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A Prayer about the Lord’s Right Now Delight in Us

by | Sep 29, 2024 | Daily Prayer, Gospel living, Spiritual Growth

A Prayer about the Lord’s Right Now Delight in Us

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

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.



A Prayer about a God Who Can Do Far More than We Ask or Think

by | Sep 25, 2024 | Daily Prayer, Gospel living, Spiritual Growth

A Prayer about a God Who Can Do Far More than We Ask or Think

Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen. 

Ephesians 3:20-21

Glorious God, 

We believe; we confess our unbelief.

For the past few days, 

we’ve been praying Paul’s prayer 

asking you to strengthen us

through the power of your Spirit, 

for the purpose of comprehending 

your incomprehensible love.

As we come to the end of this series, 

we must ask ourselves honestly,

do we dare to pray this prayer:

You are able to do far more abundantly 

than all that we ask or think—

[pause for a few moments

and think about things 

that you may not dare to believe God is able to do…]

How do you do it? 

By working within us, 

through your power (not ours).

Why do you do it?

For the glory of the church 

and for the glory of Jesus Christ 

through all generations, forever and ever and ever.

Today, help us to see how you have already inscribed 

your incomprehensible love into our stories 

and into the redemption of your cosmos.

[Take a few moments again to write or name some of these things].

By the power of your Spirit and because of your glory, 

help us to grasp how much you really love us, Lord, 

and make that love flow boldly through our lives.

In Jesus’ everything-changing name. Amen. 

Read Ephesians 3:14-21. 



A Prayer about Being Rooted and Grounded in Love

by | Sep 24, 2024 | Daily Prayer, Gospel living, Spiritual Growth

A Prayer about Being Rooted and Grounded in Love

…that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth… Ephesians 3:17-18

Father God

As we see plump, juicy tomatoes growing on the vine 

(not in my yard, but in my son-in-law’s), 

we recognize that good gardeners know 

they need rich, fertile soil 

to grow strong, healthy plants. 

You’ve designed us the same way, 

and the absolutely essential ingredient 

for healthy growth as a Christian is 

love. 

When we are rooted in it, grounded in it, 

by your Gardener-Spirit, 

we grow strong and healthy. 

Because your love is so overpowering 

and incomprehensible to us—mere humans, 

we need your strength to comprehend it—

no measuring tape or smart phone app can reach 

far enough, long enough, deep enough, or wide enough, 

to measure your love. 

Not even the string theory physicists 

can comprehend it, 

for it “surpasses knowledge.” 

Only by your Spirit working in us 

can we know the love of Christ. 

So Lord, we ask, 

please please renew our minds and hearts 

so that we can grasp it 

and grow in it and be filled with all your fullness, 

that we may bear the fruit of love

 in your glorious kingdom.

In Jesus’ incomprehensibly loving name. Amen. 

Read Ephesians 3:14-21.



A Prayer for the Kind of Strength We Need

by | Sep 23, 2024 | Daily Prayer, Gospel living, Spiritual Growth

A Prayer for the Kind of Strength We Need

I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with his power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. Ephesians 3:16-17

Father God, 

Thank you for this comprehensive prayer 

Paul prayed for his friends the Ephesians. 

Today, we pray it for our loved ones and for ourselves:

Out of your glorious riches — 

riches that aren’t earned, 

riches freely given, 

riches that are plentiful,

riches that can meet all of our needs,

May you strengthen [insert name of loved one or your name] 

with your power — 

your power, which is perfectly wielded 

for the weak and needy (that’s us and others) 

to make us strong — 

not Ford tough or Chevy strong— 

but strong in our “inner being,” 

strong in your Spirit’s power, 

not our own. 

As you strengthen us 

by your Spirit, 

may [name of loved one’s] heart 

come to rest 

in the life-changing reality 

that Christ, our King and Savior, dwells in our hearts. 

In the name of our heart-dwelling Savior, Jesus, we pray.

Amen. 

Read Ephesians 3:14-21. 



A Prayer about Not Living to Please Ourselves

by | Sep 22, 2024 | Daily Prayer, Gospel living, Spiritual Growth

A Prayer about Not Living to Please Ourselves

We who are strong have an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves. Romans 15:1

Lord Christ, 

Because you did not live to please yourself (Romans 15:3), 

but instead humbled yourself, 

condescending to be born as a weak and helpless baby, 

taking your first toddling steps 

knowing your last determined steps 

would lead to death on a cursed cross, 

may we never live to please ourselves. 

Because you did not live to please yourself 

but died to please God, 

we who are united to you by faith 

have become pleasing to God, 

and we are now empowered by your Spirit 

to “help others do what is right and build them up in the Lord” (Rom. 15:2).

Because you have given us 

patience and encouragement in your Word, 

we are now empowered by your Spirit 

to “live in complete harmony with each other, 

as is fitting for followers of Christ Jesus” (Rom. 15:5). 

Lord Christ, as we live in this harmony, 

may our voices join together 

to glorify God (Rom. 15:6).

And may we offer others 

the welcome with which you have welcomed us, 

for the glory of God (Romans 15:7). 

In your God-pleasing name. Amen.

Read Romans 15:1-7. 



A Prayer about Praying for the Church

by | Sep 20, 2024 | Daily Prayer, Gospel living, Spiritual Growth

A Prayer about Praying for the Church

And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.  Ephesians 1:22-23

As we continue praying Ephesians 1:15-23, we also think about how to pray for our churches. 

Precious Lord,

We pray that every single saint (person set-apart in Christ) 

will understand how powerful you are to those who believe in you  (Ephesians 1:19):

[Name ways you see or need to see God’s power to the church in these days].

Mighty God, you “raised Christ from the dead 

and seated him in the place of honor 

at your right hand” (Ephesians 1:20).

He is there now, ruling and reigning with you. 

May we bow down to our heavenly King

far more than we bow down to our personal agendas.

May we remember that Christ is 

“far above all rule and authority and power and dominion”; 

in other words, he has defeated all evil and sin, 

and he will continue to defeat evil forces 

that rage against your church 

and to defeat sin in our lives 

until the day he comes again.

May we remember and live in the reality 

that the church is Christ’s body—

“it is made full and complete by Christ, 

who fills all things everywhere with himself” (Ephesians 1:23),

and may we worship joyfully 

in anticipation of the day 

when there will be perfect unity and love

in your church forever and ever. 

In Jesus’ reigning name. Amen. 

Read Ephesians 1:15-23.