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A Prayer about Ascribing Glory to the Lord

by | May 19, 2024 | Daily Prayer, Gospel living, Spiritual Growth

A Prayer about Ascribing Glory to the Lord

Ascribe to the Lord, O heavenly beings,

Ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.

Psalm 29:1

Glorious Lord,

It’s easy to come to you in prayer 

with a grocery list of wants and needs. 

Forgive us for forgetting 

that the best prayer starts 

with recognizing your glory, 

your strength, 

your splendor, 

your holiness, 

your majesty, 

and your might. 

Thank you for Psalm 29, 

which reminds us that we join

with heavenly beings 

when we pause to reflect 

on your glory. 

Today, we join David in awe 

at just a few of your many marvels:

Your “voice” is “over the waters” (29:3), 

waters which in ancient times were chaotic and dangerous. 

In other words, you establish order in the midst of chaos.

Your voice “breaks the cedars of Lebanon” (29:5), 

the renowned and majestic trees 

of the great ancient city of Lebanon; 

in other words, your power overcomes 

the most powerful forces we face.  

Your voice “shakes the wilderness” (29:8), 

a dangerous and murderous world in ancient times; 

in other words, you grab what threatens us 

and shake it to its core.

And on and on we can go 

ascribing your glory to you.

Thank you for these reminders of your glory 

that change the list of requests we name. 

For indeed, what we truly want and need most 

is for your glory to reign forever and ever. 

In Jesus’ glorious name. Amen. 

Pray Psalm 29 (aloud).



Elizabeth Reynolds Turnage

Elizabeth Reynolds Turnage

author, life and legacy coach, speaker

A Prayer about the Assurance of Salvation

by | May 18, 2024 | Daily Prayer, Gospel living, Spiritual Growth

A Prayer about the Assurance of Salvation

I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand. John 10:28

Good Savior,

Thank you for this promise you’ve given to your sheep, 

to those who know your voice 

to those who believe in you (John 10:27).

Sadly, I’ve met too many ladies in our jail ministry 

who’ve “walked the aisle” again and again and again, 

because they feared that their salvation hadn’t “stuck.” 

They loved you and wanted to follow you, 

but a lifetime of backsliding into addiction 

had caused them to doubt 

whether you could really love them. 

Even more sadly, 

they had been told by pastors or ministry leaders 

that they couldn’t truly belong to you 

if they kept sinning. 

Forgive us, Lord, for judging anyone’s heart. 

You came not to condemn our sins but to forgive them. 

By your Holy Spirit, you change us. 

You assure us that those who follow you 

and listen to your voice will have “eternal life” 

and that they will “never perish.”

You promise, “no one will snatch them out of my hand” 

because your Father has “given them to [you]” (John 10:29). 

We pray for any who long to turn back to you 

but fear you will no longer know them.

May they hear your voice speaking your assurance. 

In your grace-gripping name. Amen. 

Read John 10:22-30.



Elizabeth Reynolds Turnage

Elizabeth Reynolds Turnage

author, life and legacy coach, speaker

A Prayer about Keeping Our Eyes on Jesus

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

A Prayer about Keeping Our Eyes on Jesus

So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. 2 Corinthians 4:18

Trustworthy Jesus,

We know we need to fix and re-fix our eyes on you, 

our “unseen” (for now) Savior, 

the author and perfecter of our faith (See Hebrews 12:1-2). 

Only in you will we find 

the strength, the courage, 

the faith, the hope, 

the love 

we need to move forward 

into the uncertain and often frightening 

circumstances of our lives. 

Help us not to trust in our to-do lists 

or our carefully laid plans. 

Help us not to trust in 

our efficiency or our competence. 

Help us instead to look at you 

each hour, each moment, 

of every day, 

to ask you, 

“Now what? 

Now to whom? 

Now where?” 

Help us to look to you for direction, 

and help us to obey you 

when you send us somewhere 

we don’t want to go. 

Indeed, only in you will we find our perfect peace, 

only as our minds are focused on you (See Isaiah 26:3). 

You are trustworthy; 

you are working in all things 

for the good of those who love you 

and are called according to your purpose (See Romans 8:28). 

We love you, Jesus. 

Help us to keep our eyes on you, 

that we might trust you. 

Amen.

Read 2 Corinthians 4:16-18; Hebrews 12:1-3; Isaiah 26:3; Romans 8:28. 



Elizabeth Reynolds Turnage

Elizabeth Reynolds Turnage

author, life and legacy coach, speaker

A Prayer about Seeing God’s Glory

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

A Prayer about Seeing God’s Glory

But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, ‘Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord.’  Luke 5:8

God of Glory, Holy Lord,

Recently our pastor encouraged us 

to pray to see God’s glory. 

I’m so thankful for his encouragement. 

Glory is such a weighty and unwieldy concept to grasp. 

Furthermore, Isaiah 6:3 tells us, 

“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty; 

the whole earth is filled with his glory.”

So in other words, your holiness and your glory are intertwined. 

How do we grasp your holiness and your glory? 

I think Peter gives us a clue in this moment with Jesus. 

He was a fishermen; he knew fish. 

He had been fishing all night 

without catching so much as a minnow. 

So when Jesus, after concluding one of his teaching sessions, 

tells him to cast his nets, 

we can imagine Peter’s eye-roll. 

And we can also imagine the commanding look 

Jesus gave him in return, 

because Peter quickly says, 

“But at your word I will let down the nets.” 

Sure enough, so many fish swim into the nets 

they almost burst wide open. 

And it is here that Peter sees Jesus 

for who he really is. 

Holy. 

Glorious. 

Something other. 

Something beyond. 

Something beautiful. 

And that is why this rough and rowdy fisherman 

collapses in a pile of fish 

and prays this prayer, 

“Depart from me, 

for I am a sinful man, O Lord.’ 

How we thank you for your holiness, Lord, 

for your glory, 

and for how you reveal it to us. 

May we see it all day every day—

in the sun and moon and stars 

and fish and faces and fellowship, 

in your Word and in your work in this world. 

In Jesus’ beautiful name we pray. Amen.

Read Isaiah 6:3; Luke 5:1-11.



Elizabeth Reynolds Turnage

Elizabeth Reynolds Turnage

author, life and legacy coach, speaker

A Prayer about Joy in Trials

by | May 15, 2024 | Daily Prayer, Gospel living, Joy, Spiritual Growth

A Prayer about Joy in Trials

Consider it a great joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you experience various trials, because you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance. James 1:2-3

Father of All Comfort,

We admit, “joy” is not often our first response 

when our car won’t start 

or when we receive a difficult diagnosis 

or when our child struggles in school 

or when we have a bad day at work…

And yet, you call us to “consider it a great joy” 

when we encounter all kinds of trials. 

You must have a good reason, 

and your gospel has made that reason clear:

Trials test our faith (James 1:2). 

When our kids are happy and our health is good and work works, 

we don’t always recognize you as the giver of these good gifts; 

we don’t always recognize our desperate dependence on you. 

But when trials come, when storms bring rough waters, 

we must anchor ourselves to your steadfast love.

You will sustain us, 

and “steadfastness” will one day have its full effect: 

having gone through this trial, 

we will be “mature and complete, lacking nothing” (James 1:4). 

Gracious Father, that is what we want most of all: 

to be more and more like Christ, 

who “for the joy set before him, endured the cross…” (Hebrews 12:1-2).

By his grace, teach us to “count it joy” when we face trials, 

and grow our endurance.

In Jesus’ joy-full name. Amen. 

Read James 1:1-4; Hebrews 12:1-11.



Elizabeth Reynolds Turnage

Elizabeth Reynolds Turnage

author, life and legacy coach, speaker

How do you learn to pray?

by | May 14, 2024 | Daily Prayer, Prayer, Spiritual Growth

How do you learn to pray?

….one of his disciples said to him, ‘Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples.’ And he said to them, ‘When you pray, say:….’ Luke 11:1-2

Holy Father,

Thank you for the gift of prayer.

Grow our understanding of the power and richness of prayer.

Even as we pray for you to change circumstances in others’ lives, 

may we also pray for you to change their hearts about these circumstances:

So, even as we pray,

“Lord, please bless my friend’s business,” 

we can also pray, 

“Lord, please give my friend faith that you will provide for her in this business….”

Even as we pray,

“Lord, please heal my friend from chronic pain,” 

we can also pray, 

“Lord, please sustain my friend’s hope in this hard season….”

Even as we pray,

“Lord, please bring my friend’s daughter back home,” 

we can also pray, 

“Lord, please help my friend forgive her daughter for causing so much pain….”

[Name some prayers of your own following this model….]

Thank you Lord, for the privilege of prayer. 

Please shape us more and more 

into the image of your Son as we learn to pray. 

In Jesus’ praying name. Amen. 

Read Luke 11:1-13.



Elizabeth Reynolds Turnage

Elizabeth Reynolds Turnage

author, life and legacy coach, speaker