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A Prayer about Our To-Not-Do List for Today

by | Sep 15, 2022 | Daily Prayer, Gospel living

A Prayer about Our To-Not-Do List for Today

You shall not murder. Exodus 20:13

Lord God,

Thank you for placing these verses 

in Exodus in front of me 

and the accompanying Heidelberg catechism question and answer 105: 

What does God require in the sixth commandment?

“I am not 

to belittle, 

hate, 

insult, 

or kill my neighbor, 

not by 

my thoughts, 

my words, 

my look, 

my gesture, 

and certainly not 

by actual deeds. 

I am not 

to be party to this 

in others. 

I am to put away 

all desires for revenge.”

It’s sobering to read these words, Lord, 

to be faced with how many ways 

we murder our neighbor 

every single day all throughout the day.

We cry out, “Wretched people that we are! 

Who will deliver us from this body of death?”

“Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord….

There is therefore now no condemnation 

for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 7:24, 8:1).

Draw us to quick repentance, Lord, 

when we murder our neighbor. 

By your transforming Spirit, 

change us into people 

who “act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly” 

with you and with others (Micah 6:2). 

Help us to “love one another” 

and to “outdo one another in showing honor” (Romans 12:10). 

In your forgiving name. Amen.

Read Leviticus 19:1; Exodus 20:1-17; Matthew 5:21-22.

A Prayer about What Makes Us Most Happy

by | Sep 14, 2022 | Daily Prayer, Gospel living, Joy, Spiritual Growth

A Prayer about What Makes Us Most Happy

Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 5:3

King Jesus,

In the seven beatitudes (beatus means “blessed” or “happy” in Latin), 

you gave us many characteristics of the happy ambassador, 

but you began with “poor in spirit,” 

or, as Eugene Peterson paraphrases it, 

“You’re blessed when you’re at the end of your rope.”

Lord, we confess, we don’t like being “at the end of our rope.” 

We don’t want to be poor, 

whether in spirit or financially. 

We don’t want to be seen as weak or needy 

nor do we want to be weak or needy. 

We don’t really like to struggle; 

we prefer, especially as Christians, 

to have it all together. 

And yet, we know 

that you are the one 

“in whom all things hold together” (Colossians 1:17). 

Humble us, Lord, and help us to acknowledge 

how desperate we really are. 

Help us to acknowledge 

our ongoing, daily battle with sin and selfishness. 

Help us to acknowledge 

that we’ve made some big messes 

in our families and friendships 

and work and churches. 

Help us to acknowledge 

that we’re weary 

and not sure how long we can keep going. 

Help us to lay every sin and sorrow before you, 

the One who came to envelop us 

in a state of rest and peace and happiness 

that lasts forever. 

Such is the joy of knowing your help for the desperate. 

So very gratefully we pray. Amen.

Read Matthew 5:1-12.

A Prayer about Being a Comfort to Ministry Leaders

by | Sep 13, 2022 | Daily Prayer, Gospel living, Leadership, Suffering

A Prayer about Being a Comfort to Ministry Leaders

This is the fourth of four days praying through Colossians. Read yesterday’s here: 

If you’d like to receive these prayers in your inbox by 6 a.m. central time, please sign up: 

Remember my chains. Colossians 3:18

Jesus, Great Shepherd of the Sheep,

As we read the apostle Paul’s closing instructions to the Colossians, 

we can’t miss his reminder, 

which he mentions twice, 

that he is in chains. 

He has told the Colossians 

the good news of the gospel: 

they have died with Christ, 

been raised with Christ, 

are rooted in Christ, 

and are hidden in Christ. 

Now they and we can live in peace, 

in tenderness, 

in mercy. 

Now he encourages them and us 

to pray. 

We must pray for all who are ministers of the gospel:

preachers, teachers, youth workers, 

children’s and women’s ministry directors. 

We pray that we would not in any way imprison them, 

that we would speak to them 

and about them 

as we are directed to speak to everyone—

wisely, graciously, kindly (Col. 4:5-6). 

May we be faithful brothers and sisters, 

people like Tychicus, Onesimus, and Aristarchus, 

comforting our ministry leaders 

in trying and bewildering times (Col. 4:7-11), 

working with our ministry leaders 

for the glory of the Kingdom of God (Col. 4:7-12). 

May we “pray earnestly” like Epaphras 

for the good of our church, 

asking God to help the whole church 

follow the will of God (Col. 4:12-13). 

And may we always remember their chains, 

remember that our ministry leaders 

suffer for the sake of the glory of God. 

In your shepherding name. Amen.

Read Colossians 4.

A Prayer about Being United to Christ

by | Sep 12, 2022 | Daily Prayer, Gospel living, kingdom living

A Prayer about Being United to Christ

This is the third of four days praying through Colossians. Read yesterday’s here: 

If you’d like to receive these prayers in your inbox by 6 a.m. central time, please sign up: 

For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. Col. 3:3

Precious Jesus,

Please open the eyes of our hearts 

that we might understand all of the riches 

we have in our union with you, 

that we might live accordingly. 

Our old self has died, 

and with it, all of our slavery to sin—

we can be free of idolatry of every kind:

addiction to control or to crack, 

to work or to wasting time, 

to sexual immorality or to secret lusts.

We are raised with you, 

“holy and beloved” (3:1, 12), 

so we can put on compassion, 

letting others go first in a long line at the gas station, 

patiently waiting when our friend always runs fifteen minutes late, 

forgiving our co-worker for taking credit for our work, 

seeking to restore harmony with a roommate 

who never takes out the trash or does the dishes… (Col. 3:14).

Indeed, joined to you, 

we will “share in your sufferings” (Philippians 3:10), 

but because we are hidden in you, 

you will bear the brunt of those sufferings, 

as a pregnant mother does for the baby in her womb. 

Most wonderfully of all, 

because we are joined to you, 

we can never be separated from you. 

Gentle Jesus, may we indeed be thankful and peaceful. 

May we sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs (Col. 3:16-17)

 as we grasp this incredibly good news!

In your life-transforming name. Amen.

Read Colossians 3.

A Prayer about Where to Focus

by | Sep 11, 2022 | Daily Prayer, Gospel living

A Prayer about Where to Focus

This is the second of four days praying through Colossians. Read yesterday’s here: 

If you’d like to receive these prayers in your inbox by 6 a.m. central time, please sign up: 

Don’t let anyone capture you with empty philosophies and high-sounding nonsense that come from human thinking and from the spiritual powers of this world, rather than from Christ. Colossians 2:8

Lord Jesus,

Forgive us for wasting our time and our brain space 

with all sorts of 

“empty philosophies and high-sounding nonsense” 

that fill the screens we gaze upon. 

We scroll and scroll, 

looking for the next new thing, 

some great idea, 

never realizing how many of the thoughts we consume 

come from “human thinking” 

or ”the spiritual powers of this world.” 

Draw our gaze instead to you, 

the One in whom God’s fullness dwells 

in a human body (Col. 1:19). 

As we look on you, 

may we see that if you dwell in us, 

if we call you Savior, 

we have been “buried with you in baptism,” 

and now we have been “raised with you 

through faith 

in the powerful working of God” (Col. 2:12). 

Because of this mind-boggling truth, 

we can walk freely, 

forgiven, 

in you, 

and we can live for you, 

loving you and loving others with all we do. 

That’s really the only reality 

we need to focus on today or any day. 

In your saving name. Amen. 

Read Colossians 2:1-23.

A Prayer about Recognizing Unknown Gods

by | Sep 9, 2022 | Daily Prayer, Gospel living, worship, gratitude

A Prayer about Recognizing Unknown Gods

For as I passed along and observed the objects of your worship, I found also an altar with this inscription: ‘To the unknown god.’ Acts 17:23

Do you recognize the “unknown gods” of this world?

[This prayer was sparked by a sermon preached by our pastor, Joel Treick, who faithfully preaches the gospel at Pinewoods Church every week.]

Very God of Very God,

We confess, like the Greeks, we are “very religious” (Acts 17:22).

We worship many unknown gods, 

idols that we don’t even recognize as things 

to which we devote our time, our energy, our hopes and dreams:

Idols like success and security and social media, 

Idols like shopping and ice cream and Big Gulps, 

Idols like children and spouses and bosses…

Really anything that we turn to instead of Jesus 

to find the rest and fulfillment only he can give. 

Help us to see the truth, Lord, 

that these idols mock us at the end of the day, 

leaving us as “poor deluded fools feeding on ashes” (Isaiah 44:20).

Draw us to drink instead from your living water, 

to feast on the bread of life, Jesus, God-made-flesh, 

who died that we might come alive 

to our deepest desires, 

our truest of dreams—

to live in your grace and to love in your glory. 

In Jesus’ truthful name. Amen. 

Read Acts 17: 16-34.