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A Prayer about the Hope of the Cross

by | Apr 4, 2023 | Daily Prayer, Death and Resurrection, Easter, Lent

A Prayer about the Hope of the Cross

Then one of the twelve, whose name was Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests and said, ‘What will you give me if I deliver him over to you?’ And they paid him thirty shekels of silver. Matthew 26:14-15

Merciful Father,

This scene ranks right up there 

as one of the saddest moments in all of Scripture.

 Judas, disgusted with Jesus’ mercy, 

makes his final decision to betray Jesus, 

and for a pittance. 

While it’s tempting to point fingers at Judas and ask, 

“How could he,” 

we must also look in the mirror and see 

our own betrayal of you, of Jesus, 

our rebellious hearts that Jesus died to restore. 

Even as we see the darkness of our own sin, 

may we step back and survey the wondrous cross 

on which our Prince of Glory died. 

May we truly comprehend 

the depth and breadth of your love for us 

and your complete forgiveness of our sins. 

As we do, may we fall at your feet to worship as Mary did, 

extravagantly and spectacularly. 

In Jesus’ loyal name. 

Read Matthew 26:6-16.

Note: This prayer is based on my Holy Week devotional, The Gospel Day-by-Day. Get your Holy Week devotional e-book free now. Link in profile or copy/paste link into browser: http://eepurl.com/b__teX.

A Prayer about Believing God’s Love is Unfailing

by | Mar 28, 2023 | Daily Prayer, Death and Resurrection, Easter, Lent

A Prayer about Believing God’s Love is Unfailing

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. Romans 8:38-39

Steadfastly Loving God,

I haven’t done a study on it, 

but I’m willing to bet the word “love” ranks high 

as one of the most common words and themes in Scripture, 

especially as it is associated with you. 

Here are just a few of the things the Bible says about 

what your love means for us:

“See how very much our Father loves us, 

for He calls us His children, and that is what we are!” (1 John 3:1)

“But God showed His great love for us 

by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners” (Romans 5:8).

“For this is how God loved the world: 

He gave His one and only Son, 

so that everyone who believes in Him 

will not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16)

“For the LORD corrects those He loves, 

just as a father corrects a child in whom He delights” (Proverbs 3:11-12).

The question we must answer is 

do we believe 

in your everlasting, 

unfailing, 

unearned, 

undeserved 

love for us? 

And if we do, 

how will we respond? 

Will we live in the security of your love, 

loving our neighbors 

and even ourselves (who we sometimes find hardest to love)? 

Will we live without fear, 

because your perfect love casts out fear (1 John 4:18)? 

Will we live in service to you, 

grateful for your love to us? 

Oh, loving Lord, may it be so!

May we rest and rejoice in your incomprehensible love for us, today and every day!

In Jesus’ sacrificially loving name. Amen.

Read 1 John 3:1-3; John 3:16; Proverbs 3:11-12; 1 John 4:7-21.

A Prayer of Lament about the Covenant Presbyterian School Shooting

by | Mar 28, 2023 | Death and Resurrection, Grief

A Prayer of Lament about the Covenant Presbyterian School Shooting

Dear friends, in these days when words are hard to find for our grief, we make the words God has given us in his holy and loving Word our own. Please join me in an attempt at lament:

“The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” John1:5

O Lord,

“God of our salvation,

we cry out day and night before you,

Let our prayer come before you;

Incline your ear to our cry” (Psalm 88:1-2)

We bring to you, Oh Lord, our complaint.

This is the way many of us feel right now:

“For these things I weep;

my eyes flow with tears;

for a comforter is far from me,

one to revive my spirit;

my children are desolate,

for the enemy has prevailed” (Lamentations 1:16)

We ask for you to bring

your peace,

your love,

your comfort

and your healing

to all involved in this tragedy,

and to this entire world:

To the families of the victims

To the family of the shooter

To the children, family, faculty, and staff of Covenant Presbyterian School

To all the grieving and traumatized in the community

To the mentally ill

We urge you to bring your justice and peace to this world:

for the day of no more gun violence

for the day of no more evil

for the day of no more tears,

no more death,

no more mourning,

no more pain (Revelation 21:4).

Because of Jesus, we know that day is coming:

Even now, we proclaim this truth:

“The light shines in the darkness,

and the darkness has not overcome it.” John1:5

Even now, we pray,

“That we may have strength to comprehend

with all the saints

what is the breadth and length and height and depth,

and to know the love of Christ

which surpasses knowledge,

that [we] may be filled with all the fullness of God (Ephesians 3:17-19).

As we walk these days in the light of your love,

As we live toward the day of resurrection,

we hear you assuring us,

“Behold, I am coming soon” (Revelation 22:7).

We cry out,

“Come quickly, Lord Jesus” (Revelation 22:20).

We hear you respond,

“Surely I am coming soon” (Revelation 22:20).

In your tear-wiping name we pray. Amen.

Read Psalm 88; Lamentations; Revelation 21-22; John 1:1-18.

A Prayer about Jesus’ Determination

by | Mar 27, 2023 | Daily Prayer, Death and Resurrection, Easter, Lent

A Prayer about Jesus’ Determination

And they will mock him and spit on him, and flog him and kill him. And after three days he will rise. Mark 10:34.

Lord Jesus,

Enlarge our imaginations 

so that we might walk with you 

on the day you told your disciples 

this alarming news. 

You were marching resolutely toward Jerusalem, 

toward your certain suffering and death. 

Your face was “set like a flint” (Isaiah 50:7), 

unwavering as you headed toward your final destination. 

Your followers were both “amazed” and “afraid,” 

maybe because you had twice before told them 

what would happen in Jerusalem (Mark 10:32; 8:31; 9:31).

Lord Jesus, enliven our hearts 

that we might be amazed again—

amazed that you moved on toward your mission, 

knowing what you knew—

that your opponents would mock you 

and spit on you 

and flog you 

and kill you;

amazed that because you willingly endured this suffering, 

we have full forgiveness for our sins; 

amazed that you rose from the dead 

and that by believing in you we are raised to new life. 

In your amazing name. Amen.

Read Mark 10:32-34; Mark 8:31; Mark 9:31; Isaiah 50:7. 

A Prayer about Preparing for Eternal Glory

by | Mar 25, 2023 | Daily Prayer, Death and Resurrection, Lent

A Prayer about Preparing for Eternal Glory

And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. 1 Peter 5:10

Glorious Father,

We confess, 

we don’t often enough tear ourselves away 

from the busy demands of this world 

to think of the eternal glory just beyond. 

After all, we have baby showers we have to attend, 

emails we to answer, 

yards to mow.

What do we even mean by eternal glory?

Eternal glory is that to which we have been called, 

by “the God of all grace” “in Christ” (1 Peter 5:10). 

Eternal glory is the future glory “to be revealed in us” 

after “the sufferings of this present time” (Rom. 8:18). 

Eternal glory is that for which 

we and all of creation “groan inwardly” as we “wait eagerly” (Rom. 8:23).

Eternal glory is the glory for which 

the sufferings of this world prepare us. 

Eternal glory is so weighty 

that it will one day prove our sufferings 

to have been as light as a feather (2 Cor. 4:17-18).

In one sense, of course, we have already inherited this eternal glory 

if we are in Christ: “….those whom he justified he also glorified” (Rom. 8:30). 

And yet, our glory’s full fruition awaits the day of Christ’s return: 

“When Christ who is your life appears, 

then you will also appear with him in glory” (Col. 3:3).

Oh, Lord, draw our minds to contemplate the joys 

that await us in eternal glory, 

that we might live every day in anticipation of it.

In Jesus’ glorious name. Amen.

Read Romans 8:18-30; 1 Peter 5:6-11.

A Prayer about a Strange Trade-Off

by | Mar 23, 2023 | Daily Prayer, Death and Resurrection, Lent

A Prayer about a Strange Trade-Off

For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit. 1 Peter 3:18

Holy and Merciful God,

Thank you for these show-stopping words from 1 Peter. 

This reality that we focus on in Lent 

should widen our eyes and slacken our jaws:

Christ suffered for sins (our sins). 

He who was fully God and fully man 

died in the flesh; 

he was raised in the spirit.

And now, we who believe in him 

will never suffer punishment for our sins again. 

Why would he do such a thing?

For one reason only: 

So that he might bring us to God, 

for we could not come near God before—

the unrighteous cannot be near the righteous (Psalm 5:5). 

But when Christ became sin for us, 

we became the righteousness of God in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:21). 

Holy God, we admit, 

with our myopic human perspective, 

this great exchange makes no sense at all.

It only makes sense if you are an unfailingly loving God 

who would go to unimaginable extremes

to bring his beloved people to him. 

And that is what you are. 

How we praise you and thank you for this good news!

In Jesus’ substituting name. Amen.

Read 1 Peter 3:18; Psalm 5; 2 Corinthians 5:21.