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A Prayer about Waiting and Watching for the Lord

by | Mar 7, 2024 | Daily Prayer, Gospel living, Spiritual Growth

A Prayer about Waiting and Watching for the Lord

“I wait for the Lord, my whole being waits, and in his word I put my hope. I wait for the Lord more than watchmen wait for the morning.” Psalm 130:5-6

Steadfast God,

Many of us are waiting in agony for a harsh season to end. 

All of us are waiting for justice to reign in Ukraine,

Some of us have lost loved ones to cancer or heart disease or dementia; 

others have lost health, friendships, or churches 

in these political and pandemic years. 

Some are anxiously waiting for restoration 

after hurricanes and blizzards, 

and still others are waiting for good results 

from diagnostic testing or job interviews. 

Wherever we are in our wait, 

Lord, make us good watchmen. 

Draw our eyes heavenward, 

to notice your delight in a child’s glee, 

to hear your calming word in the voice of a wise friend, 

to see your light bursting forth in the dark of the dawn. 

May we have the courage to wait with hope because we know:

“With the Lord there is steadfast love,

 and with him is plentiful redemption” (Psalm 130:7). 

Read Psalm 130. 



 

A Prayer about a Strange Trade-Off

by | Mar 6, 2024 | Daily Prayer, Gospel living, Spiritual Growth

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 Never Dying

by | Mar 5, 2024 | Daily Prayer, Gospel living, Spiritual Growth

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 Returning to the Lord

by | Mar 4, 2024 | Daily Prayer, Gospel living, Spiritual Growth

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.



 

What Makes Life Last

by | Mar 3, 2024 | Daily Prayer, Gospel living, Spiritual Growth

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 these troubled years when thousands have died in Palestine 

and 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 a God Who’s Not Squeamish

by | Mar 2, 2024 | Daily Prayer, Gospel living, Spiritual Growth

A Prayer about a God Who’s Not Squeamish

“The blood shall be a sign for you, on the houses where you are. And when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and no plague will befall you to destroy you, when I strike the land of Egypt.” Exodus 12:13

Redeeming Lord,

Some of us are squeamish about blood, 

but you’re definitely not.

You instructed your chosen people 

to smear a sacrificial lamb’s blood 

on their doorframes 

as a sign that they belonged to you, 

a sign to pass over them 

when you judged the Egyptian oppressors (Exodus 12:1-13).

Because the Passover Lamb’s sacrifice 

could never fully save your people from their sins, 

you allowed the blood of your own Son 

to be poured out. 

By his precious blood, you rescued and redeemed 

your chosen people and cleansed us 

from our sins once and for all (1 Peter 2:18).

How we thank you for his sacrifice!

In Jesus’ redeeming name. Amen. 

Read Exodus 12:1-13; 1 Peter 2:13-21.