A Prayer about Dysfunctional Families

by | Feb 11, 2025 | Daily Prayer, Gospel living, Spiritual Growth

A Prayer about Dysfunctional Families

So now, come on, let’s kill him and throw him into one of the pits. We can say that a vicious animal ate him. Then we’ll see what becomes of his dreams! Genesis 37:19

Author God,

Thank you for your Word 

which gives us hope 

that you can redeem 

even the worst of our sins 

against our families. 

Time after time, 

you supply true stories 

of fallen people, 

people you transformed, 

people through whom 

you accomplished your purposes.

In Genesis 37 we see Jacob, 

one of the fathers of many nations, 

showing favoritism to his son Joseph,

giving him a coveted coat of “many colors”.

Joseph doesn’t help matters 

by sharing a dream with his brothers 

about how he will one day rule over them.

His brothers seethe with resentment, 

so much so that they decide to kill Joseph

and tell their father he was eaten by an animal. 

Oh, Lord, have mercy on us. 

Show us that but for your transforming grace 

in Jesus Christ, 

this would be our end. 

We are like Jacob and Joseph and the brothers,

and yet, you have bought us with Christ’s blood, 

rescued us from certain death 

by your mercy. 

Thank you, Lord, 

for your goodness and grace.

In Jesus’ redeeming name. Amen. 

Read Genesis 37. 



A Prayer about the Love that Binds Us Together

by | Feb 10, 2025 | Daily Prayer, Gospel living, Spiritual Growth

A Prayer about the Love that Binds Us Together

May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Romans 15:5-6

 

 

Lover of our Soul,

Today and every day, we celebrate your love 

for your Bride, the Church,

and our love and gratitude for saving us, 

we pray for your healing and help 

that we may love one another well. 

In the past several years,

we’ve seen more disharmony in the church 

than at any time in recent history. 

Forgive us. Help us and heal us. 

Our hope lies in you, 

the God of “endurance and encouragement” (Romans 15:7).

By your Spirit, transform us 

so we may live as your Bride, the Church, 

in harmony with one another, 

glorifying you (Romans 15:7-8).

One day soon, our perfect Bridegroom will return, 

and we will all celebrate 

at the greatest wedding feast ever enjoyed (Revelation 19:7).

By your grace, may we live and love 

in eager anticipation of that day, starting today.

Read Romans 15:1-7; Revelation 19:7; Ephesians 5:25-27.

#dailyprayer #devotional 

#hopewriterlife #goodnewsfeed #votd #Biblestudy #grace #dailyverse #womensministry #gospelshaped  #shereadstruth  #christianliving 

A Prayer about Remembering the Wonders of the Lord

by | Feb 10, 2025 | Daily Prayer, Gospel living, Spiritual Growth

A Prayer about Remembering the Wonders of the Lord

We will not hide these truths from our children;

    we will tell the next generation

about the glorious deeds of the Lord,

    about his power and his mighty wonders. Psalm 78:4

Wonder-Working God,

As a lover of stories, 

I’ve always appreciated Asaph’s call 

to tell the stories of the “glorious deeds, 

about his power and his mighty wonders” (Psalm 78:4).

Psalm 78 vividly portrays the terrible things that happen 

when we forget to remember and tell the stories of your deliverance: 

The Israelites forgot how you had divided the sea 

so they could escape from the Egyptians, 

and they became “stubborn and rebellious” (Psalm 78:8).

The Ephraimites forgot that you were their covenant-keeping King, 

their chief warrior, 

and they turned and ran away in the day of battle (Psalm 78:9).

What stories of your mighty wonders have we forgotten?

How you came to a teenage girl 

who never went to church 

and surrounded her with delightful and loving Christians, 

who showed her the way to hope in the midst of darkness?

[Name some wonders of your life you might have forgotten].

Everyday, may we remember the most wonder-full news:

You remembered your compassion 

and sent your Son to deliver us from our sins (Psalm 78:38).

In his saving name. Amen.

Read Psalm 78:1-72.

PS: If you’d like to join my next spiritual legacy workshop based on this Psalm, click here to learn more: https://numberingyourdaysnetwork.mn.co/plans/1497830?bundle_token=84be0dd525cfd00ab95a6a7c378793ef&utm_source=manual



A Prayer about Not Judging Others

by | Feb 8, 2025 | Daily Prayer, Gospel living, Spiritual Growth

A Prayer about Not Judging Others

Do not judge others, and you will not be judged. For you will be treated as you treat others. The standard you use in judging is the standard by which you will be judged. Matthew 7:1-2

Holy Lord,

Help us to correctly understand your prohibition against judging. 

On the one hand, you “prohibit a critical spirit.”*

On the other, you do “not forbid the use of all critical faculty.”*

We are not to judge for a number of reasons: 

First, God is the only one worthy to judge us.

Second, we’ve got a blind spot 

as big as Texas 

blocking our view of  our own hearts.

Third, we’ve been forgiven our sins so fully by you, 

why would we judge someone else’s sins? 

On the other hand, you have provided us 

with wisdom and “righteous judgment” (John 7:24).

You have given us the Holy Spirit 

to show us what is true and what is false. 

And you instructed your disciples 

about an honorable way to approach a brother or sister 

when they have sinned against us.

Lord, only by your Spirit and by your guidance 

can we properly judge anyone or anything. 

May we enlighten our minds and hearts with your Word 

that we might live out your love in this world.

In your advocating name. Amen.

Read Matthew 7:1-6; John 7; 1 John 4:1. 

*I’m grateful for the Matthew commentary by Daniel Doriani that helped me understand this passage better. 



A Prayer about Our Soul-Thirst

by | Feb 7, 2025 | Daily Prayer, Gospel living, Prayer, Spiritual Growth

A Prayer about Our Soul-Thirst

My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. Psalm 42:2

Thirst-filling Lord,

Today we lift up all who ache for you to appear, 

all who remember the days 

we used to lead the procession of praise (Psalm 42:4), 

all who now suffer turmoil within and attack from without (Psalm 42:5). 

Restore their hope again, 

even as they feel 

“all your breakers and your waves 

have gone over me” (Psalm 42:7).

At night, sing your steadfast love over them, 

“a prayer to the God of my life” (Psalm 42:8). 

At daybreak, remind them 

that you are their rock 

and that you have not forgotten them (Psalm 42:9).

Even as they feel the “deadly wound” 

of adversaries taunting 

or the grief of a relationship 

lost to death or conflict, 

remind them that because of Jesus, 

the one who suffered separation from you 

for the sake of our sins, 

they stand in your loving presence forever. 

Because of Jesus, 

we shall all “Hope in God, 

for we shall again praise you, 

our salvation and our God.”

In Jesus’ hope giving name. Amen.

Read Psalm 42.