A Prayer about the Perfection God Promises

by | Jul 2, 2022 | Daily Prayer, Theology

A Prayer about the Perfection God Promises

You therefore must be perfect as your Heavenly Father is perfect. Matthew 5:48

Heavenly Father,

As a recovering perfectionist,

I confess, this verse always makes me anxious

when I first read it.

But then I reread Dr. Dan Doriani’s commentary on Matthew,

and he reminds me,

the command is also a promise as phrased in Greek,

“You shall be perfect as your Heavenly Father is perfect.”

As he says, the word “perfect” also reveals

how completely inadequate we are

to live out Jesus’ commands

apart from his mercy and grace

operating in our lives.

The word “perfect” means “mature and complete,”

but we know we’re nowhere near

as mature and complete as God is,

so it must be a process.

Indeed,

becoming mature and complete

takes a lifetime of your sanctifying work

through the Spirit.

Becoming mature and complete

doesn’t mean “work harder”;

it means “depend on God more,”

because you are the God

who makes new selves out of old selves (2 Corinthians 5:17).

Becoming mature and complete

doesn’t mean “never make a mistake”;

it means “run to God

with all of your mistakes,

weaknesses, and sin.”

To be perfect

is to trust in you alone

to finish the good work

you began in us in Christ Jesus (Philippians 1:6).

In Jesus’ perfecting name. Amen.

Read Matthew 5:17-48; Philippians 3:12-16.

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 the Questions Jesus Asks

by | Jun 29, 2022 | Daily Prayer, Scripture

A Prayer about the Questions Jesus Asks

Where have you come from, and where are you going? Genesis 16:8

Pursuing God

Thank you for chasing after us when we try to run away.

Like Hagar in the wilderness,

we can run ourselves into the ground,

but you seek us,

and you draw us out of our hiding,

asking questions we really need to hear:

Where have you come from?

Where are you going?

Or, as you asked Adam and Eve

when they “hid” from you after eating the fruit,

Where are you?

You don’t ask these questions

because you don’t know the answers.

You don’t ask these questions

because you want to trap us.

You ask them

to invite us to see where we are,

to see where we’ve been,

to see where we’re headed without you.

But you also ask them

to reveal the most important thing

we need to know—

where you are (right here with us),

and who you are:

“The God Who Hears,

The God Who Sees,”

the God who looks after us (Genesis 16:13).

May we listen to your questions,

letting them draw us

to your loving and forgiving presence.

In the name of our Savior,

Immanuel (“God-with-us”), we pray. Amen.

Read Genesis 16:1-16.

A Prayer about the Miracle of Life

by | Jun 27, 2022 | Daily Prayer, Parenting, Theology

A Prayer about the Miracle of Life

I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.

Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well. Psalm 139:13

Lord and Giver of Life,

As the grandparents of one baby born in February,

and two more to be born in the fall,

We’re more blown away than ever at the miracle of life.

As we have all become privy to the wonders of 3D ultrasounds

which take us into the womb to ooh and ahh

at the tiny little fingers,

the cute snub nose,

the long skinny legs,

of a 20-week-old life,

may we pause to consider

how wonderfully worked are your masterpieces,

the precious lives you have formed.

Lord, even as we marvel at the miracle of pregnancy,

may we serve every mother and every child,

finding ways to support them

in work and nutrition and childcare and healthcare,

that every child may grow to know

that they are created and redeemed by you.

In Jesus’ child-loving name. Amen.

Read Psalm 139:13-16.

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.