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A Prayer about Thanking God for His Perfect Timing

A Prayer about Thanking God for His Perfect Timing

Sarah became pregnant and bore a son to Abraham in his old age, at the very time God had promised him. Genesis 21:2

Good Father, 

Just a year before Sarah became pregnant, 

you heard Sarah laughing at your promise 

that she would bear a child (Genesis 18:13). 

And you said, “Is anything too hard for the Lord?” (Genesis 18:14). 

Then Sarah had the gall to tell you she had not laughed. 

You were firm, “No, but you did laugh.” 

Despite Sarah’s unbelief, 

you moved forward with your plan, 

and now, a year later, 

Sarah gives birth to a son 

and calls him “Laughter,” 

because “God has made laughter for me; 

everyone who hears will laugh over me” (Genesis 21:6). 

What a story! What an amazing God you are!

Today, we thank you for this reminder 

that not even our own unbelief 

can stop you from fulfilling the plans 

you have for us 

to multiply your glory. 

Today, may we remember 

all of the unexpected, surprising, 

seemingly impossible ways you’ve worked, 

in your perfect timing, 

to bless us for the sake of your glory—

with children, work, friendships, healing, homes…

the list goes on and on.

[Thank God for some of the unexpected ways he has blessed you over the course of your life or the course of this week.]

May we never forget your goodness to us.

In Jesus’ surprising name. Amen.

Read Genesis 18:9-15; Genesis 21:1-5. 

A Prayer about Being United to Christ

A Prayer about Being United to Christ

This is the third of four days praying through Colossians. Read yesterday’s here

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For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. Col. 3:3

Precious Jesus,

Please open the eyes of our hearts 

that we might understand all of the riches 

we have in our union with you, 

that we might live accordingly. 

Our old self has died, 

and with it, all of our slavery to sin—

we can be free of idolatry of every kind:

addiction to control or to crack, 

to work or to wasting time, 

to sexual immorality or to secret lusts.

We are raised with you, 

“holy and beloved” (3:1, 12), 

so we can put on compassion, 

letting others go first in a long line at the gas station, 

patiently waiting when our friend always runs fifteen minutes late, 

forgiving our co-worker for taking credit for our work, 

seeking to restore harmony with a roommate 

who never takes out the trash or does the dishes… (Col. 3:14).

Indeed, joined to you, 

we will “share in your sufferings” (Philippians 3:10), 

but because we are hidden in you, 

you will bear the brunt of those sufferings, 

as a pregnant mother does for the baby in her womb. 

Most wonderfully of all, 

because we are joined to you, 

we can never be separated from you. 

Gentle Jesus, may we indeed be thankful and peaceful. 

May we sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs (Col. 3:16-17)

 as we grasp this incredibly good news!

In your life-transforming name. Amen.

Read Colossians 3.

A Prayer about Those Who Turn Away from Jesus

A Prayer about Those Who Turn Away from Jesus

After this many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him. John 6:66

Heavenly Father,

This must be one of the saddest verses in all of Scripture. 

Not too long before this, 

Jesus had fed well over five thousand people 

with five loaves of bread and two fish (John 6:1-16). 

The next day, the crowd of people sought out Jesus, 

wanting them to feed them again, 

but he pointed out their true and desperate need for living bread: 

“I am the living bread that came down from heaven. 

If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever” (John 6:51). 

Many of the more religious people were confused and disgruntled 

by Jesus’ words—

they were hungry and thirsty 

and just wanted Jesus to do more miracles. 

Sadly, they missed what we sometimes miss—

our deepest need is spiritual. 

We seek things of this earth 

to fill our hunger, our thirst, 

and yet, what we really need 

is what Jesus has already given: 

his blood shed for us, 

his body broken for us, 

and the new life that comes 

from dining on the bread of life (John 6:53-54). 

Father, we know that those who are truly in Christ 

will never turn away from him. 

For those who have turned away from Christ, 

we pray that by your Spirit, 

they will be drawn to return, 

to trust Christ alone 

to fill their hunger and thirst. 

In Jesus’ saving name. Amen.

Read John 6:22-71. 

A Prayer about All the Peoples of God

A Prayer about All the Peoples of God

Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.” 1 Peter 2:10

Heavenly Father,

Psychologists say we need to belong

to someone or something,

but we resist losing our autonomy,

our individualism.

And yet, you have created us to belong to you,

and you have made us your people,

your peoples.

So many kinds of people belong to you:

people with purple hair,

people with poodles,

people with posh homes,

people with poor shacks.

People from Potatoville,

people from Paris,

people from Pripyat.

To us all, you have shown us your mercy

in your Son Jesus Christ,

and now we are your people,

your multicolored

multinational

multicultural

people.

You tell us who we are:

precious and chosen,

treasured and beloved.

As we wait for the day

when we will all gather together

in the new heavens and new earth,

send us out

to “proclaim the excellencies of him

who called [us] out of darkness

into his marvelous light,”

so that we might invite

even more kinds of people

to become your people.

Read 1 Peter 2:1-12.

A Prayer about the Occupied Throne

A Prayer about the Occupied Throne

Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, saying: “To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power, for ever and ever!” Revelation 5:13

Lord Our Heavenly King,

We confess,

we’ve never seen a throne in real life,

and sometimes it’s hard to understand

what it means that you’re sitting

on the throne of heaven,

right this very minute.

Show us, we pray,

that we might see you as our glorious King

even as we wait for the day

we will gather before your throne in person.

Because you are on the throne,

we can wait for that day confidently,

knowing that the day of judgment is coming

for evil rulers who seem to be winning over the world

with their corrupt power.

Because you are on the throne,

we can wait peacefully,

knowing that our King is seated on the throne,

not pacing the floor wringing his hands in worry

about the wretched state of the cosmos.

Because you are on the throne, we can wait gratefully,

seeing the King who suffered for us to make us his people.

Because you are on the throne, we can wait worshipfully,

bowing with all the saints of heaven

before your occupied throne,

singing the praise of our benevolent King.

In Jesus’ just and merciful name we pray.

Amen.

Read Revelation 4-5.

A Prayer about Not Trusting in Our Own Righteousness

A Prayer about Not Trusting in Our Own Righteousness

He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and treated others with contempt….Luke 18:9

Merciful God,

Lord, open our hearts and show us any ways 

we “trust in ourselves,” 

any ways we think we are “righteous”—

thoughts like, “I’m a pretty good person,” 

or “I went to church five times this month,” 

or “I gave a lot of money to that homeless ministry.” 

Open our hearts to show us 

any ways we “treat others with contempt” — 

things like, “I can’t believe she wore that to church,” 

or  “What a jerk to cheat on his taxes!” 

or “I’m glad I never have committed any of the big sins like so-and-so.”

Lord, you have made it clear—

We must come to you with bottomless humility, 

a deep awareness of we can do nothing “good” without you.

Show us our sin, large and small, 

and send us to our knees, 

begging your forgiveness, 

grateful for your mercy. 

In your humble and exalted name. Amen. 

Read Luke 18:9-14.