A Prayer about Loving God and Loving Others

by | Apr 2, 2025 | Daily Prayer, Gospel living, Spiritual Growth

A Prayer about Loving God and Loving Others

‘And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ Mark 12:30-31

Triune God,

In a day when hatred seems more common than love, 

when mocking seems more common than meekness, 

when taking offense seems more common than taking up our cross, 

we confess, the greatest commandment seems impossible. 

And yet, you have not only called us to love you 

with all of our beings, our hearts, our souls, our minds, our strength, 

you have empowered us through your Spirit to do so. 

You have not only called us to love you in this way, 

but you have called us to love our neighbors 

(including strangers and enemies) 

as much as we love ourselves (which we have to admit, is a lot!)

Thank you for Jesus, who loved us, 

Your enemies, 

so much that he died 

so that we might become your friends. 

May we live and love 

out of our gratitude 

for his sacrifice 

and out of the power 

of his resurrection. 

In Jesus’ loving name. Amen.

Read Mark 12:28-34. 



A Prayer about a King Riding a Donkey

by | Apr 1, 2025 | Daily Prayer, Gospel living, Spiritual Growth

A Prayer about a King Riding a Donkey

Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you; righteous and having salvation is he, humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey. Zechariah 9:9

Everlasting Father,

As we approach the anniversary of the day 

Jesus entered Jerusalem as a king riding on a donkey, 

give us eyes to see him and minds to comprehend this amazing vision.

The prophet Zechariah foretold this day, 

exhorting the people of Israel:

Rejoice greatly!

Shout aloud!

Why? Because their King of Hope 

was coming to make them prisoners of hope. 

The King of Hope came, 

not riding on a massive white horse 

befitting a king 

but on a young donkey, 

a humble ride for a humble ruler. 

And he has won our peace, 

our peace with God, 

and our peace with one another. 

This Easter, may we join in the chorus of rejoicing 

at our humble king, 

who would defeat death 

and make us forever his “prisoners of hope” (Zechariah 9:12).* 

In Jesus’ humble name. Amen.

Read Zechariah 9:9-17.

For a great sermon by Pastor Scotty Smith on being “prisoners of hope,” click here. 



A Prayer about Honoring Jesus

by | Mar 31, 2025 | Daily Prayer, Gospel living, Spiritual Growth

A Prayer about Honoring Jesus

In pouring this ointment on my body, she has done it to prepare me for burial. Truly, I say to you, wherever this gospel is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will also be told in memory of her. Matthew 26:12-13

Lord Jesus, 

How often we, 

like the disciples, 

have different values than yours.

They were alarmed that Mary had anointed your head 

with her expensive ointment (Matthew 26:6-7; John 12:3). 

Religious and practical, 

they called her sacrifice “a waste,” 

saying the ointment could have been sold 

and the money given to the poor (Matthew 26:8). 

(Judas was disgusted because he wanted to sell it 

and take the money for himself (John 12:6). 

You disagreed, telling the disciples, 

“she has done a beautiful thing for me” (Matthew 26:10). 

You knew you would soon die, 

and your followers’ opportunity 

to enjoy and honor you in person 

would come to an end. 

Save us, Lord, from our self-made plans to serve you. 

Draw us to your feet, to see you as Mary did, 

to know your desires as Mary did, 

and to love you “impractically” as Mary did. 

Grow our enjoyment of you, 

so that we will delight in your presence 

and focus our lives fully on you. 

In our devotion to you,

 may we show the world the good news 

of your sacrifice for us. 

In your worship-worthy name. Amen.

Read Matthew 26:6-16. 



A Prayer about Jesus’ Determination

by | Mar 30, 2025 | Daily Prayer, Gospel living, Spiritual Growth

A Prayer about Jesus’ Determination

“And they will mock him and spit on him, and flog him and kill him. And after three days he will rise.” Mark 10:34

Lord Jesus,

Enlarge our imaginations 

so that we might walk with you 

on the day you told your disciples 

this alarming news. 

You were marching resolutely toward Jerusalem, 

toward your certain suffering and death. 

Your face was “set like a flint” (Isaiah 50:7), 

unwavering as you headed toward your final destination. 

Your followers were both “amazed” and “afraid,” 

maybe because you had twice before told them 

what would happen in Jerusalem (Mark 10:32; 8:31; 9:31).

Lord Jesus, enliven our hearts 

that we might be amazed again—

amazed that you moved on toward your mission, 

knowing what you knew—

that your opponents would mock you 

and spit on you 

and flog you 

and kill you;

amazed that because you willingly endured this suffering, 

we have full forgiveness for our sins; 

amazed that you rose from the dead 

and that by believing in you we are raised to new life. 

In your amazing name. Amen.

Read Mark 10:32-34; Mark 8:31; Mark 9:31; Isaiah 50:7. 



A Prayer about How to Endure Temptation

by | Mar 29, 2025 | Daily Prayer, Gospel living, Spiritual Growth

A Prayer about How to Endure Temptation

And Jesus answered him, “It is said, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.’” 

Luke 4:12

Lord Jesus,

In our study of your temptation in the wilderness, 

we see how Satan tried the same things with you 

he tries with us. 

This time he encouraged you to test God, 

to demand a sign from God. 

Oh, Lord, do we ever do this? 

Do we ever want to live by sight 

rather than living by faith? 

We do. 

We are often tempted to base our beliefs about you

on our experience or our feelings 

rather than on what your Word asserts is true. 

It’s easy to do when we get isolated, 

so we pray that we will stay firmly planted 

in our churches and Christian community. 

We pray that we will stay close to you, 

for “we do not have a great high priest 

who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, 

but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, 

yet without sin” (Hebrews 4:15). 

Thank you, Lord, for enduring the cross for us, 

that we might live in obedience 

to your perfect and glorious will.

Amen.

Read Luke 4:9-13.



A Prayer about Not Being Foolish

by | Mar 28, 2025 | Daily Prayer, Gospel living, Spiritual Growth

A Prayer about Not Being Foolish

“For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved, it is the power of God.” 1 Corinthians 1:18

All-Wise God,

May we heed Paul’s words about wisdom and foolishness, 

so that we might avoid being foolish, 

so that we might become truly wise.

Paul is right—the message of the cross: 

the true story that you sent your only Son 

as the perfect Savior for our sins, 

the message that you allowed your beloved, 

obedient Son to die on the cross for our sins, 

seems terribly foolish 

according to the world’s wisdom. 

May we remember our dying Savior 

and see the fullness of your wisdom, power, and love. 

May we adore our risen Savior 

and walk in his wisdom, power, and love. 

In Jesus’ wise and strong name. Amen.

Read 1 Corinthians 1:18-25.