A Prayer about God’s Wrath and Mercy

Then I heard a loud voice from the temple telling the seven angels, ‘Go and pour out on the earth the seven bowls of the wrath of God. ’ Revelation 16:1

Holy, Wrathful, and Merciful Judge,

We confess, your wrath is not our favorite subject. 

It’s true, we may avoid it because of violent street-corner preachers 

who scream at us at a stoplight, 

but nonetheless, the Bible teaches that you will judge your enemies, 

those who rebel against you, 

those who refuse to name you as the Lord of the universe, 

those who prefer to rule their own lives. 

Today, help us to consider your wrath 

in the context of what we know about you and ourselves:

You are a holy God, 

perfectly just, perfectly righteous, 

so your wrath is not the impulsive, violent anger 

of a power-hungry abuser. 

We have all “sinned and fall short of” your glory (Romans 3:23). 

Our sin is dark, complex, toxic, and destructive.

You are compassionate and merciful, 

and because you are, 

despite your people’s rebellion, 

you “atoned for their iniquity and did not destroy them…”; 

you “restrained your anger often 

and did not stir up your wrath” (Psalm 78:38). 

We long for justice to be done, for evil to be eradicated, 

for the day of no more racism, abuse, genocide, murder, rape, 

or any other betrayal of your love 

or demeaning of the dignity 

of your image-bearers.

You send us out to share the good news of your grace, 

to invite others to know your love and kindness 

and mercy and forgiveness. 

Help us to see you rightly 

so that we may thank you 

for your appropriate and deserved wrath 

against all evil. 

In Jesus’ saving name. Amen. 

Read Revelation 15-19; Psalm 78:38; Romans 3:23; Romans 5:6-9. 

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

and 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.