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A Prayer about the Possibility of Entering God’s Kingdom

by | Oct 13, 2024 | Daily Prayer, kingdom living, Spiritual Growth

A Prayer about the Possibility of Entering God’s Kingdom

With man it is impossible, but not with God. For all things are possible with God. Mark 10:27

Christ our King,

In Mark 10:17-31, we read of a rich young man 

who truly seemed to want to know 

how to inherit eternal life (Mark 10:17). 

He did seem a little proud of his moral accomplishments—

he told you he had kept all the commandments you named 

(not noticing you left out a few big ones!) (Mark 10:20). 

But there was one thing he couldn’t do. 

He couldn’t sell all his possessions and follow you. 

Jesus, help us to see you in this true story—

you “felt genuine love” for this man (Mark 10:21). 

You knew it is impossible 

but for the work of the Spirit 

for any of us to give up the things 

that we make gods 

instead of the One, true Living God. 

Whether it’s money or relationships 

or work or family or shopping

or food or drink, 

we tend to look to other things 

for security and significance. 

We were “dead in our trespasses,” (Ephesians 2:1), 

and if it weren’t for your death on the cross, 

none of us would be able to inherit eternal life. 

Thanks be to God for his rich mercy, 

for making “us alive together” with you (Ephesians 2:4-5). 

Because he did, it is possible to follow you. 

Because he did, it is possible for us to inherit eternal life.

In your saving name. Amen.

Read Mark 10:17-31. 



A Prayer about Being Homesick for Heaven

by | Jul 22, 2024 | Daily Prayer, kingdom living

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)



Elizabeth Reynolds Turnage

Elizabeth Reynolds Turnage

author, life and legacy coach, speaker

The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing. Zephaniah 3:17

Lord, 

We believe; help our unbelief.

We believe you have already come into our midst 

in the incarnation of Jesus Christ.

We believe you are a mighty one 

who has already saved us from our sins 

through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

But in the next line of this magnificent verse, 

we stutter and stumble. 

We think that maybe you will rejoice in us 

some day in the future 

when we are more holy, 

that you will love us 

some day in the future 

when we never sin again,

that you will exult in us with loud singing 

some day in the future 

when we’ve finally earned our way to heaven.

But that’s not what Scripture tells us.

The gospel good news 

for all who trust in Jesus

is that right this minute, 

you are rejoicing over us, 

right this minute

you are quieting us with your love, 

right this minute

and you are exulting over us with loud singing. 

You saved us. 

You love us. 

You delight in us. 

You sing extra-loud over us, 

like the five-year-old who loves to sing 

at the top of his lungs 

because he’s so happy. 

Help us today to sit quietly 

and listen for the sound 

of your delight in us, 

and may that delight 

change the way we live and love 

today and every day. 

In Jesus’ saving name. Amen.

Read Zephaniah 3:14-20.



Elizabeth Reynolds Turnage

Elizabeth Reynolds Turnage

author, life and legacy coach, speaker

A Prayer about Really Knowing God

by | Apr 19, 2024 | Daily Prayer, Gospel living, kingdom living, Spiritual Growth

A Prayer about Really Knowing God

Let not the wise boast of their wisdom

or the strong boast of their strength

or the rich boast of their riches,

but let the one who boasts boast about this:

that they have the understanding to know me…

Jeremiah 9:23-24

Gracious God, 

May we learn to boast in the wild reality

that by your grace 

we do have the understanding to know you.

What indeed must we know about you?

It is true, 

we need to know about you, 

that you are  

all-knowing, 

all-holy, 

all-powerful, 

all-loving, etc.

But we also need to know you, personally. 

Theologian J.I. Packer taught us 

how we could know you personally in his book, Knowing God. 

He explained that 

if we were to meet the Queen of England 

or the President of the United States,

they would have to be willing to be known by us 

in order for us to get to know them. 

If they didn’t share much about themselves, 

we wouldn’t feel we had the right to complain. 

But you, oh gracious God, 

you initiate the conversation, 

you “start at once to take us into your confidence, 

and tell us frankly what is in your mind 

on matters of common concern…

you invite us to join you 

in particular undertakings you have planned, 

and ask us to make ourselves permanently available 

for this kind of collaboration when you need us….”*

When we think of it this way, kind Lord, 

how we see your grace, 

how we see your love.

We can know you 

because you have allowed us 

and invited us

to know you. 

We can know you by meditating on your Word, 

not just reading it and studying it, 

although those are good things, 

but by engaging our imaginations and intellect.

Lord, slow us down 

that we might spend time getting to know you, 

That we might discover one of the 

most life-changing truths ever, 

which we will pray about tomorrow: 

you have known us. 

In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Read Jeremiah 9:23-24; 1 John 2:1-11; John 17:3; Psalm 100:3

*This prayer inspired by reading the introduction to J.I. Packer’s great book, Knowing God. Quotes from pages 36-37.



Elizabeth Reynolds Turnage

Elizabeth Reynolds Turnage

author, life and legacy coach, speaker

A Prayer about the King of Kings

by | Dec 4, 2023 | Daily Prayer, Gospel living, kingdom living, Spiritual Growth

A Prayer about the King of Kings

The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he shall reign forever and ever. Revelation 11:15

Mighty King, Lord of Lords,

Over the coming weeks, 

many of us will hum or sing along 

to Handel’s famous Hallelujah chorus: 

“King of Kings, and Lord of Lords…

And he shall reign…

Forever and ever.”

We pray that we will not sing these words mindlessly, 

but that you, by your Spirit, 

would awaken our imaginations, 

that we might truly see 

this very baby who Gabriel said would 

“reign on the throne forever” (Luke 1:33), 

firmly planted on the throne in this very moment. 

We pray that our vision of this reality 

would shove aside bad news and fake news 

of the frail and faulty rulers of this world, 

that it would cheer our hearts 

with the goodness of the truest 

and best news about our Savior. 

He is the “King of kings and Lord of lords” (Revelation 19:6). 

He reigns now, and he will reign forever.

One day he will return and establish his kingdom, 

redeeming us and redeeming this earth, 

making all things new. 

In that day, we will bow before him, 

“reigning forever and ever” 

with him as his servants (Revelation 22:5). 

May we sing this good news loudly and cheerfully.

In the name of our Savior King. Amen.

Read Luke 1:33; Revelation 11:15; Revelation 19:6; Revelation 19:16; Revelation 22:5.

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



 

A Prayer about Flourishing in Old Age

by | Sep 8, 2023 | aging, dying, and death, Daily Prayer, kingdom living

A Prayer about Flourishing in Old Age

They still bear fruit in old age; they are ever full of sap and green….Psalm 92:14

Everlasting God,

We live in a world that urges us to fight aging, 

We live in a world that promises us eternal youth, 

if we will only apply this wrinkle cream, 

walk 10,000 steps a day, 

and eat kale salad for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. 

While there’s nothing wrong 

with resisting some of the harsher effects of aging 

by exercising regularly and eating healthily, 

you have promised us something far better. 

Turn our hearts away from a narrow focus

on the physical effects of aging, 

that we might live out the righteousness 

you have imputed to us in Christ. 

For indeed, it is the “righteous 

[who] flourish like the palm tree 

and grow like a cedar in Lebanon” (Psalm 92:12). 

With our faith planted deeply in your Word, 

we will flourish in your eternal courts. 

With our hope firm like the roots of an ancient oak, 

we will “bear fruit in old age,” 

bringing forth new spiritual children 

until the day you call us home to you.

In Jesus’ righteous name. Amen.

Read Psalm 92.



A Prayer about Being the Bride

by | May 24, 2023 | Daily Prayer, kingdom living

A Prayer about Being the Bride

“Come, I will show you the Bride, the wife of the Lamb.” Revelation 21:9

Oh Heavenly Bridegroom,

In this season of so many weddings, 

may we never forget 

that we belong to you as your bride.

It is hard to believe that you would choose us, 

and we feel our unworthiness, 

and we wouldn’t dare to hope 

that you would actually take us as your bride, 

except that Scripture tells us 

you gave yourself up for us, 

in order to sanctify us, 

and that one day you will present us to yourself 

in splendor, 

“without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, 

that she might be holy and without blemish” (Ephesians 5:25-27). 

Lord, may we look toward that day 

with eager and fervent longing. 

May we imagine the day you will lift our veil 

and we will see you face to face. 

What a beautiful wedding day that will be!

In your perfectly loving name. Amen.

Read Ephesians 5:25-27; Revelation 19:7-9; Revelation 21:2.