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A Prayer about Not Living to Please Ourselves

by | Sep 22, 2024 | Daily Prayer, Gospel living, Spiritual Growth

A Prayer about Not Living to Please Ourselves

We who are strong have an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves. Romans 15:1

Lord Christ, 

Because you did not live to please yourself (Romans 15:3), 

but instead humbled yourself, 

condescending to be born as a weak and helpless baby, 

taking your first toddling steps 

knowing your last determined steps 

would lead to death on a cursed cross, 

may we never live to please ourselves. 

Because you did not live to please yourself 

but died to please God, 

we who are united to you by faith 

have become pleasing to God, 

and we are now empowered by your Spirit 

to “help others do what is right and build them up in the Lord” (Rom. 15:2).

Because you have given us 

patience and encouragement in your Word, 

we are now empowered by your Spirit 

to “live in complete harmony with each other, 

as is fitting for followers of Christ Jesus” (Rom. 15:5). 

Lord Christ, as we live in this harmony, 

may our voices join together 

to glorify God (Rom. 15:6).

And may we offer others 

the welcome with which you have welcomed us, 

for the glory of God (Romans 15:7). 

In your God-pleasing name. Amen.

Read Romans 15:1-7. 



A Prayer about Not Rushing Grief

by | Sep 21, 2024 | Daily Prayer, Grief

A Prayer about Not Rushing Grief

I am shut in so that I cannot escape;

my eye grows dim through sorrow.  Psalm 88:8-9

Healing Father,

We all know people who have lost people to death, 

whether anticipated or completely unexpected, 

people who have lost homes and possessions to hurricanes and wildfires, 

and people who have lost relationships they once held dear. 

At first, others may gather around 

and check on the grieving, 

but within a few weeks or a month, 

many people move on,

forgetting it ever happened. 

That’s the way it so often works with grief. 

Our loved one dies; 

our home is wrecked; 

our relationship ends, 

and we are still wounded, 

limping through our daily lives, 

but everyone else has moved on. 

Thank you, good Father, 

for giving us time to grieve. 

Thank you for not rushing us through our pain. 

Thank you for teaching us to lament, 

to cry out to you honestly 

about the agony of our loss. 

Throughout Scripture, 

you give us words to speak to you, 

unexpected words, 

blunt words:

“You have put me in the depths of the pit, 

in the regions dark and deep” (Ps. 88:6).

“Your wrath lies heavy upon me, 

and you overwhelm me with all your waves” (Ps. 88:7). 

“He has left me stunned, 

faint all the day long” (Lam. 1:13).

Lord, in the depths of grief, 

may we keep turning to you, 

naming our honest complaint, 

and may we keep waiting 

to see you shed the light of your glory 

into our darkened hearts. 

May we trust that the day will come 

when the tears we have sown 

will be “reaped with shouts of joy” (Psalm 126: 5). 

Until that day comes, 

bring us the comfort only you can bring.

In Jesus’ merciful name. Amen.

Read Psalm 88; Lamentations 3; Psalm 126. 



A Prayer about Praying for the Church

by | Sep 20, 2024 | Daily Prayer, Gospel living, Spiritual Growth

A Prayer about Praying for the Church

And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.  Ephesians 1:22-23

As we continue praying Ephesians 1:15-23, we also think about how to pray for our churches. 

Precious Lord,

We pray that every single saint (person set-apart in Christ) 

will understand how powerful you are to those who believe in you  (Ephesians 1:19):

[Name ways you see or need to see God’s power to the church in these days].

Mighty God, you “raised Christ from the dead 

and seated him in the place of honor 

at your right hand” (Ephesians 1:20).

He is there now, ruling and reigning with you. 

May we bow down to our heavenly King

far more than we bow down to our personal agendas.

May we remember that Christ is 

“far above all rule and authority and power and dominion”; 

in other words, he has defeated all evil and sin, 

and he will continue to defeat evil forces 

that rage against your church 

and to defeat sin in our lives 

until the day he comes again.

May we remember and live in the reality 

that the church is Christ’s body—

“it is made full and complete by Christ, 

who fills all things everywhere with himself” (Ephesians 1:23),

and may we worship joyfully 

in anticipation of the day 

when there will be perfect unity and love

in your church forever and ever. 

In Jesus’ reigning name. Amen. 

Read Ephesians 1:15-23. 



A Prayer about How to Pray for Loved Ones

by | Sep 19, 2024 | Daily Prayer, Prayer, Spiritual Growth

A Prayer about How to Pray for Loved Ones

I pray for you constantly,  asking God, the glorious Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, to give you spiritual wisdom and insight so that you might grow in your knowledge of God. Ephesians 1:16-17.

[Hi Friends, this is the first of two parts of praying Ephesians 1:15-23.]

Father of Glory,

Sometimes we don’t know how to pray for people I love, 

and then we remember that you’ve given us 

so many good prayers in your Word, 

like this one in Ephesians 1:15-23.

Today, we borrow these words 

to pray for our loved ones:

[try filling in the names of specific people in this prayer]

We thank you for [name] faith in Jesus Christ 

and [name’s] love for all of his people (Ephesians 1:15);

We ask you to give [name] 

the wisdom and insight 

that comes from our helper, the Holy Spirit

 and leads to a deep grasp

of God’s love for them (Ephesians 1:17),

We pray that the “eyes of [name’s] heart [would be] enlightened,” 

that is, that they would be empowered 

to understand and walk in the 

“confident hope you’ve given 

to those you’ve called” (Ephesians 1:18), 

and the immense wealth 

which is our “glorious inheritance” in Christ: 

riches like adoption of the Father, 

justification by faith, 

redemption from slavery to sin, 

and more, so much more!

In Jesus’ sacrificing name we ask.

Amen.

Read Ephesians 1:15-23.



A Prayer about Coming Alongside Caregivers

by | Sep 18, 2024 | Caregiving, Daily Prayer

A Prayer about Coming Alongside Caregivers

….four men arrived carrying a paralyzed man on a mat. They couldn’t bring him to Jesus because of the crowd, so they dug a hole through the roof above his head. Then they lowered the man on the mat, right down in front of Jesus. Mark 2:4

Gentle Jesus,

Bring to mind the people we know 

who are acting as caregivers to the sick or disabled in this season. 

They often find themselves 

paralyzed with guilt or grief, 

with confusion and exhaustion. 

Show us how we can be like the four friends to them, 

laying them on the mat 

and breaking through barriers 

to bring them before you. 

May we serve them in practical ways, 

cooking meals and doing yard work, 

helping them navigate the insurance maze, 

staying with their loved one 

so they can make doctor’s appointments 

or go for a walk. 

May we serve them 

by listening to them,

by encouraging them to lament,

and by praying for and with them 

when they can’t find the words to pray. 

Help us, Lord, to have the faith and kindness 

of the paralytic’s mat-friends 

to bring our caregiving friends before you 

to ask you to heal and help them. 

In your caring name. Amen.

Read Mark 2:1-5. 



A Prayer about the Wonder of Christ Praying for Us

by | Sep 17, 2024 | Daily Prayer, Gospel living, Prayer, Spiritual Growth

A Prayer about the Wonder of Christ Praying for Us

Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them. Hebrews 7:25

Interceding Lord,

We are awed to think that you are our chief prayer warrior!

Scripture tells us that you are interceding on our behalf 

right now with the Father, 

presenting us as righteous in your righteousness, 

cleansed by your blood. 

If we wonder what kinds of things you pray on our behalf, 

we can look to the “high priestly prayer” in John 17, 

the prayer you prayed over all disciples 

just before you went to the cross. 

You prayed that we would have eternal life, 

and you said that eternal life consisted 

in knowing your Father as the one, true God, 

and you as the glorified Son (John 17:3). 

You prayed that we would know 

that we belong to you as your treasured bride (John 17:6; Ephesians 5:22).

You prayed that we would be protected from the evil one (John 17:15).

You prayed that we would overflow with your joy (John 17:13).

You prayed that we would be sanctified, set apart by your holiness (John 17:16-19).

You prayed that we would share our hope in you with the hurting world (John 17:18).

You prayed that we would be unified with one another by our union with you.

You prayed that we would glow with your glory in that unity (John 17:24).

You prayed that we would spill over with the love of the Father for the Son and the Father for his people, so that the world may know the kindness of the Father and the love of the Son (John 17:26).

Jesus, by your Spirit, 

we ask that you would embolden us to pray 

for others and ourselves 

as you pray for us, 

that we may live your gospel beauty 

before a watching world. 

In your praying name we ask.Amen.

Read John 17.