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A Prayer about Being Bound to God by His Love

by | Aug 16, 2024 | Daily Prayer, Gospel living, Spiritual Growth

A Prayer about Being Bound to God by His Love

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? Romans 8:35

Ever-loving Lord,

When we are in the midst of trials and tragedy, 

we sometimes feel tempted to doubt your love for us. 

We suspect you knew we might struggle in this way, 

because your Word teems with promises 

of your love for your children, 

starting with this beautiful passage in Romans 8:28-38. 

You make so many promises throughout Scripture

about how we are bound to and by your love:

You have engraved us on the palm of your hands (Isaiah 49:15-16).

You will never leave us nor forsake us (Joshua 1:5, etc.)

You will not break a bruised reed; you will not snuff out a smoldering wick (Isaiah 42:3).

You are near to the brokenhearted and save those who are crushed in spirit (Psalm 34:18).

We could go on all day with these promises. 

But let’s conclude by remembering this:

One day, soon, you promise, you are coming back. 

In that day, we will see your face, 

and your name will be on our foreheads (Revelation 22:4). 

Lord, whether we like or dislike tattoos, 

may we gleefully imagine being face to face with you, 

with twin tattoos of your undying love 

marking our bodies, souls, minds, and heart.

Come, Lord Jesus. 

“Surely I am coming soon” (Rev. 21:20).

Amen. 

Read Romans 8:28-38; Isaiah 49:15-16; Revelation 22:4-5. 



A Prayer about Where We Find Our Security and Significance

by | Aug 15, 2024 | Daily Prayer, Gospel living, Spiritual Growth

A Prayer about Where We Find Our Security and Significance

For God alone my soul waits in silence; from him comes my salvation. Psalm 62:1

Faithful God,

We confess, too many times, 

our souls wait noisily, 

and they’re waiting for whatever will bring us 

a greater sense of security and significance. 

May we recognize with David 

that you alone are worthy of our wait. 

You alone are our rock and our salvation, 

our fortress. 

When we secure ourselves in you alone, 

we will “not be greatly shaken” (Psalm 62:1-2).

When we look for security in the many good gifts 

you have graciously given us,

we will find that they are only 

“leaning walls” 

and “tottering fences.” 

Our ideal families aren’t always happy; 

Our fit bodies aren’t always healthy;

Our retirement accounts aren’t always hefty. 

And yet, strangely enough, 

you know when we turn to these things 

for a sense of security and significance, 

and although you may “discipline those you love” (Hebrews 12:6 ), 

you do love us, 

you do seek us out, 

you do draw us back to yourself, 

our only safe refuge. 

Indeed, Lord, we can trust in you at all times; 

we can vulnerably “pour out our heart before you” (Psalm 62:8), for

“Power belongs to you,” 

and you alone are “steadfastly loving” (Psalm 62:11). 

In Jesus’ safe and secure name. Amen. 

Read Psalm 62.



A Prayer about How to Glorify God

by | Aug 14, 2024 | Daily Prayer, Gospel living, Spiritual Growth

A Prayer about How to Glorify God

And they shall sing of the ways of the Lord, for great is the glory of the Lord. Psalm 138:5

Glorious God,

We join David today in singing of your glorious ways — 

even though you are everlasting and ever-loving, 

all-wise and all-powerful, 

you “regard the lowly” (Psalm 138:6). 

Though you are above all and rule over all, 

you “preserve [our] lives” 

when we “walk in the midst of trouble.” 

In this is your glory, 

that despite your greatness, 

you stoop down to care for us. 

One author exhorts us to a way of glorifying you 

that we might not have considered: 

“Do you want to glorify God?….

Let him love you. 

Receive his grace, 

drink it down, 

without adding one drop 

of your goodness to it.”* 

Oh glorious God, 

may we indeed reconsider 

how to glorify you, 

how to humbly receive 

what you in your greatness and goodness 

have given us. 

Help us this day to live lives 

“to the praise of your glorious grace” (Ephesians 1:6). 

In Jesus’ immanent name. Amen. 

Read Psalm 138.

*Note from Dane C. Ortlund’s book, In the Lord I Take Refuge: 150 Daily Devotions through the Psalms.

A Prayer about How God’s Blessings Spread

by | Aug 12, 2024 | Daily Prayer, Gospel living, Spiritual Growth

A Prayer about How God’s Blessings Spread

May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face to shine upon us, that your way may be known on earth, your saving power among all nations. Psalm 67:1-2

Gracious God,

You have indeed been gracious to us and blessed us,

[Name ways he has been gracious to you and blessed you.]

You have made your face to shine your glory upon us,

[Name ways he has shone his glory on you.].

Help us not to hoard your many blessings, 

for you have always intended for your glory 

to make us fruitful, 

to make us multiply. 

Indeed, your blessings 

of mercy and grace 

and forgiveness 

are meant to show others 

(our neighbors, our friends, our co-workers, our enemies)—

“your way” (Psalm 67:2), 

your generous, 

steadfastly loving, 

faithful 

way.

[Name some ways you have seen God’s blessings spread to others through you.]

You have always intended 

for our salvation stories 

to lead people throughout the entire world 

to see your “saving power among all nations” (Psalm 67:2).

[Name some ways others might see God’s saving power through your stories of redemption.]

How we look forward to that day 

when all nations will “be glad and sing for joy” (Psalm 67:4), 

when every ethnicity will praise 

your justice and equity (Psalm 67:4).

Until that day comes, 

we will praise you 

and call all of the peoples of the earth 

to praise you!

In Jesus’ generous name. Amen.

Read Psalm 67. 



A Prayer about Worshipping like We’re in Heaven

by | Aug 12, 2024 | Daily Prayer, Gospel living, Spiritual Growth

A Prayer about Worshipping like We’re in Heaven

After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, ‘Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!’ Revelation 7:9-10

Mighty God,

Open our eyes, 

that we may truly see the magnificent worship 

taking place in heaven. 

Engage our hearts 

that we might worship you today in our churches 

as a foretaste of the day 

we will worship you eternally 

with all of the saints.

When we peek into heaven with John, 

the author of Revelation, 

we see “a great multitude”—

what an encouragement in a day 

when it seems so few want to worship you. 

In heaven, the deacons couldn’t even count the attendance.

Who are these people? 

They are people 

from Uganda and Ukraine, 

Mexico and Monaco, 

Cambodia and Côte d’Ivoire, 

people from every country A to Z, 

who speak every language ever spoken. 

What do they do? 

With the angels 

and the elders 

and the other living creatures, 

they fall on their faces 

before the throne, 

worshiping you.

What do they say? 

“Amen!

Blessing and glory and wisdom 

and thanksgiving and honor and power and might 

be to our God forever and ever! 

Amen” (Revelation 7:12). 

Oh, Lord, may this true story of worship 

change our worship today.

In Jesus’ worthy name. Amen.

Read Revelation 7. 



A Prayer about Being More than Conquerors

by | Aug 10, 2024 | Daily Prayer, Gospel living, Spiritual Growth

A Prayer about Being More than Conquerors

No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. Romans 8:37

Heavenly Father,

Thank you for showing us

where our real hope lies 

for victory in spiritual battle. 

My praying friends and I need to remember 

a few things about these verses in Romans:

First of all, being “more than a conqueror” 

is about a spiritual battle, 

not about a football game, 

a fight with a friend, 

or a political agenda. 

Second, being “more than a conqueror” 

is not about us conquering in our own strength—

the emphasis must be placed on THROUGH HIM…

THROUGH HIM, we conquer in the spiritual battle 

that rages against 

the world hostile to God’s kingdom, 

the devil rebelling against God’s rule, 

and or our own sinful hearts seeking to rule our lives. 

THROUGH JESUS, the one who conquered evil on the cross.

Third, the way we conquer is through his love, 

through arming ourselves with his forgiving, cleansing love 

against any accusations the evil one 

or the world, 

or our own sinful hearts might throw at us—

knowing that we are “in Christ,” 

and “in Christ,” 

there is no condemnation, 

no charge that can stand against us.

Oh Lord, take us deeper into that love 

which has indeed conquered sin and death forever.

In Jesus’ victorious name. Amen. 

Read Romans 8:31-38; 1 John 5:4-5; Revelation 2:7; 2:26;  3:12; 5:5; 21:7.



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