and bringing hope to hurting hearts. 

In your beautiful name. Amen. 

Read Matthew 17:1-13.



A Prayer about Days When You Can’t Take One More Thing

by | May 20, 2025 | Daily Prayer, Gospel living, Spiritual Growth

A Prayer about Days When You Can’t Take One More Thing

I was pushed hard, so that I was falling, but the Lord helped me. Psalm 118:13

Lord Almighty,

On those days 

when we can’t take 

one more phone call lodging a complaint, 

one more text sharing sad news, 

one more best-laid plan going awry, 

one more thing—

Help us!

Help us to remember that you are our helper.

Who is our helper?

Our helper is the Maker of heaven and earth (Psalm 146:6). 

Our helper is the one 

who has “answered [us] and set [us] free” (Psalm 118:6).

Our helper is the one 

who “keeps faith forever; 

who executes justice for the oppressed, 

who gives food to the hungry, 

who sets the prisoner free, 

who opens the eyes of the blind, 

who lifts up those who are bowed down, 

who loves the righteous, 

who watches over the sojourner, 

who upholds the widow and the fatherless, 

who brings the wicked to ruin” (Psalm 146:6-10).

Our helper is the one 

whose steadfast love endures forever (Psalm 118:1-3).

Our helper is you, our Heavenly Father, 

who has adopted us through the precious blood 

of your very own Son.

In Jesus’ helping name. Amen. 

Read Psalm 118. 



A Prayer about How We’re Saved

by | May 18, 2025 | Daily Prayer, Gospel living, Spiritual Growth

A Prayer about How We’re Saved

For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. Ephesians 2:8-9

Gracious God,

Forgive us. 

We are so easily confused, 

and when we read about the Old Testament law 

and all the different kinds of offerings, 

we sometimes believe that you once saved your people 

through their keeping the law. 

But the law was never meant to save, 

only to point your people from the beginning of time 

to your undeserved kindness. 

We see this in what has been called the “Hall of Heroes,” 

but is more aptly called the “Hall of Your Faithfulness.” 

Indeed, from Abel to Abraham, 

from Sarah to Samson, 

none of the people mentioned in Hebrews 11 

lived your law perfectly. 

Instead, they “consider[ed] him faithful who had promised” (Heb. 11:11).  

It is this faith in your faithfulness, 

in your saving grace, 

that saved them. 

And it is this faith that saves us. 

May we always remember 

that you have faithfully carried out your plan 

to save your people 

from the beginning of time. 

What good news this is, 

since our works could never save us!

In the name of our faithful Savior, Jesus, we pray.

Amen. 



A Prayer about Keeping Our Eyes on Jesus

by | May 17, 2025 | Daily Prayer, Gospel living, Spiritual Growth

A Prayer about Keeping Our Eyes on Jesus

So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. 2 Corinthians 4:18

Trustworthy Jesus,

We know we need to fix and re-fix our eyes on you, 

our “unseen” (for now) Savior, 

the author and perfecter of our faith (See Hebrews 12:1-2). 

Only in you will we find 

the strength, the courage, 

the faith, the hope, 

the love 

we need to move forward 

into the uncertain and often frightening 

circumstances of our lives. 

Help us not to trust in our to-do lists 

or our carefully laid plans. 

Help us not to trust in 

our efficiency or our competence. 

Help us instead to look at you 

each hour, each moment, 

of every day, 

to ask you, 

“Now what? 

Now to whom? 

Now where?” 

Help us to look to you for direction, 

and help us to obey you 

when you send us somewhere 

we don’t want to go. 

Indeed, only in you will we find our perfect peace, 

only as our minds are focused on you (See Isaiah 26:3). 

You are trustworthy; 

you are working in all things 

for the good of those who love you 

and are called according to your purpose (See Romans 8:28). 

We love you, Jesus. 

Help us to keep our eyes on you, 

that we might trust you. 

Amen.

Read 2 Corinthians 4:16-18; Hebrews 12:1-3; Isaiah 26:3; Romans 8:28. 



A Prayer about Seeing God’s Glory

by | May 16, 2025 | Daily Prayer, Gospel living, Spiritual Growth

A Prayer about Seeing God’s Glory

But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, ‘Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord.’ Luke 5:8

God of Glory, Holy Lord,

Recently our pastor encouraged us 

to pray to see God’s glory. 

I’m so thankful for his encouragement. 

Glory is such a weighty and unwieldy concept to grasp. 

Furthermore, Isaiah 6:3 tells us, 

“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty; 

the whole earth is filled with his glory.”

So in other words, your holiness and your glory are intertwined. 

How do we grasp your holiness and your glory? 

I think Peter gives us a clue in this moment with Jesus. 

He was a fishermen; he knew fish. 

He had been fishing all night 

without catching so much as a minnow. 

So when Jesus, after concluding one of his teaching sessions, 

tells him to cast his nets, 

we can imagine Peter’s eye-roll. 

And we can also imagine the commanding look 

Jesus gave him in return, 

because Peter quickly says, 

“But at your word I will let down the nets.” 

Sure enough, so many fish swim into the nets 

they almost burst wide open. 

And it is here that Peter sees Jesus 

for who he really is. 

Holy. 

Glorious. 

Something other. 

Something beyond. 

Something beautiful. 

And that is why this rough and rowdy fisherman 

collapses in a pile of fish 

and prays this prayer, 

“Depart from me, 

for I am a sinful man, O Lord.’ 

How we thank you for your holiness, Lord, 

for your glory, 

and for how you reveal it to us. 

May we see it all day every day—

in the sun and moon and stars 

and fish and faces and fellowship, 

in your Word and in your work in this world. 

In Jesus’ beautiful name we pray. Amen.

Read Isaiah 6:3; Luke 5:1-11.



A Prayer about Joy in Trials

by | May 15, 2025 | Daily Prayer, Gospel living, Spiritual Growth

A Prayer about Joy in Trials

Consider it a great joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you experience various trials, because you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance. James 1:2-3

Father of All Comfort,

We admit, “joy” is not often our first response 

when our car won’t start 

or when we receive a difficult diagnosis 

or when our child struggles in school 

or when we have a bad day at work…

And yet, you call us to “consider it a great joy” 

when we encounter all kinds of trials. 

You must have a good reason, 

and your gospel has made that reason clear:

Trials test our faith (James 1:2). 

When our kids are happy and our health is good and work works, 

we don’t always recognize you as the giver of these good gifts; 

we don’t always recognize our desperate dependence on you. 

But when trials come, when storms bring rough waters, 

we must anchor ourselves to your steadfast love.

You will sustain us, 

and “steadfastness” will one day have its full effect: 

having gone through this trial, 

we will be “mature and complete, lacking nothing” (James 1:4). 

Gracious Father, that is what we want most of all: 

to be more and more like Christ, 

who “for the joy set before him, endured the cross…” (Hebrews 12:1-2).

By his grace, teach us to “count it joy” when we face trials, 

and grow our endurance.

In Jesus’ joy-full name. Amen. 

Read James 1:1-4; Hebrews 12:1-11.