A Prayer about Bearing One Another’s Burdens

by | Apr 16, 2024 | Daily Prayer, Gospel living, Spiritual Growth

A Prayer about Bearing One Another’s Burdens

Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. Galatians 6:2

Merciful God,

How exquisitely you have designed your church, 

the body of Christ. 

You have called us to share our weakness 

with you and with one another, 

and you tell us that in that weakness 

we find our greatest strength

—strength in dependence on Christ, 

strength in dependence on one another (2 Corinthians 12:8-10). 

Today, I pray especially for those in our body who are weak—

the bereft grieving the loss of a loved one, 

the caregiver serving a loved one through many hard days, 

the sick and frail struggling with illness, whether physical or mental….

[Name some weak people you would like to pray for….]

May we truly lift them up, not only in prayer but in service, by bearing their burdens—listening without trying to fix, bringing meals or mowing lawns, forgiving their irritability…

[Name some ways you might bear the burdens of someone who is weak….]

We pray too, that you would empower the weak 

with the humility and grace required 

to receive the loving care of the body of Christ. 

In Jesus’ burden-bearing name. Amen. 

Read Galatians 6:1-10.

 

Elizabeth Reynolds Turnage

Elizabeth Reynolds Turnage

author, life and legacy coach, speaker

A Prayer about Sharing Our Stories

by | Apr 15, 2024 | Daily Prayer, Gospel living, Spiritual Growth

A Prayer about Sharing Our Stories

One generation shall commend your works to another, and shall declare your mighty acts. Psalm 145:4

Author God,

What exciting stories of redemption 

you have written in our lives. 

Every day of our life, 

may we live to tell that story, 

in our deeds and in our words.

May we also be intentional 

about the legacies we leave 

for the next generation of believers, 

writing and recording the stories 

of how you have performed 

your mighty acts in our lives. 

Help us to make time to write these stories, 

or if we are unable to write them, 

to record them through video or audio, 

the story of when and how you drew us to yourself, 

the story of when you picked us up when we had fallen down (Psalm 145:14), 

the story of how you provided for us out of your “abundant goodness” (Psalm 145: 7), 

the story of how your power worked miraculous changes (Psalm 145:11), 

[name a story of God’s work you’d like to tell.]

As we write and record these stories, 

give us the courage to share them with others, 

that they too might be inspired to tell the story 

of your wonderful goodness, 

that all might know the hope of redemption in Jesus Christ.

Amen. 

Read Psalm 145. 



Elizabeth Reynolds Turnage

Elizabeth Reynolds Turnage

author, life and legacy coach, speaker

A Prayer about Living the Legacy We Want to Leave

by | Apr 14, 2024 | Daily Prayer, legacy

A Prayer about Living the Legacy We Want to Leave

And walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

Ephesians 5:2

Heavenly Father, 

In this world, 

the focus of leaving a legacy 

is often on making a name for ourselves. 

We ask you, 

by the mercies of Christ our Lord, 

to help us “walk in the way of love,” 

that we might become “models of goodness” (Titus 2:3, The MSG). 

Help us to throw off the sour smell of self-centeredness, 

to give ourselves up as “a fragrant offering and sacrifice to [you]” (Ephesians 5:2). Help us to live out our unique giftedness and passions 

in ways that draw others to inhale the fragrance of Christ. 

Draw us to repent quickly when we sin 

and to live lives 

characterized by seeking 

and granting forgiveness. 

Help us to inhale the pure, fresh air 

of our righteousness in Christ 

and to exhale the sweet scent of words 

that build up and encourage others. 

In this way, Lord, 

we will live lives that matter—

to you, and to others. 

In this way, 

we will live the legacy we want to leave.

In Jesus’ loving name. Amen.

Read Ephesians 5:1-2; Titus 2:1-8.

 

If you would like to read more about living the legacy we want to leave, I wrote about this topic recently at Numbering Your Days. 



Elizabeth Reynolds Turnage

Elizabeth Reynolds Turnage

author, life and legacy coach, speaker

A Prayer about Caring for Those Who Care for Others

by | Apr 13, 2024 | Caregiving, Daily Prayer, Spiritual Growth

A Prayer about Caring for Those Who Care for Others

“casting all your cares on him, because he cares about you” 1 Peter 5:7

Jesus, our Great High Priest,

Today we lift up 

pastors, priests, and ministry leaders 

who care for your people. 

We confess, 

we don’t think often enough 

about how what their days look like, 

these hard days of comforting the broken-hearted, 

of sitting with the doubts and denials of your goodness, 

of bearing the burdens of so very many. 

We don’t think often enough 

about how the devil prowls around like a ravenous beast, 

eager to destroy 

their faith, 

their marriages, 

their children, 

their health, 

their homes. 

Now, as we remember our ministry leaders, 

we lift them up by name [name your ministry leaders], 

praying that they would indeed 

“humble themselves under the mighty hand of God,” 

confessing their own weakness 

confessing their need for your help. 

We ask that they would cast their cares 

and worries 

and fears 

and frustrations 

onto your broad shoulders. 

We pray that they would experience 

your mercy 

and love 

and comfort 

and pleasure 

in this very moment. 

Give them relief, 

and make us the answer 

to some of their prayers.

Lord, bless those 

who bless you 

by blessing us 

with the hope of the gospel.

In your comforting name. Amen.

Read 1 Peter 5:6-8. 



Elizabeth Reynolds Turnage

Elizabeth Reynolds Turnage

author, life and legacy coach, speaker

A Prayer about the Aging Body

by | Apr 12, 2024 | aging, dying, and death, Daily Prayer, Spiritual Growth

A Prayer about the Aging Body

If the tent that is our earthly home is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens 2 Corinthians 5:1

Heavenly Father, 

Yesterday we prayed about finding hope in the losses of aging 

by keeping an eternal perspective. 

Today we acknowledge the reality 

that despite what our culture tries to tell us, 

our bodies are aging, 

every day, 

all the time. 

Again, the apostle Paul helps us 

by naming the reality of physical deterioration, 

calling our bodies “tents.” 

As a tentmaker, Paul knew well the frailty of tents. 

They were made by human hands, 

to be raised and lowered easily. 

They were subject to the terrors of storms 

and could not stand in the face of them. 

Such is the nature of our human body. 

It is vulnerable. It is wasting away.

And yet, Paul claims, there is reason for hope: 

“If the tent that is our earthly home is destroyed, 

we have a building from God, 

a house not made with hands, 

eternal in the heavens” (2 Cor. 5:1). 

One day we will receive our resurrection bodies, 

healed and whole. 

Immediately after death, 

we will “be away from the body 

and at home with the Lord” (2 Cor. 5:8), 

that is, separated from our earthly body. 

But when Jesus returns, “we shall all be changed. 

For this perishable body will put on the imperishable, 

and this mortal body will put on immortality” (1 Cor. 15:53). 

In that day, we will no longer groan 

with the aches and pains 

of a breaking body. 

In that day, we will no longer groan 

with the deeper sorrow 

of losing family and friends to death. 

In that day, we will see our hope fulfilled, 

the hope of living with you 

and worshiping you forever. 

How we long for that day. 

Come quickly, Lord Jesus.

Amen.

Read 2 Corinthians 5:1-10; 1 Corinthians 15:50-58.

*This prayer, like yesterday’s, was based on my article, An Eternal Perspective on the Losses of Aging. 



Elizabeth Reynolds Turnage

Elizabeth Reynolds Turnage

author, life and legacy coach, speaker