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Leaning Into Brand New Things

by | Apr 23, 2023 | Daily Prayer, Gospel living

Leaning Into Brand New Things

Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? Isaiah 43:19

Creator King,

Isaiah shared your hope with the Israelites

in a desperate season.

May we hear his call 

to “remember not the former things”—

old ways of entrenched sin, 

deeply rooted patterns of rebellion, 

relationships ripped apart by rudeness, 

lives lost to cancer or wrecked by addiction…

May we instead look toward the horizon 

and lean into the brand new things you are doing.

May we step faithfully

into the pathways 

carved through the wilderness 

by our Savior’s death and resurrection. 

May we drink deeply from the rivers of mercy 

that flow from the cross 

into the driest desert days of our lives. 

Wherever this word and prayer meets us today, Lord, 

strengthen us with the hope 

of the brand new thing 

you have already done; 

give us the faith to believe 

you will continue to do new things 

until we dwell with you forever 

in the new heavens and the new earth. 

In Jesus’ renewing name. Amen.

Read Isaiah 43:15-21. 

A Prayer about Being Kept and Blessed

by | Apr 22, 2023 | Daily Prayer, Gospel living

A Prayer about Being Kept and Blessed

The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. Numbers 6:24-26

Merciful Lord,

This Sabbath day, 

we thank you for the many ways 

you have blessed and kept us:

You have blessed us 

with faithful churches and ministers 

who preach the good news about Jesus.

You have kept us 

with your guiding and guarding Word 

and with wise friends 

who bring us good counsel.

You have made your face to shine 

your grace and saving love upon our hearts 

as surely as the spring sun warms our faces.

You have shone your glory over us 

and soothed us with your peace, 

making us whole again.

Now send us out as mirrors 

of your glory and grace, 

reflecting your love 

to all we meet this week, 

bringing your saving and keeping light and love

into a dark and gloomy world. 

In Jesus’ gracious name. 

Amen.

Read Numbers 6:22-27.

A Prayer about Knowing Ourselves

by | Apr 20, 2023 | Daily Prayer, Gospel living, kingdom living

A Prayer about Knowing Ourselves

So if anyone is in Christ, that person is a new creation: everything old has passed away; look, new things have come into being! 2 Corinthians 5:17

All-Knowing God,

When we begin to know you, 

and when we begin to understand 

the hope, joy, and relief 

of being known by you, 

then and only then are we ready 

to begin trying to know ourselves.

What do we need to know about ourselves?

We need to know our sin: 

not only generally, but specifically:

some of us always want to be right; 

some of us need to feel love and approval from everyone all the time; 

some of us need lots of money and stuff to feel secure; 

some of us  get angry easily when they don’t get their way

…and on and on we could go.

[Stop for a moment and ask the Holy Spirit to search your heart and reveal some of your specific sin tendencies.]

But if we stopped at only knowing our sin, 

we would remain in despair. 

As we prayed yesterday, 

you knew our sin—

past, present, and future 

when you sent your Son to die for us (Romans 5:8).

We must also know 

who we have become 

and who we are becoming in Christ:

In Christ, we already have become (unbelievably to us), 

“the righteousness of God” (2 Cor. 5:21). 

In Christ, we already have become “new creation” (2 Cor. 5:17).

In Christ, we are “being sanctified” (Heb. 10:14), 

becoming more and more like Christ every day.

That means that we are recognizing and repenting more quickly 

when we put our trust in 

being right, 

or needing approval, 

or trusting in riches, 

or getting our way

[Name some things you are recognizing and repenting of more quickly.]

Oh, Lord, what good news 

your Word gives us about ourselves!

The truest truth about us 

is not that we are sinners 

but that we are redeemed sinners.

You have saved us for a purpose, 

and you have sent us to tell others 

the good news of our hope in Jesus Christ. 

Thank you for giving us our identity 

as adopted children,

servants of the King, 

Christ’s ambassadors.

In Jesus’ freeing name. Amen.

Read Psalm 51; 2 Corinthians 5:11-21.

A Prayer about What to do When We’re Afraid

by | Apr 17, 2023 | Daily Prayer, Gospel living, kingdom living, Suffering

A Prayer about What to do When We’re Afraid

When I am afraid, I put my trust in you. Psalm 56:3

Faithful Lord,

Thank you for your compassion for our fearfulness.

Today, we bring our fears to you:

When we are afraid that we will fail 

at work, at school, as caregivers 

[name any failures you fear], 

we put our trust in you.

When we are afraid that we have made the wrong decisions 

for our children, 

for our loved ones, 

about our work,

[name any wrong decisions you fear], 

we put our trust in you.

When we are afraid that our health 

or the health of a loved one will not improve 

[name any health fears you have], 

we put our trust in you.

When we are afraid that we will lose our job 

or won’t find one soon 

[name any fears about provision you have], 

we put our trust in you.

Father, you know all of our fears, 

and you invite us to bring them to you.

As we do so, calm our hearts and minds 

in the hope of your kind provision. 

In Jesus’ trustworthy name. Amen.

Read Psalm 56:1-13.

A Prayer about Honoring Jesus

by | Mar 29, 2023 | Daily Prayer, Easter, Gospel living, Lent

A Prayer about Honoring Jesus

In pouring this ointment on my body, she has done it to prepare me for burial. Truly, I say to you, wherever this gospel is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will also be told in memory of her. Matthew 26:12-13

Lord Jesus, 

How often we, 

like the disciples, 

have different values than yours.

They were alarmed that Mary had anointed your head 

with her expensive ointment (Matthew 26:6-7; John 12:3). 

Religious and practical, 

they called her sacrifice “a waste,” 

saying the ointment could have been sold 

and the money given to the poor (Matthew 26:8). 

(Judas was disgusted because he wanted to sell it 

and take the money for himself (John 12:6). 

You disagreed, telling the disciples, 

“she has done a beautiful thing for me” (Matthew 26:10). 

You knew you would soon die, 

and your followers’ opportunity 

to enjoy and honor you in person 

would come to an end. 

Save us, Lord, from our self-made plans to serve you. 

Draw us to your feet, to see you as Mary did, 

to know your desires as Mary did, 

and to love you “impractically” as Mary did. 

Grow our enjoyment of you, 

so that we will delight in your presence 

and focus our lives fully on you. 

In our devotion to you,

 may we show the world the good news 

of your sacrifice for us. 

In your worship-worthy name. Amen.

Read Matthew 26:6-16. 

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.