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A Prayer about the Day the Lord Returns

by | May 9, 2024 | Daily Prayer, Gospel living, Spiritual Growth

A Prayer about the Day the Lord Returns

But for you who fear my name, the sun of righteousness shall rise with healing in its wings. You shall go out leaping like calves from the stall. Malachi 4:2

Gracious Lord,

As we witness the works of the wicked in this world, 

we confess, we long for 

the “day of the Lord,”

the day you will finally return and destroy 

all the “arrogant and all evildoers” (Malachi 3:1).

And yet, you are so much more patient than we are, 

for you have delayed that day 

because you do not “wish that any should perish 

but that all should reach repentance” (2 Peter 3:9). 

Lord, fill us with your patience and mercy and love

that we might call others to turn toward you. 

Lord, fill us with anticipation 

for the day your sun will rise 

with the return of your Son, 

the day we will know such healing 

that we will frolic around like little baby calves 

learning to use their legs 

in our new heavens and new earth home. 

In Jesus’ patient name. Amen. 

Read Malachi 3-4.



Elizabeth Reynolds Turnage

Elizabeth Reynolds Turnage

author, life and legacy coach, speaker

A Prayer about Being Permanently Justified

by | May 8, 2024 | Daily Prayer, Gospel living, Spiritual Growth

A Prayer about Being Permanently Justified

We couldn’t carry this off by our own efforts, and we know it—even though we can list what many might think are impressive credentials.    Philippians 3:3-4

Justifying Lord,

How I pray we can really and truly grasp 

once and for all, 

the profound peace 

that comes through being justified by Christ, 

being robed in Christ’s righteousness. 

I don’t know for sure, 

but I’m guessing the internal dialogue in my friends’ minds 

may go something like mine:

Oh I feel bad for not going to the women’s event. 

but I had to go to my son’s award ceremony.

Oh I wish I hadn’t said that. Now she’s going to think I don’t care about her. 

But I did send her a birthday text.

Oh why didn’t I hang my keys on the hook so I wouldn’t lose them?

But I did keep up with my phone all weekend.

It can go on and on like that, 

all day, 

all of our lives: 

we accuse ourselves 

and then we justify ourselves 

in an endless internal monologue.

Lord, spare us from this miserable guilt.

Your Word “accuses” us of actual sin clearly: 

“All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Rom. 3:23). 

That is the truth about us outside of Christ.

But thanks be to God, your Word also tells us 

the source of our justification, 

and it’s not in ourselves: 

“And to the one who does not work 

but believes in him 

who justifies the ungodly, 

his faith is counted as righteousness…” (Romans 4:5).

Oh, Lord, we are free at last, 

free at last.

Make us certain of this glorious reality: 

our righteousness is in and through Christ alone. 

Now, robed beautifully in his righteousness, 

we can run to tell others, 

we can live to love the God 

who ended this dreadful internal monologue 

with Jesus’ words from the cross,

“It is finished” (John 19:30).

In Jesus’ righteous name. Amen.

Read Philippians 3:1-14.



Elizabeth Reynolds Turnage

Elizabeth Reynolds Turnage

author, life and legacy coach, speaker

A Prayer about Being Present to God’s Presence

by | May 7, 2024 | Daily Prayer, Gospel living, Spiritual Growth

A Prayer about Being Present to God’s Presence

Be still and know that I am God. Psalm 46:10

Heavenly King,

There’s much talk these days about “presence”:

We are to be “present in the moment,” 

“present in our own lives,” 

and “present to others.”

All of these are good things, 

but do we pause to recognize 

that these very good ideas 

originate with you?

Do we pause to realize 

that the presence we most need 

is your presence?

Even before we begin our days, 

may we pause, 

be still, 

and ponder…

your promise of presence:

“And behold, I am always with you, to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:20).

We cannot escape your presence (See Psalm 139:7).

You are “near to all who call on [you,] (Psalm 145:18)

and “near to the brokenhearted.” (Psalm 34:18). 

You will “never leave us nor forsake us” (Hebrews 13:5). 

As we pause to ponder your presence, 

our hearts will exalt you, 

praise you, 

thank you, 

be in awe of you, 

that you, 

the God who created all things, 

the Sovereign King over the universe, 

would want to be present with us! 

As we pause to ponder your presence, 

may we rest, 

as a young child 

who knows her parents are present 

and will protect and care for her 

in every moment of every day.

Amen. 

Read Psalm 46:10; Matthew 28:20; Psalm 139:7; Psalm 145:18; Psalm 34:18; Hebrews 13:5.



Elizabeth Reynolds Turnage

Elizabeth Reynolds Turnage

author, life and legacy coach, speaker

A Prayer about Having Not Love

by | May 6, 2024 | Daily Prayer, Gospel living, Spiritual Growth

A Prayer about Having Not Love

And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 1 Corinthians 13:2

Loving Father, 

In this season of many weddings, 

we may often hear the passage on love 

from 1 Corinthians 13. 

As we do so, 

may we hear and apply it in its proper context.

First of all, the apostle Paul was chastising the Corinthian Christians 

for their overemphasis on spiritual gifts: 

“If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, 

but have not love, 

I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal” (1 Cor. 13:1). 

If we have powers to prophesy 

or power to do miracles 

but have not love, 

we are nothing. 

If we give away everything, 

even sacrificing our own bodies, 

but have not love 

then that is not love. 

Indeed, as we read and listen carefully, 

we realize that in and of ourselves, 

none of us “has love.” 

It is only in Jesus Christ, 

whose love never fails 

that we become 

“not nothing,” 

“something,” 

“someone” 

who loves, 

not with manmade love, 

and not even perfectly 

(until the day Christ returns), 

but often and well. 

We love out of the righteousness 

we have in Christ. 

We love because you first loved us. 

And we love as you loved us. 

When we commit one of the failures of love, 

being proud or boasting, 

keeping a record of wrongs, 

delighting in evil, 

we are convicted by the Holy Spirit in us, 

and we repent, 

saying we’re sorry, 

asking forgiveness, 

and praying for the Holy Spirit’s help 

that we might try to love again. 

In Jesus’ perfectly-loving name. Amen.

Read 1 Corinthians 13:1-13. 



Elizabeth Reynolds Turnage

Elizabeth Reynolds Turnage

author, life and legacy coach, speaker

A Prayer about the Misery of Sin

by | May 5, 2024 | Daily Prayer, Gospel living, Spiritual Growth

A Prayer about the Misery of Sin

See my troubles and misery and forgive my sins. Psalm 25:2

Compassionate and Holy God,

This morning I am thinking about 

how miserable sin makes us:

“Envy rots the bones” (Proverbs 14:30);

Thinking we are right and another is wrong rips up relationships;

Letting gossip fall out of our mouths hurts someone’s reputation…

And those are just individual sins of the heart…

what about the “systemic sins” of 

racism and rape, 

murder and war, 

slavery and sex trafficking?

Indeed, what trouble and misery 

sin inflicts.

How grateful then we are 

that you are the God who sees our misery 

and acts on it: 

“I have observed the misery of my people in Egypt, 

and have heard them crying out because of their oppressors, 

and I know about their sufferings” (Exodus 3:7).

But you didn’t stop at rescuing your people from slavery in Egypt, 

you rescued them from their own heart’s rebellion 

time and time again, 

and you knew there was only one rescuer 

who could fully pay for the misery 

of each of our sins once and for all. 

And you sent that rescuer. 

Your Son. 

Your beloved Son. 

Lord, open our eyes 

to see the misery our sin causes.

Lord, open our eyes 

to see the compassion your deliverance reveals.

Lord, change our hearts, 

that we may serve our gracious Savior, 

today and every day.

In the name of Jesus, 

who sees our misery and forgives our sins. 

Amen.

Read Psalm 25.



Elizabeth Reynolds Turnage

Elizabeth Reynolds Turnage

author, life and legacy coach, speaker

A Prayer about Pausing to Remember God’s Wondrous Works

by | May 4, 2024 | Daily Prayer, Gospel living, Spiritual Growth

A Prayer about Pausing to Remember God’s Wondrous Works

On your wondrous works, I will meditate. Psalm 145:5

 

Wondrously Working Lord,

How often do we pause, 

do we really chew on, 

the millions of ways, 

seen and unseen, 

you work in this world, 

in our neighborhood, 

in our lives?

For a few moments, 

let’s consider your wondrous works:

You’ve  drawn us to yourself 

even when we were wandering around like the spiritual zombies we were.

You’ve loved us every day, all the time, 

even when we hated you.

You’ve given us new life 

even when we deserved certain death,

You’ve kept your promises to us 

even when we broke every promise we ever made to you,

You’ve shown us limitless patience 

even when we threw tantrums of impatience with you.

You’ve lavished us with the gifts we needed 

even when we demanded the things we wanted when we wanted them. 

[List some of the specific wondrous works God has done in your life].

Oh, Lord, may we break our eyes away 

from the seductive screen 

and look out, look up, look in, 

to see your stunning beauty and your baffling kindness!

In Jesus’ gracious name. Amen. 

Read Psalm 145. 



Elizabeth Reynolds Turnage

Elizabeth Reynolds Turnage

author, life and legacy coach, speaker