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A Prayer about Getting Unstuck

by | Feb 4, 2023 | Daily Prayer, worship, gratitude

A Prayer about Getting Unstuck

The woman said to him, ‘I know that Messiah is coming….’ Jesus said to her, ‘I who speak to you am he.’ John 4:25-26

Author God,

What a profound true story you have given us to demonstrate 

the only real hope for those of us who feel stuck—

whether stuck in sin, stuck in bad habits, or just stuck in life.

May we read this story and see 

how Jesus came to seek and save the lost (Luke 19:10), 

how his revelation that he is the Messiah, 

the Christ, the King of our lives, 

changes everything when we believe it. 

The Samaritan woman, 

who had been stuck for a long time, 

dropped her water jar

and ran back to the very people 

she had just avoided 

to invite them to meet the Messiah (John 4:28-30). 

May we truly seek out the Jesus who seeks us out. 

May we find ourselves found in him. 

And may we become true worshipers—

those who worship in spirit and in truth (4:23). 

Read John 4:1-42.

A Prayer about Peace for Troubled Hearts

by | Jan 31, 2023 | Daily Prayer, gratitude, worship, gratitude

A Prayer about Peace for Troubled Hearts

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. John 14:27

Lord Jesus,

Thank you for this profound promise 

for troubled hearts:

You leave us peace, your peace, 

which in the Bible refers to something way better 

than a day without car, or credit trouble.  

Your peace is “shalom,” 

a state of flourishing, 

wholeness, 

and harmony.

When our hearts are troubled—

aching because of good hopes dashed again and again and again, 

miserable because we have harmed one we love through our sin, 

agonized because we have suffered yet another setback in our recovery, 

you give us your peace, your rest, your hope, your wholeness. 

It is not the peace the world gives, 

it is the peace of the cross, 

for you spoke these words 

just before you died on a cross for us. 

It is the peace of restoration, 

for you died on that cross 

so that we who believe might be restored 

as children of the Father. 

It is the peace of the wholeness 

we will one day know 

in heart and mind and body and soul 

when you come again 

to bring the new heavens and the new earth. 

Because of your peace, 

we have every reason 

to obey your command:

“Let not your hearts be troubled; 

neither let them be afraid” (John 14:27).

In your peace-bringing name. Amen.

Read John 14:1-30. 

A Prayer about Our Struggle to Believe

by | Jan 12, 2023 | Daily Prayer, Gospel living, Spiritual Growth, worship, gratitude

A Prayer about Our Struggle to Believe

“Is anything too hard for the Lord?” Genesis 18:13

All-Powerful God,

Every time I read this awkward scene for Sarah in Genesis, 

I slightly cringe, 

mostly because I recognize myself 

in her struggle to believe.

The Lord has promised Abraham and Sarah 

descendants as numerous as the stars, 

and yet, “The way of women had ceased to be with Sarah” (Gen. 18:11), 

and Abraham is a ripe 99-years-old. 

So we can hardly blame Sarah for laughing 

when she overhears one of the visitors, 

“the Lord,” 

say, “I will surely return to you about this time next year, 

and Sarah your wife shall have a son” (Gen. 18:10). 

Things get awkward when the Lord asks Abraham, 

“Why did Sarah laugh and say, 

‘Shall I indeed bear a child, now that I am old?’

Is anything too hard for the Lord?” 

Sarah denies laughing, and the Lord responds, 

“No, but you did laugh” (Gen. 18:14-15). 

Oh Lord, you know the places of our lives 

where it’s hard to believe that nothing is too hard for you—

For new companionship to ease our loneliness 

or for healing in broken relationships…

For healing of a chronic illness 

or for belief that a terminal illness will lead to ultimate healing…

For a job that provides for our family 

or a job that allows us to escape an abusive boss….

[Name some places you struggle to believe…]

Help us to trust in you to care for us 

in every detail of our lives 

because you sent your Son in a virgin’s womb, 

because you raised your Son from the dead, 

that those who trust in him might live forever in your love. 

In Jesus’ all-powerful name we pray. Amen. 

A Prayer about the Lord Who Delivers Us

by | Jan 9, 2023 | Daily Prayer, Grief, Suffering, worship, gratitude

A Prayer about the Lord Who Delivers Us

The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him, and delivers them. Psalm 34:7

Rescuing Lord, 

As we continue praying through Psalm 34, 

we see even more reasons to bless your name “at all times” 

as we prayed about yesterday: 

We were sprawled out on the sofa, 

choking on sobs 

of grief, of regret, 

of disappointment, of frustration, 

and you heard us. 

You heard us. 

And when you hear, you respond: 

you “saved [us] out of all of [our] troubles” (Psalm 34:6). 

Not some of our troubles. 

All of our troubles. 

You send your angel to “encamp” around us. 

We shouldn’t picture a chubby blond cherub 

or a pale-faced long-haired lady  

when we think angel. 

We should picture warrior of light, 

powerful, fearsome, 

mighty, messenger. 

And though Psalm 34 just mentions one angel, 

we should probably picture a whole army of angels 

setting up this camp around us 

to protect us, to deliver us. 

Yes, indeed, we do “taste and see that you are good!” 

And we do proclaim with David, 

“Blessed is the man [or woman] who takes refuge in you” (Psalm 34:8).

In Jesus’ delivering name we pray. Amen.

Read Psalm 34:6-7; Matthew 28:2; Hebrews 13: 2; Daniel 10. 

A Prayer about Blessing the Lord at All Times

by | Jan 8, 2023 | Daily Prayer, gratitude, worship, gratitude

A Prayer about Blessing the Lord at All Times

I will bless the Lord at all times; his praise shall continually be in my mouth. Psalm 34:1

Gracious Lord,

We join David today in proclaiming your goodness:

May we bless you at all times—

times when we’ve acted supremely foolish, 

times when we are crushed in spirit, 

times when we are lost and afraid, 

not just times when you’ve blessed us 

with a new car 

or a new boyfriend 

or a new job. 

In all times, 

may we share our uncontainable awe 

at your greatness.

For indeed, with David we can affirm, 

We sought you, and you answered us,

And delivered us from all our fears—

fears of being rejected by our friends or family, 

fears of illness and death, 

fears of being unimportant or irrelevant (Psalm 34:4).

As we take in your glory, 

something amazing happens—

our faces begin to radiate with your dazzling light, 

and where we would have previously hidden in shame, 

We now turn that fiery light outward, 

and shame shrivels and withers away. 

Oh, Lord, indeed, we bless your name. 

You have saved us from all our fear and shame.

In Jesus’ praiseworthy name. Amen. 

Read Psalm 34:1-5. 

A Prayer about the Rising Son of Righteousness

by | Dec 20, 2022 | Advent, Christmas, Christmas, Daily Prayer, Seasons & Holidays, worship, gratitude

A Prayer about the Rising Son of Righteousness

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

Lord Jesus,

By this time in the Christmas season, 

we’ve probably sung “Hark the herald angels sing” 

around 20-30 times, 

depending on our playlists. 

One of my favorite lines is, 

“Hail the Sun of Righteousness! 

Light and life to all He brings, 

Risen with healing in His wings.” 

But sometimes we sing 

without knowing what it means. 

After all, we know Jesus isn’t an angel, 

and he doesn’t have wings. 

But then we remember the poetic allusion 

to Jesus in Malachi, and things fall into place. 

The image of the rising sun with its wings 

(rays spreading throughout the earth) 

was also used by Isaiah 

to describe God’s glory 

rising over the earth: 

“but the Lord will arise upon you, 

and his glory will be seen by you” (Isaiah 60:2). 

Oh, Lord Jesus, 

how we need your light to come, 

your glory to spread over us! 

We long for the freedom of forgiveness 

that truly heals our hearts, minds, and bodies; 

we long for the healing 

that fills us with the kind of joy 

that sends us bounding about like calves 

leaping from their stalls (Malachi 4:2). 

How we look forward to the day 

when you return 

and your glory covers the earth 

and your healing is complete.

In your righteous name. Amen.

Read Malachi 4:1-3; Isaiah 60:1-3. 

Get Elizabeth’s Advent devotional for free here: https://dl.bookfunnel.com/34no8c805q.