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A Prayer about the Reality of Hell

by | Apr 5, 2024 | Daily Prayer, Suffering, Theology

A Prayer about the Reality of Hell

And the smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever, and they have no rest, day or night. Revelation 14:11

Holy God,

Forgive us for our reluctance to talk about hell. 

When we refuse to consider its reality, 

we fail to understand the great goodness of the gospel, 

the hope of salvation to those who believe. 

We also fail to be like Jesus, 

who talked about hell 

more than anyone else in the entire Bible. 

He described it as “Gehenna” (Mark 9:43) 

a place out side Jerusalem 

where corpses and garbage 

rotted and burned. 

He said it was a place 

where the soul and body are destroyed  (Matt. 10:28) 

and the “fire is not quenched” (Mark 9:47). 

Yes, we must see hell rightly 

as the place of just punishment for all of our sins, 

and we must see you rightly, 

as a holy, good, and patient God, 

“slow to anger, abounding in steadfast love, 

forgiving iniquity and transgression” (Numbers 14:18). 

We must see you as the righteous God 

who allowed your Son 

to suffer the torment of hell on the cross for us, 

that in him, we might never suffer its horror. 

And yes, Lord, we must share the good news 

of our hope in Jesus Christ, 

that others may turn from their sins 

and receive your gift of eternal life 

in everlasting glory.

Help us we pray, Lord, 

to believe your Word and to share its hope urgently.

In Jesus’s name. Amen. 

Read Matt. 25:41-46; Mark 9:43-48; Luke 16:19-311; Rev. 14:11. 

(This prayer based on an excerpt from my book, Preparing for Glory: Biblical Answers to 40 Questions about Living and Dying in Hope of Heaven. (Affiliate link).

Elizabeth Reynolds Turnage

Elizabeth Reynolds Turnage

author, life and legacy coach, speaker

A Prayer about the Assurance of Salvation

by | May 16, 2023 | Daily Prayer, Theology

A Prayer about the Assurance of Salvation

I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand. John 10:28

Good Savior,

Thank you for this promise you’ve given to your sheep, 

to those who know your voice 

to those who believe in you (John 10:27).

Sadly, I’ve met too many ladies in our jail ministry 

who’ve “walked the aisle” again and again and again, 

because they feared that their salvation hadn’t “stuck.” 

They loved you and wanted to follow you, 

but a lifetime of backsliding into addiction 

had caused them to doubt 

whether you could really love them. 

Even more sadly, 

they had been told by pastors or ministry leaders 

that they couldn’t truly belong to you 

if they kept sinning. 

Forgive us, Lord, for judging anyone’s heart. 

You came not to condemn our sins but to forgive them. 

By your Holy Spirit, you change us. 

You assure us that those who follow you 

and listen to your voice will have “eternal life” 

and that they will “never perish.”

You promise, “no one will snatch them out of my hand” 

because your Father has “given them to [you]” (John 10:29). 

We pray for any who long to turn back to you 

but fear you will no longer know them.

May they hear your voice speaking your assurance. 

In your grace-gripping name. Amen. 

Read John 10:22-30.

A Prayer about the Day the Lord Returns

by | May 7, 2023 | Daily Prayer, kingdom living, Theology

A Prayer about the Day the Lord Returns

But for you who fear my name, the sun of righteousness shall rise with healing in its wings. You shall go out leaping like calves from the stall. Malachi 4:2

Gracious Lord,

As we witness the works of the wicked in this world, 

we confess, we long for 

the “day of the Lord,”

the day you will finally return and destroy 

all the “arrogant and all evildoers” (Malachi 3:1).

And yet, you are so much more patient than we are, 

for you have delayed that day 

because you do not “wish that any should perish 

but that all should reach repentance” (2 Peter 3:9). 

Lord, fill us with your patience and mercy and love

that we might call others to turn toward you. 

Lord, fill us with anticipation 

for the day your sun will rise 

with the return of your Son, 

the day we will know such healing 

that we will frolic around like little baby calves 

learning to use their legs 

in our new heavens and new earth home. 

In Jesus’ patient name. Amen. 

Read Malachi 3-4.

A Prayer about the Only Trustworthy Prophecy

by | Apr 28, 2023 | Daily Prayer, Scripture, Theology

A Prayer about the Only Trustworthy Prophecy

“And behold, I am coming soon. Blessed is the one who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book.” Revelation 22:7

Lord Jesus,

You are coming soon! 

What reason for rejoicing! 

Forgive us for getting caught up in modern day “prophecy” 

that tries to predict when you are coming 

and what the last days of the earth as we know it 

might be like. 

Remind us that the word prophecy

 literally means “message from God.” 

Remind us to look to your Word, 

your truest and most complete message, 

to understand how to live every day, 

even the final days. 

Remind us that our calling never changes—

instead of building bunkers to protect ourselves, 

we are to build bridges to connect with others, 

especially those who don’t know you, 

the “evildoers” who “still do evil” (Revelation 22:10). 

Instead of stockpiling food and fuel, 

we are called to step out in love, 

love of you and love of others. 

Instead of quaking in fear at rumors of wars, 

we are to quiet ourselves by your word, 

the only prophecy that is “trustworthy and true.” 

Help us, Lord Jesus, to wait well, for your soon arrival.

In your certain name we pray. Amen.

Read Revelation 22:6-10.

A Prayer about Ignoring the Zombie Apocalypse

by | Apr 27, 2023 | Daily Prayer, Theology

A Prayer about Ignoring the Zombie Apocalypse

The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show to his servants the things that must soon take place. Revelation 1:1.

Lord Jesus,

How we thank you for the book of “apocalypse”

 (the Greek word for “revelation” 

from which the title of the book of Revelation comes). 

Thanks to this book 

and to what you have revealed there, 

we can ignore strange predictions 

about Zombie apocalypses 

that serve as click-bait on our feeds. 

The one true apocalypse, 

the revelation we desperately need, 

is the “unveiling” of your goodness, 

the revealing of your trustworthy and true character. 

You are the One who has already won the war over evil, 

and the One who will finally defeat Satan 

in one last cosmic battle. 

As Pastor Scotty Smith explains, 

“God is using these vivid pictures to show us, in symbols, 

the deeper reality of how he is redeeming and restoring his world.” 

Thank you for revealing yourself in your Word. 

Draw us to study and soak 

in the good news 

you have revealed about yourself 

throughout Scripture, 

especially in Revelation. 

In your victorious name. Amen.

Read Revelation 1:1-3.

Friends, if you’re confused about the “apocalypse” and Revelation, I highly recommend Scotty Smith’s simple and readable study guide, Revelation: Hope in the Darkness. 

A Prayer about Being Known By God

by | Apr 19, 2023 | Daily Prayer, Scripture, Theology

A Prayer about Being Known By God

You have searched me, LORD, and you know me. Psalm 139:1

Gracious God,

As we prayed yesterday, 

we are so thankful 

that you have invited us to know you, 

but we are even more thankful 

that you know us. 

We confess, 

we often fear being known, 

because we are afraid if someone really knows 

the whole truth about us, 

they won’t like us or love us. 

But you “discern our thoughts” 

and you know 

what words are forming on our tongues 

even before we do (Psalm 139:2-4). 

Given some of the thoughts and words 

that form in our minds 

and on our tongues, 

we are astonished that you still love us, Lord.

But indeed you do, 

for you demonstrated your love for us 

by sending Christ to die for us 

while we were still sinners (Romans 5:8). 

As theologian J. I. Packer writes, 

“There is tremendous relief 

in knowing that your love for us 

is utterly realistic…

so that no discovery now 

can disillusion you about us…” (42).

Not only do you know us and love us and forgive us;

you know every detail of every lives: 

the number of hairs on our head, 

the number of e-mails piling up in our inbox, 

the number of diapers we will change today, 

the number of days in our lives. 

Because you are a God of the details, 

we can trust that your care for us is complete—

you never miss a moment. 

Knowing how you know us 

comforts us and energizes us 

to know you 

and love you 

and serve you 

and obey you. 

Knowing how you know us 

encourages us to seek to know ourselves, 

something we will pray about tomorrow.

In Jesus’ knowing and loving name. Amen.

Read Psalm 139:1-6; Galatians 4:9; Exodus 33:17; Jeremiah 1:5.