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A Prayer about Becoming a Living Sacrifice

by | Mar 24, 2023 | Daily Prayer, kingdom living, Lent

A Prayer about Becoming a Living Sacrifice

Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Romans 12:1

Merciful God,

What a remarkable calling you’ve given us, 

and how remarkable that you’ve also made it possible!

I wonder if we sometimes slip right by this verse, 

not noticing the “Therefore” 

and wondering what it’s there for. 

Because “from him and through him and to him” 

are all things, 

and only because of that reality, 

we are able to present our bodies 

as a living sacrifice. 

In Christ, we become living sacrifices, 

holy and acceptable to you. 

Now by the power of the Holy Spirit, 

we respond in worship, 

in gratitude for your mercy, 

giving you all things. 

We offer our work to you as a sacrifice, 

asking you to help us glorify you in it, 

whether the job is drudge-work or dream work.

We offer our relationships to you as a sacrifice, 

asking you to help us glorify you through them, 

to love neighbors and family and even enemies.

We offer our bodies to you as a living sacrifice,

asking you to help us glorify you in them, 

To care well for them and to thank you 

for how you have made them.

We offer our minds to you as a living sacrifice,

asking you to help us glorify you in them, 

seeking to instruct them with your wisdom.

And on and on we go, 

with everything that we have 

and everything that we are, 

giving it all back to you, 

because and through the One 

who gave himself as a living sacrifice for us. 

In his loving name we pray. Amen.

Read Romans 11:36-12:2.

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.

A Prayer about Returning to the Lord

by | Mar 22, 2023 | Daily Prayer, Gospel living, Lent

A Prayer about Returning to the Lord

Return to the Lord your God, for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love, and he relents over disaster. Joel 2:13.

Merciful and Gracious God,

What an astounding invitation! 

May we read and rehearse these words 

until they change our wayward neural pathways. 

For we have two big problems: 

the first problem is our sin; 

the second problem, a bigger problem, 

is our rooted unbelief. 

We simply refuse to believe 

that you are as good as you say you are 

throughout Scripture. 

Today, may we bring the worst 

of our sinful and doubting selves 

to the wildest of your promises to us:

But Lord, you don’t know what I’ve done.

I do, and I am gracious.

But Lord, you don’t know how many times I’ve done it.

I do, and I am merciful.

But Lord, you don’t know how dark my thoughts are.

I do, and I am slow to anger.

But Lord, you don’t know how cruel I’ve been.

I do, and I am abounding in steadfast love.

But Lord, you don’t know how badly I’ve screwed things up.

I do, and I relent over disaster.

Good Father, plant these truths down deep in us, 

that we may return to you, confess our sin, 

and know the joy of your forgiveness and the delight of serving you. 

Read Joel 2:12-32.

A Prayer about Never Dying

by | Mar 21, 2023 | aging, dying, and death, Daily Prayer, Death and Resurrection, Easter, Lent

A Prayer about Never Dying

Jesus said to her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?’ John 11:25-26

Lord Jesus,

How I love the true story 

in which you asked your beloved friend Martha this crucial question. 

Her brother, Lazarus has died, 

and she knows that you could have saved him, 

but you didn’t. 

Now he lies in a tomb, 

and she has the faith to say, 

“But even now, I know that whatever you ask from God, 

God will give you” (John 11:22).

And you made this bold assertion: 

“Your brother will rise again” (John 11:23). 

But you didn’t stop there. 

You revealed your true identity to Martha: 

‘I am the resurrection and the life.’ 

And you promised that anyone who believes in you 

will never die (John 11:25-26). 

Jesus, as we walk toward Resurrection Sunday, 

may we see you, the risen and ascended Jesus, 

not only risen from the dead 

but seated at the right hand of the Father in heaven (Hebrews 10:12). 

And may we address this most crucial question: 

“Do we believe this?” 

It is truly a matter of eternal life and eternal death. 

By your grace, may we believe.

Read John 11:1-44. 

A Prayer about What Makes Life Last

by | Mar 20, 2023 | Daily Prayer, kingdom living, Lent

A Prayer about What Makes Life Last

And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. John 17:3

Everlasting God, 

In a year when close to fifty thousand people have died in the earthquake in Turkey and Syria,

when hundreds of thousands have died in the war in Ukraine, 

and when we are all frequently touched by the deaths of loved ones, 

people are more desperate than ever 

to know what makes life last. 

Some say, 

“Science and medicine can make life last”; 

others shrug and say, 

“Whatever, it’s all going to end, so live for today”; 

still others say, 

“You do you. That’s where you find life—within.”

You say…

“There’s only one way: 

Jesus… ‘the way, the truth, and the life’ (John 14:6).”

You say…

“Having an intimate relationship with Jesus 

is eternal life, 

life that begins here on earth 

and lasts forever.”

You said…

“I’ll bet my Son’s life on it.”

We say,

“Thanks be to God!”

In Jesus’ true and saving name. Amen. 

Read John 17:1-5; John 14:6; John 1:4-5.

A Prayer about Sharing Our Stories

by | Mar 19, 2023 | Daily Prayer, legacy, Lent

A Prayer about Sharing Our Stories

One generation shall commend your works to another, and shall declare your mighty acts. Psalm 145:4

Author God,

What exciting stories of redemption 

you have written in our lives. 

Every day of our life, 

may we live to tell that story, 

in our deeds and in our words.

May we also be intentional 

about the legacies we leave 

for the next generation of believers, 

writing and recording the stories 

of how you have performed 

your mighty acts in our lives. 

Help us to make time to write these stories, 

or if we are unable to write them, 

to record them through video or audio, 

the story of when and how you drew us to yourself, 

the story of when you picked us up when we had fallen down (Psalm 145:14), 

the story of how you provided for us out of your “abundant goodness” (Psalm 145: 7), 

the story of how your power worked miraculous changes (Psalm 145:11), 

[name a story of God’s work you’d like to tell.]

As we write and record these stories, 

give us the courage to share them with others, 

that they too might be inspired to tell the story 

of your wonderful goodness, 

that all might know the hope of redemption in Jesus Christ.

Amen. 

Read Psalm 145.