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A Prayer about Learning from Younger People

by | Oct 28, 2024 | Daily Prayer, Gospel living, Spiritual Growth

A Prayer about Learning from Younger People

Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity. 1 Timothy 4:12

All-Wise God,

Just as we prayed yesterday 

about seeing that each member of the body of Christ 

has gifts given by the Spirit to bless the whole body, 

today we remember to look to and learn from youth in our body. 

I recently heard a podcast with a senior ministry team leader

interviewing a teenager from her church,* 

and the young woman urged older people 

to reach out to teenagers and younger people, 

saying young people desperately need their wisdom and experience. 

This young woman set an example for me 

“in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity.” 

Lord, we confess, sometimes we don’t know 

what to do with younger generations, 

and yet, if we will look at them with compassion 

as Jesus looked on people of every age, 

if we will listen with curiosity, 

we have much to learn. 

And, as this teenaged woman so wisely said, 

“We need people in our lives

 who have walked with Christ much longer than we have.” 

Oh, Heavenly Father, may we heed her cry; 

may we be willing to learn from younger people 

and to pour into their lives. 

In Jesus’ compassionate name. Amen.

Read 1 Timothy 4:6-16.

*Podcast can be found here: “Sanctuary Spectacles: Being a Teenage Woman in the Church” 



A Prayer about Being a BlueJay

by | Oct 27, 2024 | Daily Prayer, Gospel living, Spiritual Growth

A Prayer about Being a BlueJay

But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. 1 Corinthians 12:18

Creator God,

How creative you are!

As I was watching the birds in the oak tree 

across from my study window, 

I noticed a blue jay, 

a very common bird in my neighborhood. 

I said to myself, “Oh, it’s just a blue jay!” 

(Because blue jays are very common in this tree.)

But then I began to look at the beautiful blend 

of blues and grays and blacks in the blue jay 

and thought of how cleverly you designed this bird 

to help plant new oak trees by spreading acorns. 

And I thought of how we sometimes look at people 

in your body and think 

“They’re just blue jays.”

Just another ordinary person, 

nothing special. 

Or maybe we think about ourselves that way—

“I don’t have any special gifts 

to contribute to the body.”

And yet, you have clearly created each one of us 

with unique gifts for serving you, 

and we need every member of the body of Christ: 

“If the whole body were an ear, 

where would be the sense of smell?” (1 Corinthians 12:17). 

Wondrous Creator, 

may we see the wonder of each and every member of your body, 

including ourselves, 

even if we’re “just a blue jay.” 

May we seek you and serve you 

with the ordinary gifts you have given us—

the ability to open the door for an older woman, 

the heart to send a note to someone we missed in church today, 

the hope to believe that redemption is coming 

despite the dark landscape we see around us.

In Jesus’ gifting name. Amen. 

Read 1 Corinthians 12.



A Prayer about Continuing to Grow as We Age

by | Oct 26, 2024 | Daily Prayer, Gospel living, Spiritual Growth

A Prayer about Continuing to Grow as We Age

But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. 

2 Peter 3:18

Gracious Father, 

Like the saints who received Peter’s letter, 

we encounter many false teachings, 

especially as we age. 

We are told we have done our part, 

now it’s time to rest; 

we are told to retire and live lives of leisure; 

we are even told your grace forgives all (which it does), 

so we can sin all we want (which is antithetical to living in your grace).

Good Father, help us close our ears and our hearts to such teaching. 

Help us to live out 

the righteousness you have given us in Christ 

by multiplying the grace and peace 

you have multiplied to us 

through our knowledge of you and Jesus (2 Peter 1:2). 

Because your “divine power has granted us all things 

that pertain to life and godliness” 

through this knowledge, 

because you have called us 

to your “own glory and excellence” 

and made us “partakers of your divine nature” (2 Peter 1:4), 

may we “make every effort” 

to continue growing, 

every day of our lives. 

May we “supplement our faith with virtue, 

and virtue with knowledge, 

and knowledge with self-control, 

and self-control with steadfastness, 

and steadfastness with godliness, 

and godliness with brotherly (and sisterly) affection, 

and brotherly (and sisterly) affection with love” (2 Peter 1:5-7). 

Indeed, you have promised 

to continue growing these qualities in us 

until the day of Christ Jesus. 

In that day, we will be fully conformed 

to the image of Christ. 

In that day, we will live in your eternal glory. 

How we long for that day!

In Jesus’ perfect name. Amen.

Read 1 Peter 1; 3:14-18.



A Prayer about the Words We Speak

by | Oct 25, 2024 | 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 our words life-giving; 

make our presence as refreshing as a bubbling brook.

“Gentle words bring life and health; 

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

Lord, make our words full of life and health; 

guard our tongues 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 our 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, 2024 | Daily Prayer, Gospel living, Spiritual Growth

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 a Sudden and Unexpected Death

by | Oct 23, 2024 | Daily Prayer, Gospel living, Spiritual Growth

A Prayer about a Sudden and Unexpected Death

Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” 

John 11:21

Heavenly Father,

When that shocking news comes, 

the call telling us 

that someone we loved dearly 

has died suddenly or unexpectedly, 

we can relate to Martha’s words 

about her brother, Lazarus: 

“if you had been here, 

[our loved one] would not have died.” 

We don’t understand 

why our loved one had to die, 

and in this way, 

in this time. 

We forget that death resulted from the fall, 

and that it is a sorrow 

we all must bear. 

We forget that you promised 

the redemption of death 

even as you addressed Satan in the garden, 

telling him that you would one day send the seed of the woman 

to crush him (Genesis 3:15). 

Through Lazarus’ death and resurrection, 

you had a purpose and plan, 

a plan to display your glory 

and your Son’s glory: 

“This illness does not lead to death. 

It is for the glory of God, 

so that the Son of God 

may be glorified through it” (John 11:4). 

And now through the death and resurrection 

of your Son, 

“the resurrection and the life” (John 11:25),

 we have hope, and we have peace. 

Even in the time of shock after a sudden death, 

may we believe in the one who gives us hope 

that “though [we] die, yet [we] shall live” (John 11:25).

In him we will live eternally with you, in everlasting joy and peace.

In Jesus’ name. Amen. 

Read John 11.