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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

A Prayer about the Destruction of Death

by | May 3, 2024 | Daily Prayer, Death and Resurrection, Spiritual Growth

A Prayer about the Destruction of Death

The last enemy to be destroyed is death. 1 Corinthians 15:27

Heavenly Father,

Death is indeed our enemy. 

You created humans to live forever, 

glorifying and enjoying you. 

When sin entered the world, 

death came right alongside it, 

and ever since, 

the devil has used the power of death 

to hold your people in bondage to fear (Hebrews 2:14-15).

But because of the resurrection of Jesus 

which we celebrated a few short weeks ago, 

death has lost its sting for followers of Christ (1 Corinthians 15:55). 

We of all people should be able to discuss death, 

to prepare to die well by planning for the end of our lives, 

knowing it is coming, 

and knowing it will be a sad day for our loved ones left behind 

even as it is a day of unspeakable joy for us. 

Help us, Lord, 

to face this formidable enemy with courage, 

preparing for it practically, 

leaving a legacy that guides our loved ones 

in their grief, 

because of the hope we have in Jesus.

In Jesus’ death-defeating name. Amen.

Read 1 Corinthians 15:12-58.



Elizabeth Reynolds Turnage

Elizabeth Reynolds Turnage

author, life and legacy coach, speaker

A Prayer about De-Selfing

by | May 2, 2024 | Daily Prayer, Gospel living, Spiritual Growth

A Prayer about De-Selfing

….who gave himself for our sins to deliver us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen. Galatians 1:4

Lord Jesus,

Grow our awe—

You gave your-self: your fully divine, fully human self…

For what?

For my sins, for our sins…

Our sins revolve and evolve 

from our selves:

I am/we are

self-seeking,

self-promoting,

self-conscious,

self-pitying, 

self-protecting, 

among many other self-centric behaviors. 

You are 

self-sacrificing, 

self-lowering, 

self-emptying, 

self-less. 

Through your sacrifice for our sins,

we are delivered from the present evil age—

That is, we are 

redeemed, 

rescued, 

saved, 

from our self-centeredness 

and all of the self-seeking attitudes 

this fallen world promotes.

You obeyed the will of your Father, 

that he might be glorified, 

lifted up, 

praised, 

and in you, 

we too are transformed 

from self-centeredness 

to other-centeredness,

empowered 

to glorify God 

and glorify you, 

to love you 

and love others.

Indeed, in you, 

we have every reason to hope 

for freedom from self. 

Amen. 

Read Galatians 1:1-4; Philippians 2:3-11.



Elizabeth Reynolds Turnage

Elizabeth Reynolds Turnage

author, life and legacy coach, speaker