A Prayer about the Words We Speak

by | Oct 25, 2022 | Daily Prayer, Gospel living, Spiritual Growth

A Prayer about the Words We Speak

One who has a pure heart and speaks with grace will have the king for a friend. Proverbs 22:11

Author God,

Your Word flows with words about our words. 

Because we are in Christ, 

we pray that the words of our mouth 

will bless and encourage and lift others up. 

Today, we pray about our words:

“A person’s words can be life-giving water,

words of true wisdom 

are as refreshing as a bubbling brook” (Proverbs 18:4).

Lord, make my words life-giving; 

make my presence as refreshing as a bubbling brook.

“Gentle words bring life and health; 

a deceitful tongue crushes the spirit” (Proverbs 15:4).

Lord, make my words full of life and health; 

guard my tongue from ever speaking deceit 

or crushing another’s spirit.

“Kind words are like honey – 

sweet to the soul and healthy for the body” (Proverbs 16:24).

Lord, make my words kind, 

flowing over others like sweet honey, 

giving them hope and health in truth and love.

Thank you, Lord, 

for redeeming our hearts, 

our tongues, our words. 

Send us into your hurting world today 

to bring words of encouragement 

to all we meet.

In Jesus’ transforming name. Amen.

Read Proverbs 22:11, 18:4, 15:4, 16:24.

A Prayer about Being a Sheep

by | Oct 24, 2022 | Daily Prayer, Gospel living

A Prayer about Being a Sheep

All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one, to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all. Isaiah 53:6

Good Shepherd,

Wrap our minds and hearts 

around this profoundly good news. 

We are like sheep, 

and sheep are prone to wander. 

Sheep tend to get themselves in mucky ruts, 

forget to eat, 

stumbling down wrong paths 

right into predators’ jaws. 

We, like sheep, 

were stuck, belly up in our own sin, 

helpless to right ourselves. 

Into our helplessness, 

God sent a Lamb, 

his own Lamb, 

to be our spotless sacrifice. 

On you, the Lamb of God, 

our sin was laid: 

“Like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, 

and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent,

so [you] opened not [your] mouth” (Isaiah 53:7). 

Now you are our faithful Shepherd, 

and you lead us beside “waters of rest,” (Psalm 23:2), 

on “right paths,” 

turning us away from the sin-ruts 

we would dig for ourselves. 

Now you lead us in paths of righteousness, 

and you receive the glory (Ps. 23:3). 

Faithful Shepherd, 

thank you for your perfect sacrifice for us, 

and for restoring our sheepish souls.

In your sacrificial name we pray. Amen.

Read Isaiah 53:6-12; Psalm 23. 

A Prayer about the Savior Who Prays for Us

by | Oct 22, 2022 | Daily Prayer, Prayer

A Prayer about the Savior Who Prays for Us

Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them. Hebrews 7:25

Heavenly Father,

We admit, we don’t often think about what Christ is doing right now, 

seated on the throne next to you, 

interceding for us. 

We don’t use the word “intercession” very often, 

so we’re not fully sure what it means, 

but pastor Dane Ortlund helps us here, 

comparing it to when a parent intercedes on behalf of a child to a teacher*. 

But then we wonder, 

if Jesus has to intercede for us to you, 

does that mean you’re not fully satisfied 

with the atoning work of the cross? 

Again, Ortlund helps us here, 

reminding us that your “deepest delight 

is to say yes to the Son’s pleading on our behalf.”*

What good news it is 

to know that our Savior intercedes for us—

when we doubt that you love us 

because we keep repeating a sinful habit, 

we hear that Jesus “is able to save to the uttermost” — 

completely, fully, forever. 

When we’ve done it again,

Jesus is interceding for us, 

“[turning your] eyes to his own righteousness.”** 

When we forget to pray, 

Jesus is always, 

every moment, 

praying for us. 

May this incredibly good news 

send us to our knees in gratitude, in hope, in love.

In Jesus’ ever-praying name. Amen. 

 

This entire prayer was inspired and informed by Chapter 8 of Dane Ortlund’s book Gentle and Lowly: The Heart of Christ for Sinners and Sufferers.

*Dane Ortlund, Gentle and Lowly, 79.

**John Calvin, in Gentle and Lowly, 83.

 

A Prayer about the Lord’s Generosity

by | Oct 21, 2022 | Daily Prayer, Gospel living, gratitude, kingdom living, worship, gratitude

A Prayer about the Lord’s Generosity

Honor the Lord with your wealth and with the first fruits of all your produce; then your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will be bursting with wine. Proverbs 3:9-10

Generous Father,

How kind and generous you have been with us! 

You have [blessed us in the city, 

blessed us in the field,

 blessed the fruit of our womb 

and the fruit of our ground 

and the fruit of our cattle…

You have blessed our basket

 and our kneading bowl. 

You have blessed us 

when we came in 

and when we went out.] (See Deuteronomy 28:2-6). 

Protect us, Lord, from the temptation to believe 

that our money belongs to us. 

Help us to remember always 

that you are the giver of all good gifts. 

Help us to return to you 

a healthy portion of what you have first given us. 

In so doing, 

we may find our barns filled with plenty 

and our vats bursting with wine, 

or we may not. 

But we will most definitely know 

the profound joy of being freed 

from the “love of money,” 

which can lead us 

to greediness and self-destruction. (See 1 Timothy 6:10). 

Even more, may we treasure most 

the inheritance of grace we have in your Son, 

our Savior, Jesus Christ. 

In his sacrificial name we pray. Amen. 

Read Proverbs 3:9-10; Deuteronomy 28:1-14; 1 Timothy 6:10. 

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A Prayer about the Reviving Word

by | Oct 20, 2022 | Daily Prayer, Scripture, Spiritual Growth

A Prayer about the Reviving Word

My soul clings to the dust; give me life according to your word! Psalm 119:25

Author God,

We’ve all felt like the sojourner on earth who, 

even as he walked through trials 

such as “soul-melting sorrow,” 

“scorn and contempt,” 

and the “dread of reproach,” 

pleaded with you, 

“strengthen me according to your word” (Psalm 119:19, 22, 28). 

We join him in praying that you would 

“put false ways far from us, 

and graciously teach us your law” (Psalm 119:29).

May we set your rules before us 

and cling to your testimonies, 

that we might not be put to shame. 

Enlarge our hearts, 

that we may run in the way of your commandments, 

remembering that the first and greatest 

is to “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, 

with all your soul, 

and with all your mind,” 

and the second is like it: 

“Love your neighbor as yourself” 

In the name of Jesus, the Word-made-flesh. Amen. 

Read Psalm 119:29-32; Matthew 22:37-39.

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A Prayer about When God Seems Silent

by | Oct 18, 2022 | Daily Prayer, Grief, Prayer, Suffering

A Prayer about When God Seems Silent

To you, O Lord, I call; my rock, do not be deaf to me, For if you are silent to me, I will become like those who go down to the pit. Psalm 28:1

Merciful God,

We beg you, do not be silent. 

Hear our prayers, 

and speak your gracious response. 

We confess, at times, 

we feel we have prayed and prayed and prayed, 

maybe about a loved one’s illness or our own, 

about the need for a job, 

or about the longing for a spouse or a child or a loved one’s salvation, 

and we think we’re listening, 

but we hear nothing. 

We urge you, 

“Hear the voice of our pleas for mercy, 

when we cry to you for help, 

when we lift our hands 

toward your most holy sanctuary” (Ps. 28:2). 

Lord, thank you for the thousands of words 

you’ve given us in your Word 

that answer us 

when we can’t hear the answer in our lives. 

Your Word gives voice to our lament. 

Your Word reminds us 

that you are always “the strength of your people…

the saving refuge of your anointed.” 

Because of your Word become flesh, 

our Savior Jesus, 

we have heard an answer to all of our prayers, 

“It is finished” (John 19:30). 

You have taken us for your own, 

and one day, we will be with you, 

and our desperate need for an answer 

will slip away in the sound of your welcoming voice.

In Jesus’ hope-giving name. Amen.

Read Psalm 28. 

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