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A Prayer about Respecting the Aged

by | Jul 21, 2023 | aging, dying, and death, Daily Prayer, legacy

A Prayer about Respecting the Aged

Stand up in the presence of the elderly, and show respect for the aged. Fear your God. I am the LORD. 

Leviticus 19:32

Eternal Lord,

We live in a culture that prefers agelessness, 

a culture that strives to remain eternally young. 

We live in an aging culture, 

where we see some who age graciously, 

and others who do not. 

In this season of the silver tsunami, 

may we obey your command 

to respect the aged. 

Forgive us for any harsh words 

spoken to aging parents 

out of frustration and fear—

words uttered out of 

concern about their driving when they shouldn’t,

impatience about their refusal to follow doctor’s orders, 

annoyance about their rejection of our offers of help. 

Replace our fears about their frailty 

with tender concern and honoring respect.

Help us to take the time to listen to their stories, 

asking them to tell us about the seasons of sorrow 

and seasons of joy they’ve endured and enjoyed. 

Help us to honor the wisdom of the aged (Job 12:12) 

and seek out their counsel 

on marriage and finances and work and children. 

Lord, slow us down 

so that we might truly respect the aged 

as you have called us to do.

In Jesus’ respect-full name. Amen.

Read Leviticus 19:32; Timothy 5:1-3; Job 12:12; 1 Timothy 5:8; Proverbs 23:22. 



A Prayer about Being Homesick for Heaven

by | Jul 20, 2023 | Daily Prayer, Death and Resurrection

A Prayer about Being Homesick for Heaven

I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better. Philippians 1:23

Heavenly Father, 

Loosen our grip on this world. 

Make us more like Paul, 

torn between remaining on this earth 

and going to heaven to be with Jesus.

In a word, grow in us a “homesickness for heaven.”* 

Make us like the Scottish pastor Robert Bruce, 

who read Romans 8:38-39 aloud, 

“For I am sure that neither death nor life, 

nor angels nor rulers, 

nor things present nor things to come, 

nor powers, nor height, nor depth, 

nor anything else in all creation, 

will be able to separate us from the love of God 

in Christ Jesus our Lord,” 

And then told his daughter, 

“I have breakfasted with you, 

but I shall have supper 

with my Lord Jesus Christ this night.” 

Make us ready, Lord, 

to go and have supper with Jesus.

In his inviting name. Amen. 

Read Philippians 1:18-26; Romans 8:35-39. 

*Quote and story from Derek W. H. Thomas, Heaven on Earth: What the Bible Teaches about the Life to Come)



A Prayer about Becoming Aware of the Spirit

by | Jul 19, 2023 | Daily Prayer, Gospel living, Spiritual Growth

A Prayer about Becoming Aware of the Spirit

And when they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness.

Acts 4:31

Heavenly Father, Lord Jesus, Holy Spirit,

Forgive us for failing to recognize 

and celebrate the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives. 

We are like “the husband in a bad marriage, 

living under the same roof as his wife, 

making constant use of his wife’s services, 

but failing to communicate with her, 

to recognize her presence, 

or to celebrate his relationship with her.”*

And yet, you, Heavenly Father, 

have chosen to communicate your presence 

in the Holy Spirit, 

so much so that David prayed, 

“Where shall I go from your Spirit? 

Or where shall I flee from your presence?” (Psalm 139:7).

And you, Lord Jesus, 

emphasized the necessity of the Spirit’s saving, 

helping, 

guiding, 

teaching, 

enlightening, 

comforting 

work in the lives of your disciples, 

saying things like, 

“And I will ask the Father, 

and he will give you another Helper, 

to be with you forever, 

even the Spirit of truth…” (John 14:17).

Assuring us, the Helper, the Holy Spirit…

”will teach you all things 

and bring to your remembrance 

all that I have said to you” (John 14:26).

You, Holy Spirit, teach us 

and fill us 

and change us, 

and intercede for us, 

making us ever more like our Savior, Jesus.

Even now, may we take a moment 

to rest from our praying 

and meditate on 

the wonder and power 

of your indwelling presence in our lives.

Amen.

Read John 14-16. 



A Prayer about God’s Wrath and Mercy

by | Jul 18, 2023 | Daily Prayer, Gospel living, Spiritual Growth

A Prayer about God’s Wrath and Mercy

 Then I heard a loud voice from the temple telling the seven angels, ‘Go and pour out on the earth the seven bowls of the wrath of God.’

Revelation 16:1

Holy, Wrathful, and Merciful Judge,

We confess, your wrath is not our favorite subject. 

It’s true, we may avoid it because of violent street-corner preachers 

who scream at us at a stoplight, 

but nonetheless, the Bible teaches that you will judge your enemies, 

those who rebel against you, 

those who refuse to name you as the Lord of the universe, 

those who prefer to rule their own lives. 

Today, help us to consider your wrath 

in the context of what we know about you and ourselves:

You are a holy God, 

perfectly just, perfectly righteous, 

so your wrath is not the impulsive, violent anger 

of a power-hungry abuser. 

We have all “sinned and fall short of” your glory (Romans 3:23). 

Our sin is dark, complex, toxic, and destructive.

You are compassionate and merciful, 

and because you are, 

despite your people’s rebellion, 

you “atoned for their iniquity and did not destroy them…”; 

you “restrained your anger often 

and did not stir up your wrath” (Psalm 78:38). 

We long for justice to be done, for evil to be eradicated, 

for the day of no more racism, abuse, genocide, murder, rape, 

or any other betrayal of your love 

or demeaning of the dignity 

of your image-bearers.

You send us out to share the good news of your grace, 

to invite others to know your love and kindness 

and mercy and forgiveness. 

Help us to see you rightly 

so that we may thank you 

for your appropriate and deserved wrath 

against all evil. 

In Jesus’ saving name. Amen. 

Read Revelation 15-19; Psalm 78:38; Romans 3:23; Romans 5:6-9. 



A Prayer about the Prince of Hope

by | Jul 17, 2023 | Daily Prayer, Gospel living, Spiritual Growth

A Prayer about the Prince of Hope

Return to your stronghold, O prisoners of hope; today I will restore to you double.

Zechariah 9:12

Holy Lord,

Zephaniah and Zechariah have fierce warnings for your people 

about what will happen if they don’t repent of their rebellion 

and turn back to you.

 But these prophets also overflow with messages of your mercy 

that leave us shaking our heads in wonder 

at your gracious forgiveness. 

This passage begins with the familiar promise 

we hear at Easter:

“Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion!

Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem!

Behold, your king is coming to you;

Righteous and having salvation is he,

Humble and mounted on a donkey” (Zechariah 9:9).

We recognize this king as Jesus, our great Prince of Peace. 

As Pastor Scotty Smith says,

 Jesus is the “Prince of Hope” 

who brings the “Promise of Hope” 

who paid the “Price of Hope” 

that we might become “Prisoners of Hope.” 

For all who find themselves in waterless pits 

of worry, fear, or hopelessness today—

worried about children, 

fearful about finances, 

desperate for a cure,

hopeless about enslaving sin, 

may this profoundly good news remind us 

that in your mercy, 

we can never escape hope. 

You have redeemed us, 

and you will continue to heal and help us 

until the day of final restoration.

In Jesus’ Princely name. Amen. 

Read Zechariah 9:1-17.



A Prayer about What Makes Life Meaningful

by | Jul 16, 2023 | Daily Prayer, Gospel living, Spiritual Growth

A Prayer about What Makes Life Meaningful

There is no remembrance of former things, nor will there be any remembrance of later things yet to be among those who come after.

Ecclesiastes 1:11

Eternal God,

As my daily Bible reading takes me to Ecclesiastes, 

I am reminded of how easily we set our hopes 

on finding meaning in the things of this world.

As we read, “Is there a thing of which it is said, 

‘See, this is new’? 

It has been already 

in the ages before us” (Ecclesiastes 1:10), 

we might be tempted to say, 

“Well, yes, ChatGPT is new, 

and nothing like it ever existed 

in the ages before us,” 

but that would be to discount the awe the world felt 

when the telephone 

or the telegraph 

or the computer 

was discovered. 

Yes, even the latest, greatest technology 

will one day be “old,” 

and even ChatGPT 

cannot make our lives meaningful. 

You have created us to be meaning-making creatures, 

and again and again, 

the author of Ecclesiastes reminds us 

that the only lasting meaning to be found 

is in seeking to know and love you 

and in seeking to know how much you love us. 

You have endowed us with meaning, 

making us your image-bearers, 

and calling us to be ambassadors 

of the good news of the gospel. 

And while it is true that much about our stories 

will not be remembered 25 years after 

we’ve gone to be with you, 

what will last eternally 

is the way we’ve lived 

your calling 

to “be fruitful and multiply” the gospel. 

Help us today to turn our minds 

from the things that so occupy us, 

“toil under the sun” (Ecclesiastes 1:3), 

“great possessions of herds and flocks” (Ecclesiastes 2:7), 

even the acquisition of “great wisdom” (Ecclesiastes 1:16), 

that we might “hunger and thirst for righteousness,” 

for in it, we shall be satisfied (Matt. 5:6).

In Jesus’ meaning-full name. Amen.

Read Ecclesiastes 1-2.