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.