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A Prayer about Thanking God for His Steadfast Love

by | Jul 23, 2023 | Daily Prayer, Gospel living, Spiritual Growth

A Prayer about Thanking God for His Steadfast Love

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever. Psalm 136:1

God of gods, Lord of lords,

We give thanks to you, for you are good, 

and your steadfast love endures forever.

We give thanks for the great wonders you alone can do:

[Name aspects of creation you are thankful for today (sun, moon, sea, stars, etc.).]

for your steadfast love endures forever.

We give thanks to you for striking down oppressive enemies:

[Name some specific ways God has defeated enemies in your life: think in terms of worldly or systematic evil, your own sin, and the devil.]

for your steadfast love endures forever.

We give thanks to you for countless rescues:

[Name some ways God has rescued you throughout your life.]

for your steadfast love endures forever.

We give thanks to you for the inheritance you have given us:

[Name some of the many blessings you have, both material and spiritual.]

for your steadfast love endures forever.

We give thanks to you for your faithful provision:

[Name some ways God has provided for your needs, physical and spiritual.]

We give thanks to you, the God of heaven,

for your steadfast love endures forever.

In Jesus’ faithfully loving name. Amen.

Read Psalm 136.



A Prayer about Being in a Spiritual Battle

by | Jul 22, 2023 | Daily Prayer, Gospel living, Spiritual Growth

A Prayer about Being in a Spiritual Battle

Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor, so you will be able to resist the enemy in time of evil. Ephesians 6:13

Lord of Angel-Armies,

May we never forget or discount the spiritual battle 

that rages right here right now. 

The evil one prowls around like a lip-licking lion, 

drooling over our vulnerability and frailty. 

He is a liar, a tempter, an accuser, and an adversary. 

His minions serve him, 

seeking to deceive us into believing people we know we love are somehow unlovely, 

distract us from our mission to serve and glorify you, 

and degrade the dignity you have shaped into our image-bearing being. 

By the Holy Spirit, you have given us everything we need to defend ourselves 

against the accuser’s stratagems: 

the belt of truth, 

the breastplate of righteousness, 

the gospel slippers of peace, 

the shield of faith, 

the helmet of salvation, 

the sword of the Spirit. 

May we indeed arm ourselves 

against all the “cosmic powers over this present darkness” (Ephesians 6:12),

and resist the devil, that he may flee from us (James 4:7).

In Jesus’ peace-bringing name. Amen.

Read Ephesians 6:10-18.



A Prayer about Becoming Aware of the Spirit

by | Jul 19, 2023 | Daily Prayer, Gospel living, Spiritual Growth

A Prayer about Becoming Aware of the Spirit

And when they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness.

Acts 4:31

Heavenly Father, Lord Jesus, Holy Spirit,

Forgive us for failing to recognize 

and celebrate the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives. 

We are like “the husband in a bad marriage, 

living under the same roof as his wife, 

making constant use of his wife’s services, 

but failing to communicate with her, 

to recognize her presence, 

or to celebrate his relationship with her.”*

And yet, you, Heavenly Father, 

have chosen to communicate your presence 

in the Holy Spirit, 

so much so that David prayed, 

“Where shall I go from your Spirit? 

Or where shall I flee from your presence?” (Psalm 139:7).

And you, Lord Jesus, 

emphasized the necessity of the Spirit’s saving, 

helping, 

guiding, 

teaching, 

enlightening, 

comforting 

work in the lives of your disciples, 

saying things like, 

“And I will ask the Father, 

and he will give you another Helper, 

to be with you forever, 

even the Spirit of truth…” (John 14:17).

Assuring us, the Helper, the Holy Spirit…

”will teach you all things 

and bring to your remembrance 

all that I have said to you” (John 14:26).

You, Holy Spirit, teach us 

and fill us 

and change us, 

and intercede for us, 

making us ever more like our Savior, Jesus.

Even now, may we take a moment 

to rest from our praying 

and meditate on 

the wonder and power 

of your indwelling presence in our lives.

Amen.

Read John 14-16. 



A Prayer about God’s Wrath and Mercy

by | Jul 18, 2023 | Daily Prayer, Gospel living, Spiritual Growth

A Prayer about God’s Wrath and Mercy

 Then I heard a loud voice from the temple telling the seven angels, ‘Go and pour out on the earth the seven bowls of the wrath of God.’

Revelation 16:1

Holy, Wrathful, and Merciful Judge,

We confess, your wrath is not our favorite subject. 

It’s true, we may avoid it because of violent street-corner preachers 

who scream at us at a stoplight, 

but nonetheless, the Bible teaches that you will judge your enemies, 

those who rebel against you, 

those who refuse to name you as the Lord of the universe, 

those who prefer to rule their own lives. 

Today, help us to consider your wrath 

in the context of what we know about you and ourselves:

You are a holy God, 

perfectly just, perfectly righteous, 

so your wrath is not the impulsive, violent anger 

of a power-hungry abuser. 

We have all “sinned and fall short of” your glory (Romans 3:23). 

Our sin is dark, complex, toxic, and destructive.

You are compassionate and merciful, 

and because you are, 

despite your people’s rebellion, 

you “atoned for their iniquity and did not destroy them…”; 

you “restrained your anger often 

and did not stir up your wrath” (Psalm 78:38). 

We long for justice to be done, for evil to be eradicated, 

for the day of no more racism, abuse, genocide, murder, rape, 

or any other betrayal of your love 

or demeaning of the dignity 

of your image-bearers.

You send us out to share the good news of your grace, 

to invite others to know your love and kindness 

and mercy and forgiveness. 

Help us to see you rightly 

so that we may thank you 

for your appropriate and deserved wrath 

against all evil. 

In Jesus’ saving name. Amen. 

Read Revelation 15-19; Psalm 78:38; Romans 3:23; Romans 5:6-9. 



A Prayer about the Prince of Hope

by | Jul 17, 2023 | Daily Prayer, Gospel living, Spiritual Growth

A Prayer about the Prince of Hope

Return to your stronghold, O prisoners of hope; today I will restore to you double.

Zechariah 9:12

Holy Lord,

Zephaniah and Zechariah have fierce warnings for your people 

about what will happen if they don’t repent of their rebellion 

and turn back to you.

 But these prophets also overflow with messages of your mercy 

that leave us shaking our heads in wonder 

at your gracious forgiveness. 

This passage begins with the familiar promise 

we hear at Easter:

“Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion!

Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem!

Behold, your king is coming to you;

Righteous and having salvation is he,

Humble and mounted on a donkey” (Zechariah 9:9).

We recognize this king as Jesus, our great Prince of Peace. 

As Pastor Scotty Smith says,

 Jesus is the “Prince of Hope” 

who brings the “Promise of Hope” 

who paid the “Price of Hope” 

that we might become “Prisoners of Hope.” 

For all who find themselves in waterless pits 

of worry, fear, or hopelessness today—

worried about children, 

fearful about finances, 

desperate for a cure,

hopeless about enslaving sin, 

may this profoundly good news remind us 

that in your mercy, 

we can never escape hope. 

You have redeemed us, 

and you will continue to heal and help us 

until the day of final restoration.

In Jesus’ Princely name. Amen. 

Read Zechariah 9:1-17.



A Prayer about What Makes Life Meaningful

by | Jul 16, 2023 | Daily Prayer, Gospel living, Spiritual Growth

A Prayer about What Makes Life Meaningful

There is no remembrance of former things, nor will there be any remembrance of later things yet to be among those who come after.

Ecclesiastes 1:11

Eternal God,

As my daily Bible reading takes me to Ecclesiastes, 

I am reminded of how easily we set our hopes 

on finding meaning in the things of this world.

As we read, “Is there a thing of which it is said, 

‘See, this is new’? 

It has been already 

in the ages before us” (Ecclesiastes 1:10), 

we might be tempted to say, 

“Well, yes, ChatGPT is new, 

and nothing like it ever existed 

in the ages before us,” 

but that would be to discount the awe the world felt 

when the telephone 

or the telegraph 

or the computer 

was discovered. 

Yes, even the latest, greatest technology 

will one day be “old,” 

and even ChatGPT 

cannot make our lives meaningful. 

You have created us to be meaning-making creatures, 

and again and again, 

the author of Ecclesiastes reminds us 

that the only lasting meaning to be found 

is in seeking to know and love you 

and in seeking to know how much you love us. 

You have endowed us with meaning, 

making us your image-bearers, 

and calling us to be ambassadors 

of the good news of the gospel. 

And while it is true that much about our stories 

will not be remembered 25 years after 

we’ve gone to be with you, 

what will last eternally 

is the way we’ve lived 

your calling 

to “be fruitful and multiply” the gospel. 

Help us today to turn our minds 

from the things that so occupy us, 

“toil under the sun” (Ecclesiastes 1:3), 

“great possessions of herds and flocks” (Ecclesiastes 2:7), 

even the acquisition of “great wisdom” (Ecclesiastes 1:16), 

that we might “hunger and thirst for righteousness,” 

for in it, we shall be satisfied (Matt. 5:6).

In Jesus’ meaning-full name. Amen.

Read Ecclesiastes 1-2.