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A Prayer about the Lord’s Generosity

by | Oct 21, 2024 | Daily Prayer, Gospel living, Spiritual Growth

A Prayer about the Lord’s Generosity

Honor the Lord with your wealth and with the first fruits of all your produce; then your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will be bursting with wine. Proverbs 3:9-10

Generous Father,

How kind and generous you have been with us! 

You have [blessed us in the city, 

blessed us in the field,

 blessed the fruit of our womb 

and the fruit of our ground 

and the fruit of our cattle…

You have blessed our basket

 and our kneading bowl. 

You have blessed us 

when we came in 

and when we went out.] (See Deuteronomy 28:2-6). 

Protect us, Lord, from the temptation to believe 

that our money belongs to us. 

Help us to remember always 

that you are the giver of all good gifts. 

Help us to return to you 

a healthy portion of what you have first given us. 

In so doing, 

we may find our barns filled with plenty 

and our vats bursting with wine, 

or we may not. 

But we will most definitely know 

the profound joy of being freed 

from the “love of money,” 

which can lead us 

to greediness and self-destruction. (See 1 Timothy 6:10). 

Even more, may we treasure most 

the inheritance of grace we have in your Son, 

our Savior, Jesus Christ. 

In his sacrificial name we pray. Amen. 

Read Proverbs 3:9-10; Deuteronomy 28:1-14; 1 Timothy 6:10. 



A Prayer about the Reviving Word

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

A Prayer about the Reviving Word

My soul clings to the dust; give me life according to your word! Psalm 119:25

Author God,

We’ve all felt like the sojourner on earth who, 

even as he walked through trials 

such as “soul-melting sorrow,” 

“scorn and contempt,” 

and the “dread of reproach,” 

pleaded with you, 

“strengthen me according to your word” (Psalm 119:19, 22, 28). 

We join him in praying that you would 

“put false ways far from us, 

and graciously teach us your law” (Psalm 119:29).

May we set your rules before us 

and cling to your testimonies, 

that we might not be put to shame. 

Enlarge our hearts, 

that we may run in the way of your commandments, 

remembering that the first and greatest 

is to “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, 

with all your soul, 

and with all your mind,” 

and the second is like it: 

“Love your neighbor as yourself” 

In the name of Jesus, the Word-made-flesh. Amen. 

Read Psalm 119:29-32; Matthew 22:37-39. 



A Prayer about Shouting for Joy instead of Frustration

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

A Prayer about Shouting for Joy instead of Frustration

Shout for joy to God, all the earth,

sing the glory of his name;

give to him glorious praise! Psalm 66:1-2

Glorious God,

How easily we shout for joy to you 

when we wake up after a great night’s sleep 

and look out at the sun rising 

over calm waters and sugar-white sand. 

And yet, you know we more easily shout out of frustration or anger 

when we awaken after a terrible night’s sleep 

and face all sorts of Monday madness. 

In some seasons, when we feel that you are “testing and trying us” (Psalm 66:10), 

or when we feel that you have brought us or our loved ones “into the net,” 

“laid a crushing burden on our backs,” (Psalm 66:11),

 or taken us through “fire and water,” 

we more easily shout, “Why is this happening to me?!” 

Move in us, by your Spirit, we pray: 

jog our memories, 

that we might recall the “awesome deeds “ 

you have done (Ps. 66:2)—

the times you “brought us out into a place of abundance” (Ps. 66:12), 

the way you “turned the sea into dry land” (Ps. 66:6). 

Where we have amnesia about your mercy and kindness, 

remind us of our Savior, 

who endured our crushing burden of sin, 

who acquainted himself with our grief, 

that we might be healed (Is. 53: 3,5). 

In Christ, we can surely find our voices 

to “Shout for joy” to you.

In the name of our Suffering Savior. 

Amen.

Read Psalm 66. 



A Prayer about Living in a Landscape of Loss

by | Oct 18, 2024 | Daily Prayer, Gospel living, Spiritual Growth, Suffering

A Prayer about Living in a Landscape of Loss

These things I have spoken to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world. John 16:33

Merciful Lord,

Today we pray for all who find themselves living in a landscape of loss. 

Even as various hurricanes whipped through Florida and the East Coast of America, 

wrecking homes, ripping away roofs, and taking lives, 

others are facing disaster in their lives: 

a body-wrecking diagnosis, 

the ripping apart of a marriage by an affair, 

the frequent flood of tears over a rebellious teenager,

unholy wars destroying people and land.

Lord, in a landscape of loss, 

in this world filled with tribulation, 

you make a startling promise: 

you have overcome the world. 

You tell us “Yes, you will suffer in this world, 

but in my world, 

my kingdom, 

which has already come and will soon be consummated,

you will never suffer again. 

Everything lost in the fall will be redeemed. 

For this reason, we can 

“be of good courage,” 

“take heart,” 

“not be afraid,” 

for you have indeed overcome the world 

by your death and resurrection. 

How we look forward to the day of renewal that awaits.

In your restoring name. Amen.

Read John 16. 



A Prayer about the Temptations Jesus Endured

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

A Prayer about the Temptations Jesus Endured

For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Hebrews 4:15

Sovereign Lord,

How we thank you for Jesus’ temptations, 

first, because as we prayed yesterday, 

it is through them that we are able 

to overcome our temptations. 

They do not merely offer a good example; 

they show us the way out. 

Through Christ, 

the second Adam, 

who, like the first Adam,

endured temptations,

and yet resisted. 

Jesus was tempted 

to provide sustenance through miraculous means (see Matt. 4:3);

while we cannot do this trick, 

we are often tempted to believe 

that you are not good 

when you do not provide 

what we think we need 

when we think we need it. 

Our Savior reminded us of our central hope

when he told Satan, 

“Man does not live by bread alone 

but by every word that comes 

from the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:4). 

We must trust in your goodness 

even when we don’t see your provision.

Jesus was tempted to gain knowledge 

that you loved him 

by demanding you protect him (Matt. 4:5-7). 

He resisted that temptation, 

choosing to trust 

that you protect him 

even in suffering. 

We must trust in your protection 

even when live 

in the midst of uncertainty and confusion.

Jesus was tempted to gain glory 

by worshiping Satan, 

the father of lies (Matt. 4:8-9).

He refused, 

naming his central focus 

as the glory of God: 

“You shall worship the Lord your God 

and him only shall you serve” (Matt. 4:10). 

We must refuse to seek glory 

that belongs to you alone.

Thank you, good Father, 

for giving us a sympathetic high priest 

who has endured temptation. 

May we run to his sheltering mercy and grace 

to find help in our time of need (Heb. 4:16). 

Amen. 

Read Hebrews 4:14-16; Matthew 4:1-11



A Prayer about Asking, Seeking, and Knocking

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

A Prayer about Asking, Seeking, and Knocking

Ask, and it will be given unto you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. Matthew 7:7

Lord Jesus,

You know the tears of longing and confusion 

this verse brings many of us. 

For we have asked and continued asking, 

daily, unceasingly, for years….

For a spouse, 

for a baby, 

for work that pays the bills, 

for preservation in the storm, 

for healing, 

for the return of a spiritually lost loved one…

The list goes on and on.

As we read the words that come before this verse 

in the Sermon on the Mount, 

we realize you are telling your disciples 

to keep on asking, seeking, and knocking, 

not only for material provision, 

but also for spiritual strength 

to love others, 

even enemies, 

to swallow our judgmental tongues

as you do. 

You do call us also 

to keep praying for the “desire of our heart,” 

for the “good gifts” 

our Heavenly Father gives us. 

We must confess, 

we don’t understand how it all works, 

but we continue to pray and trust 

that our Father is good. 

We continue to pray and trust 

that the Father who allowed you, our Savior, 

to die for us that we might be redeemed,

will redeem and restore all broken things. 

We continue to pray, 

trusting that our Father collects our prayers, 

he hears them, 

and he cares. (See Revelation 5:8; Psalm 141:2). 

In your faithful name we pray.

Amen.

Read Matthew 7:1-12; Revelation 5:8; Psalm 141:2.