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A Prayer about Finding Rest in Prayer

A Prayer about Finding Rest in Prayer

…and they found him and said to him, “Everyone is looking for you.” Mark 1:37 

Rest-giving Jesus,

Today we return to our theme 

of finding rest in an anxious world. 

As we witness what you did, 

empower us to do the same:

You rose very early in the morning, 

and you went “out to a desolate place,” 

and you prayed (Mark 1:35). 

Lord, one thing is clear — 

we need to find quiet. 

In order to find rest, 

we must be intentional 

about getting away from the noisy demands 

of our cell phones 

and our self-talk, 

of our crying babies 

and our screaming inboxes. 

Why must we get quiet? 

Because if we do not, 

we cannot hear you singing 

your delight over us (Zephaniah 3:14-17). 

If we do not get quiet, 

we cannot “stay on purpose,” 

as Vanessa pointed out in her talk*. 

If we don’t get quiet, 

when people come to us with their demands, 

“Everyone is looking for you” 

(bosses, employees, 

friends, spouses, 

children, grandchildren….), 

we will puff up with pride and think, 

“Oh, how important I am!” 

But you did not puff up with pride 

when your disciples told you that. 

No, you “stayed on purpose,” 

and you refused to yield 

to someone else’s purpose for you 

that was not your God-given purpose. 

You said, “Let us go on to the next towns, 

that I may preach there also, 

for that is why I came out” (Mark 1:38). 

Precious Jesus, 

forgive us for getting distracted, 

for not listening to 

your voice, 

to the Father’s voice, 

to the Spirit’s voice. 

Forgive us for hearing the demands and applause of “everyone”

 and thinking we must do as they say. 

Help us in our desperate weakness 

to follow you, 

to do our Father’s will. 

In your praying name. Amen.

Read Mark 1:35-39. 

This prayer, like yesterday’s, was inspired by a talk given at the PCA women’s ministers leadership training by Vanessa Hawkins.

A Prayer about Knowing Our God-Given Limits

A Prayer about Knowing Our God-Given Limits

So Jesus healed many people who were sick with various diseases, and he cast out many demons. Mark 1:33

Precious Jesus, 

As we live in your strength through your Spirit, 

may we learn to follow your lead in knowing when to say “enough.” 

At a recent women’s ministry training, 

I heard some wise words 

on saying no to the demands of our world.* 

Vanessa Hawkins, the speaker, 

pointed out that though people brought “all” who were sick, 

and the “whole” city was gathered, 

you chose to heal “many,” not all (Mark 1:32-33). 

We don’t know your ways, 

but we know you have the wisdom of limits, 

something we would do well to learn. 

So often we strive 

to do it all, 

to have it all, 

to be all things 

to all people. 

But you healed “many,” 

and then, as Vanessa pointed out, 

you went to sleep. 

We know that because the next morning 

you got up, “rose,” very early, 

to go out and pray (Mark 1:35).

Tomorrow we’ll consider how you found rest in prayer, 

as you heard your Father 

speak words of delight and purpose over you.

For today, we ask that you would send your Spirit 

to show us places 

where we may be trying to live beyond 

the very human limits 

you yourself submitted to. 

In your limit-giving name. Amen. 

Read Mark 1: 21-39.

*This prayer inspired by the talk given by Vanessa Hawkins on how prayer brings rest. I’m not sure the link is available, but if it becomes available, I’ll let you know. 

A Prayer about the God Who Hears Our Groans

A Prayer about the God Who Hears Our Groans

Exodus 2:24–25 And God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob. God saw the people of Israel—and God knew.

All-knowing God,

We are so grateful that we know 

that you know our very groans. 

When you hear our groans, 

whether over grief due to a loved one’s death 

or the suffering of mental illness 

or the sorrow over wars and strivings. 

We who belong to you know 

that you have rescued us already from the worst slavery, 

the slavery to sin and death. 

But you don’t stop there. 

You continue your redemptive work 

in this hurting world, 

all the way till our Savior returns 

to fully establish his kingdom of shalom 

right here on this groaning earth. 

We are so grateful—

you never never forget 

your covenant with your people, 

sealed through your Spirit, 

kept through your faithfulness in your Son. 

And we are so grateful—

as you remember, you rescue. 

In Jesus’ hope-bringing name. Amen.

Read Exodus 2.

A Prayer about Not Being Forsaken

A Prayer about Not Being Forsaken

Do not forsake me, O Lord! O my God, be not far from me! Make haste to help me, O Lord, my salvation! Psalm 38:21-22

Steadfastly-loving Lord,

We come to you again today, 

as we did yesterday, 

with David, mourning our own sin, 

seeing its ravaging effects 

on our hearts, souls, bodies, and minds. 

We waited for you, O Lord, 

and you answered us 

by sending your Son, 

our Savior (Psalm 38:15). 

We would be desperate 

if we did not know the hope we have in Jesus. 

Because he was forsaken on the cross, 

we will never be forsaken in our sin. 

We cry out to you with profound hope 

for forgiveness 

because you have already 

made haste to help us 

in Christ. 

Send us out to live and love 

in this great hope today and every day.

In Jesus’ forsaken name. Amen. 

Read Psalm 38.

A Prayer about Grace for Our Sins

A Prayer about Grace for Our Sins

There is no soundness in my flesh because of your indignation; There is no health in my bones because of my sin. Psalm 38:3

Mighty and Merciful God,

In this lenten season, 

many Christians around the world spend time 

reflecting on our sins 

as we prepare to celebrate 

the outrageously good news 

that Christ died and rose for those sins.

How appropriate then to join David 

in his mourning and anguish over his sin, 

as he cries out, 

“For my iniquities have gone over my head; 

like a heavy burden, they are too heavy for me” (Psalm 38:4).

Lord, help us to see that without Christ, 

we’d be sunk by our sin. 

Help us to smell 

the festering wounds of our own foolishness (Psalm 38:5). 

But most of all, help us to collapse 

completely on your grace, 

crying out to you as David did, 

“O Lord, all my longing is before you; 

my sighing is not hidden from you,” 

knowing that “it is you, O Lord my God, 

who will answer” (Psalm 38:915). 

In Jesus suffering name. Amen. 

Read Psalm 38.

A Prayer about the Fast God Chooses

A Prayer about the Fast God Chooses

Is this not the fast I choose: to loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the straps of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke? Isaiah 58:6

Holy Lord,

in this season before Easter, 

those who observe Lent may choose to fast. 

Whether we choose to fast or not, 

may we heed Isaiah’s call to true fasting. 

The Lord has no interest in showy fasting 

which has nothing to do with serving the Lord: 

“Behold, you fast only to quarrel and to fight 

and to hit with a wicked fist” (Isaiah 58:4). 

Instead, he calls us to true fasting, 

as Eugene Peterson puts it:

“This is the kind of fast day I’m after:

To break the chains of injustice,

Get rid of exploitation in the workplace,

Free the oppressed,

Cancel debts. 

What I’m interested in seeing you do is:

Sharing your food with the hungry,

Inviting the homeless poor into your homes,

Putting clothes on the shivering ill-clad,

Being available to your own families” (Isaiah 58:6-7, The MSG).

Merciful God, in this season of global heartache,

redeem our fasting and redeem our non-fasting, 

May any sacrifice we make 

result in the light of Christ breaking forth 

in our lives in extending extraordinary love 

to our friends, neighbors, strangers, and enemies.

In Jesus’ transforming name. Amen.