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A Prayer about Our Hope in Broken Stories

by | Apr 25, 2024 | Daily Prayer, Gospel living, Joy, Spiritual Growth

A Prayer about Our Hope in Broken Stories

They shall build up the ancient ruins; they shall raise up the former devastations; they shall repair the ruined cities, the devastations of many generations. Isaiah 61:4

Restoring God,

Today we lift up all who are in the middle of a story 

that feels like it has been torn up and tossed in the trash. 

The woman who has had three miscarriages in the past two years,

The child who just heard of her parent’s divorce,

The man who has received a cancer diagnosis, 

The people who experience marginalization 

because of their skin color or nationality…

The list goes on and on and on. 

Help us to look for what we really need to see 

in the midst of such stories: 

your restoring work that is happening even today 

and will be completed when Jesus returns.

Here is just some of the good news Jesus speaks to us through Isaiah: 

Instead of streaks of tears sullying your face, 

your face will shine with the oil of gladness

 and the hope of restoration (Isaiah 61:3).

No longer shriveled by sin and sadness, 

you will stand strong, 

planted firmly in the Lord’s steadfast love, 

like a mighty oak waving its leaf-laden branches 

in praise of the Lord’s glory (Isaiah 61:3).

The ruins of your life will be rebuilt, 

losses to the evil one will be restored, 

relationships ravaged by sin will be revived (Isaiah 61:4).

Help us to meditate on this future 

which you are writing into our broken stories even today.

In Jesus’ redeeming name. Amen.

Read Isaiah 61:1-11.



Elizabeth Reynolds Turnage

Elizabeth Reynolds Turnage

author, life and legacy coach, speaker

A Prayer about Being Transformed into Glory

by | Apr 4, 2024 | Daily Prayer, Joy, Spiritual Growth

A Prayer about Being Transformed into Glory

…are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit. 2 Corinthians 3:18b

Dear friends, this is the second part of a two-part prayer on the profound verse 2 Corinthians 3:18. Be sure to pray yesterday’s if you missed it.

Glorious Lord,

Can it be? 

Can it really be true that 

because the Spirit has lifted the veil 

that prevented us from beholding your glory, 

we are now being transformed by that same Spirit, 

by your Spirit? 

Can it be that we are far more than fixer-uppers, 

that we are re-created in you? 

Can it be that the glorious image of God 

in which we were created (Gen. 1:26-27)

is being restored in us 

after it was so terribly corrupted by the fall? 

Can it be that one day, 

when you appear, 

we will be given 

glorious resurrection bodies (See 1 Jn. 3:2)? 

And can it be that a day is coming 

when we will stand before the throne of God, 

and the angels will whisper together and say, 

‘How like Christ (s)he is?’”* 

Oh Lord, we believe; help our unbelief!

In your transforming name. Amen.

Read 2 Corinthians 3:12-18; Gen. 1:26-27; 2 Cor. 4:4; 1 John 3:2.

*Principle Rainy’s challenge, quoted in R. Kent Hughes, 2 Corinthians Commentary. 

Elizabeth Reynolds Turnage

Elizabeth Reynolds Turnage

author, life and legacy coach, speaker

A Prayer about Joy in the midst of Sadness

by | Dec 21, 2023 | Daily Prayer, Gospel living, Grief, Joy, Spiritual Growth

A Prayer about Joy in the midst of Sadness

Celebrate joyfully in the Lord, all the time. I’ll say it again: Celebrate!

Philippians 4:4

Lord,

I love how one theologian translates Philippians 4:4 

and what he teaches us about joy 

in his advent devotional:

Joy goes “hand in hand with hope:

it doesn’t mean 

that everything is already just as it should be,
only that with Jesus now enthroned as Lord 

we know it eventually will get there.”*

He encourages us to feel 

the depth of our emotions, 

including grief, 

because Jesus did. 

Today and every day of this week, 

I pray for my friends and for myself:

May we celebrate the joy Jesus brings,

even if we’re feeling sad or frustrated or lonely, 

knowing this is not the way it will always be, 

because you sent your Son into the world 

to make all things, 

including our emotions—

new.

In Jesus’ hope-bringing name. Amen. 

Read Philippians 4:4-9.

(From N.T. Wright’s Advent for Everyone, A Journey with the Apostles).

Get Elizabeth’s Advent devotional for free here: https://dl.bookfunnel.com/34no8c805q.



 

A Prayer about the Joy Growing in Our Hearts

by | Nov 8, 2023 | Daily Prayer, Gospel living, Joy, Spiritual Growth

A Prayer about the Joy Growing in Our Hearts

Light is sown for the righteous,

And joy for the upright in heart. Psalm 97:11

Glorious God,

We confess, 

sometimes the evil in our world 

and the darkness in our own hearts 

obscures your righteousness and glory. 

Psalm 97 reorients the eyes of our hearts

to see how magnificent you are, 

and as we see your kingly power 

and eternal beauty, 

we rejoice: 

“The Lord reigns; 

let the earth rejoice; 

let the many coastlands be glad!” (Ps. 97:1). 

May we never doubt for a moment 

that you will defeat all evil 

on this earth 

in your good time: 

“Fire goes before him 

and burns his adversaries all around” (Ps. 97:3). 

Indeed, as we see “The mountains [melting] like wax” 

before you, mighty Lord, 

we “hear and [are] glad.” 

We rejoice! 

Not only are you “[preserving] the lives of your saints; 

[delivering] us from the hand of the wicked,” (Ps. 97:10), 

you are sowing light in our hearts. 

Today and every day, 

may we see the seeds of light 

growing in our hearts, 

and may we know that out of those seeds, 

you will harvest bright blooms of joy and gladness. 

Indeed, as your children made righteous in Christ, 

may we “give thanks to [your] holy name!” (Ps. 97:12).

In Jesus’ joy-full name. Amen.

Read Psalm 97.



A Prayer about Shouting for Joy instead of Frustration

by | Oct 18, 2023 | Daily Prayer, Gospel living, Joy, 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 Our Reason for Rejoicing

by | Aug 28, 2023 | Daily Prayer, Joy

A Prayer about Our Reason for Rejoicing

Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Philippians 4:4

Gracious Lord,

In these days of sorrow over wars and plagues and division, 

help us understand what Paul is not saying and what he is saying.

He’s not saying, 

Cheer up! Put on a happy face!

He’s not saying,

Fake it till you make it!

He is saying,

Because “our citizenship is in heaven, 

and from it we await a Savior, 

the Lord Jesus Christ, 

who will transform our lowly body 

to be like his glorious body…” (Philippians 3:20-21), 

we have every reason to rejoice.

We don’t have to put on a happy face, 

but we do need to remember 

all of our reasons for rejoicing, 

even in the midst of suffering:

You have made us righteous in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:21);

You have made us your children (Ephesians 1:5);

You have made us citizens of your world, 

heaven, here and now (Philippians 3:20; Ephesians 2:6).

One day, soon, 

our Savior, the one who died for our sins, will return.

In that day, not only will he transform our lowly bodies, 

making them like his glorious body (can we believe it?!), 

he will transform the entire cosmos, 

“making all things new” (Revelation 21:5).

Today and every day, may we rejoice in all of this marvelously good news!

In Jesus’ transforming name. Amen. 

Read Philippians 4; Philippians 3:20-21. 

Read the whole Philippians series: https://www.elizabethturnage.com/daily-prayer