Category: July

A Prayer about the Greening of Our Hearts  

Will you not revive us again,
that your people may rejoice in you?
Show us your unfailing love, Lord,
and grant us your salvation. (Ps. 85:6–7 NIV)

Dear Lord Jesus, it’s amazing what one really good rain can do to transform my brown, crispy yard into a garden of fresh, green life. I begin this day grateful for the showers of the last couple of days. I can run my sprinkler endlessly, but there’s just something about the water that falls from the sky that brings restoration and renewal like nothing else. 

Jesus, our hearts are no different. When we grow brown and crispy on the inside— when our rejoicing in you is displaced with complaining about you (and others and anything), when our delighting in you fades into detachment from you (and from others, and eventually from our own heart), when our love for you atrophies into fading memories of you (and then into all kinds of hideous thoughts about you)— we are powerless and shut up to your provision. There’s no hose, fire hydrant, or reservoir of our own making that can even begin to make a brown heart green. 

So we cry out with the Sons of Korah, “Show us your unfailing love, Lord, and grant us your salvation” (Ps. 85:7 NIV). Jesus, just as it was your unfailing love that first brought life to our deadness, so it will be your unfailing love that brings fresh green to our current brown. You have promised to “satisfy our needs in a sun- scorched land” and “strengthen our frame.” You have promised that we will be “like a well watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail” (Isa. 58:11 NIV).

So we boldly come before you praying the promises of the gospel. You’ve never lied to us, Jesus, never. You suffered the ultimate thirst of the cross so that we will never thirst again. So revive us that we might rejoice in you. Restore to us the joy of your salvation, that we might offer fresh fruit, grace fruit, to our family, friends, the community, and the nations. In your verdant and vital name we pray.

Amen. 

A Prayer about Disconnected Hearts  

But to Jonah this seemed very wrong, and he became angry. He prayed to the Lord, “Isn’t this what I said, Lord, when I was still at home? That is what I tried to forestall by fleeing to Tarshish. I knew that you are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity. Now, Lord, take away my life, for it is better for me to die than to live.” (Jon. 4:1–3 NIV)

Father, I used to stand in self-righteous judgment of Jonah and other believers like him who got angry and distanced themselves from you, but no longer. Like Jonah, I know the right answers, I’ve got Scriptures underlined in my Bible— how you’re a “gracious and compassionate God . . . slow to anger and abounding in love,” and all that stuff. But right now, those words hold little charm or power for me. I still believe I’ll go to heaven when I die, but it’s living that’s got me most concerned. I’ve known you well enough that I don’t want to disown you, but I’ve also known you well enough that your ways sometimes leave me feeling confused and angry. 

So today I bring my disconnected heart and the hearts of some of my friends fore you. Lord, help me understand; show us what happened: Where did we lose connection with you, or did we simply choose disconnection from you? 

Jonah didn’t want to go to Nineveh and preach. Where am I afraid of going or staying? I do know that some of my friends so want to run away from their marriages. Help them, Lord. I don’t understand all the issues, but please intervene, if for no other reason than for their children. When I look at some of my friends’ stories, I see new chapters of loss, reversals, trials, and heartaches being written weekly. I understand why they look at the sky and cry, “Where are you, God, in all this?” 

Lord, my resources are low, so I have so little to offer them. I feel like such a hypocrite, so I simply cry out from my dryness and weakness, “Jesus, Son of God, have mercy on these I love.” 

And in my case, please show me in the coming hours and days what I’ve done with my heart. What’s broken about me that I’ve yet to see? What is my sin in all of this? What am I afraid of that I don’t want to admit? 

So far, every time I have bought a one-way ticket away from your presence, it hasn’t worked very well for me. I find myself saying with the disciples, “Where can we go, Jesus? You alone have the words of eternal life.” Jesus, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner. I pray in your glorious name.

Amen. 

 A Prayer about God’s Goodness and Nearness in the Storm 

But now thus says the Lord, he who created you, O Jacob,
he who formed you, O Israel:
“Fear not, for I have redeemed you;
I have called you by name, you are mine.
When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;
and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you;
when you walk through fire you shall not be burned,
and the flame shall not consume you.
For I am the Lord your God,
the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.” (Isa. 43:1–3)

Heavenly Father, your Word is a balm for the broken, ballast for the bewildered, and bread for the hungry. This is not theory. It’s not even just good theology. It’s my reality and I praise you. You’ve promised to show up, and you have. Thank you for being the Father from whom all fatherhood derives its name and meaning. No god is as near as you and no god is as good, in every season and storm. The aroma of fresh gospel bread is wafting through the air. 

You’ve created us and you are redeeming us, all for your glory. You’ve summoned us by name, calling us to life in the gospel. You’ve given us a new name, “Mine.” There’s no sweeter name. 

Father, you don’t promise we won’t experience floods and torrents and fires and flames. But you do promise you will be with us. To know you are near and to know you are good is all we really need. We will go anywhere and do anything as long as we are convinced that you will never leave us, forsake us, abandon us, shame us, or reject us. 

Father, we know ourselves to be precious and honored in your sight, and greatly loved, because you gave Jesus in exchange for us. Though Jesus was rich, yet for our sakes he became poor, so that through his poverty we might become rich (2 Cor. 8:9). We praise you for the one and only truly indescribable gift (2 Cor. 9:15)! And since you didn’t spare your own Son, we can trust you graciously to give us everything else we need (Rom. 8:32), for every season and storm ahead. We don’t have to be afraid of anything or anyone. You are with us and you are for us. 

Continue to write bigger and better stories of reconciliation and restoration than we ourselves would ever choose to pen. We pray to the glory of the true Peace- maker, Jesus.

Amen. 

A Prayer for Gospel Sanity  

I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted my eyes to heaven, and my reason returned to me, and I blessed the Most High, and praised and honored him who lives forever, for his dominion is an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom endures from generation to generation; all the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing, and he does according to his will among the host of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth; and none can stay his hand or say to him, “What have you done?” . . . Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and extol and honor the King of heaven, for all his works are right and his ways are just; and those who walk in pride he is able to humble. (Dan. 4:34–37)  

King Jesus, once again I find myself needing a vision of your sovereignty and your goodness. There are two places of insanity, or “crazy,” I tend to fall into. Some- times, like King Nebuchadnezzar, I arrogantly think I’m in control. I disregard you and act like a sovereign over a little fiefdom called “self.” If I’m successful, I take the credit. If I’m not, I blame others and usually find a way to get what I want any- way. After all, I am the point.

Other times I act like the consummate orphan. I get afraid and panicky, and I blame you for not answering my prayers the way you’re “supposed to.” I fall into a navel-gazing negativity, and I trust the national news media more than I trust the good news of the gospel. Have mercy! Have mercy on me, King Jesus!

Indeed, help me to live more of my hours, days, weeks, and months in gospel sanity, Jesus. For it is your kingdom that endures from generation to generation. There has never been a time when you were not King of Kings and Lord of Lords. You’re not a cheerleader, just pulling for us from afar. You’re not a coach, just telling us what to do. You are the King of glory, beauty, compassion, mercy, and grace! You are the King who died for us, was raised for us, is praying for us, and is returning for us! 

Right now, you are working all things together after the counsel of your will. Right now, you are working in all things for the good of those who love you, and we love you because you first loved us. Right now, you not only have the heart of every king in your hand, you have my heart in your hand. Right now, you do as you please with all the powers of heaven and the peoples of the earth, and with me. Right now, everything you do is right and just. Right now, you are the King who has made us your beloved bride. Right now, it is so awesome and comforting to be yours—an object of your affection and a subject in your kingdom! I pray in your peerless name.

Amen. 

A Prayer about My Fears  

He placed his right hand on me and said: “Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last. I am the Living One; I was dead, and now look, I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades.”
(Rev. 1:17–18 NIV) 

Jesus, it’s timely, stunning, and encouraging to know the most repeated command throughout the whole Bible is “Do not be afraid.” The angels spoke these words to startled shepherds at your birth, and you repeated the command to a devastated Mary on the morning of your resurrection. Now you speak these liberating words to my heart and conscience: “Do not be afraid!” 

Because you are the First and the Last, Jesus, I don’t have to be afraid of any- thing in between. You are God, and I am not. You will never say “oops” about any- thing in world history or in my own life. You never “try” to do anything. You never have to scratch your head in confusion. You never have to resort to plan B. You are perfectly executing your sovereign will, from naming the stars to numbering my hairs. Glory! 

Because you are the Living One, who was dead and who is now alive forever, I don’t have to be afraid of judgment day or this day, for your death on the cross is my judgment day and your resurrection from the dead is my assurance of being eternally and fully accepted by God. Constantly sung over me by my Father, and all my brothers and sisters in you, is the most liberating of all lyrics: “There is now and forevermore no condemnation for those who are in Christ!” Not only is there no condemnation, there is only full delight! Oh my goodness! 

Jesus, because you hold the keys of death and Hades, and to everything else, I don’t have to be afraid to die or to live. You have robbed the grave of its victory, you have removed the sting of death, and you have defeated the devil and all the powers of darkness! I don’t have to be afraid of people. I don’t have to be afraid of failing. I don’t have to be afraid of getting old. Yes, yes, yes! 

I know you will never leave or forsake us. I know I’m in the palm of your hand. Free me more fully from my fears that I might live more fully to the praise of your glory. I pray in your loving and powerful name.

Amen. 

A Prayer about a Full Harvest and Few Workers  

After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them on ahead of him, two by two, into every town and place where he himself was about to go. And he said to them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest. Go your way; behold, I am sending you out as lambs in the midst of wolves.” (Luke 10:1–3)  

Dear Lord Jesus, it’s really not all that complicated. All of history—every millennium, century, year, and nanosecond— is determined by your outrageously generous commitment to redeem: to “harvest” your beloved bride from every nation, tribe, people, and language. You’ve done everything necessary to guarantee this magnificent nuptial story will end perfectly. 

You bought us with your life and death. You love us with more passion and delight than we can possibly imagine. You’ve secured our safe arrival in the new heaven and new earth. There’s no chance the wedding feast of the Lamb will not take place. Yet even as you’ve determined the glorious end of all things, so you’ve appointed the means to that end. We’re to be not just the bride in waiting but workers in the harvest— the plentiful, ripe harvest. 

As the church, your greatly loved bride, we’re not supposed to be hanging out in the spa reading glamour magazines and getting our nails done. We’re supposed to be getting dirt under our nails as we do the hard and heart work of evangelism and missions. You send us out like lambs among wolves. It’s a costly, messy, much- resisted work you’ve given us to do. But it’s worth all the sacrifice, tears, and conflict. For you came to us as the Lamb among sinners and the Lamb for sinners. The price you paid “to have and to hold” your bride makes our most agonizing work a kingdom joy. 

Jesus, gracious Lord of the harvest, send us into the harvest you’ve secured for yourself. What more could we possibly want for our church family? What other story would we choose for the rest of our days in this world than to be the means by which you gather your bride from the nations and prepare her for a future beyond our wildest dreams? Forgive us, focus us, and free us. We pray in your loving and triumphant name.

Amen. 

A Prayer about Friendly Wounding  

Better is open rebuke
than hidden love.
Faithful are the wounds of a friend;
profuse are the kisses of an enemy. (Prov. 27:5–6)

Merciful Jesus, I need courage today for loving in sticky, broken, messy relation- ships. Sometimes the fear of making an even bigger mess makes it easier just to ignore certain people and issues. But that’s kind of like trying to avoid a broken bone or cancer. The matter will only get worse. To say I’m conflict avoidant is a confession of sin but not an excuse. 

Thank you for the stark frankness of your Word. When I multiply kisses but with hold life giving rebukes from my friends, I’m living as their enemy. When I’m not willing to offer a redemptive wounding, I’m a bad friend, not just too busy of a man. Have mercy on me, Jesus. Grant me the grace, words, and courage that I need. 

I bring to you my fear of man, which I know to be a snare. I confess it as sin and repent. I also acknowledge that I need the power of the gospel for change. It’s because you clearly revealed my need of your grace that I now rest in your love. It’s because of your open rebuke that my life is now hidden safely in you. It’s because you cared enough to confront me that I will eternally enjoy your comfort. 

Jesus, you took the ultimate unfriendly wounding of sin and evil on the cross that I might know your kisses to be those of a Savior-Bridegroom. Help me now, I pray, with the resources of your great love, to love well in the very situations that I dread. I pray in your compassionate name.

Amen. 

A Prayer about Feeling Conflicted  

This is what the Lord Almighty says: “Many peoples and the inhabitants of many cities will yet come, and the inhabitants of one city will go to another and say, ‘Let us go at once to entreat the Lord and seek the Lord Almighty. I myself am going.’ And many peoples and powerful nations will come to Jerusalem to seek the Lord Almighty and to entreat him.” This is what the Lord Almighty says: “In those days ten men from all languages and nations will take firm hold of one Jew by the hem of his robe and say, ‘Let us go with you, because we have heard that God is with you.’” (Zech. 8:20–23 NIV)

Jesus, I went to bed feeling conflicted, and I awake with the same divided heart. I need the wisdom you alone can give and the peace you graciously promise. I need to know how to serve you faithfully and love my neighbors well when the two seem to be on a collision course. 

Here’s what’s going on: I live with the great hope of Zechariah’s vision being fulfilled. People from many cities and nations are coming, and will continue to come, to receive the salvation God alone can give. People from all kinds of religious back- grounds and worldviews will continue to discover that you, Jesus, are the “one Jew” we need to “take firm hold of” for the knowledge of God. 

For you are the way, the truth, and the life, and no one comes to know God as Father apart from you, Jesus (John 14:6). Salvation can’t be found anywhere else, for God hasn’t given any other Savior but you (Acts 4:12). Your life of perfect obedience and your death on the cross have earned salvation for us. You have done for us what we could never do for ourselves. This is the best news ever. There is simply no better news than the news of God’s grace. You have secured the salvation of the “many peoples” and the “powerful nations” of Zechariah’s vision. So why am I feeling conflicted on the inside? 

Jesus, not only in foreign countries or distant cities but in my community, there are plans for mosques to be built. I acknowledge my unrest; I own my prejudices; I name my fears; I grieve my stereotypes. Jesus, I want to love my new neighbors to your glory. I want to be a good citizen of heaven and a good citizen in my community. Show me and my friends what that looks like in this very situation, Jesus. 

Zechariah’s vision describes something very attractive going on in the lives of your people— your church, your bride. He envisions the presence of God having a magnetic appeal to people from all kinds of backgrounds. May this be true of my family and our church family. Give us your wisdom and give us your peace, but please, make the gospel beautiful and believable through us. We pray in your glorious name.

Amen. 

A Prayer for Renewed First Love  

The word of the Lord came to me, saying, “Go and proclaim in the hearing of Jerusalem, Thus says the Lord, ‘I remember the devotion of your youth, your love as a bride, how you followed me in the wilderness, in a land not sown.’” (Jer. 2:1–2)  

Loving Jesus, that you are jealous for my love is as humbling as it is astonishing. What greater compliment could you possibly give me? That you miss my affection tests the limits of my imagination. That you ever made me a part of your bride in the first place continues to move me to cry out, “I believe— help my unbelief!” 

When I slow down enough to remember, when I allow myself enough quiet to reflect, when I rid myself of defensiveness and excuse making, of course I have to agree with you. There was a time, early in your relationship with me in the gospel, when I loved you with the passion, delight, and devotion of a young bride. Wherever you led me, even through the desert and barren places, I went with joy, because you were my oasis, nourishment, and utter satisfaction. 

In time, I began to depend on other things and other people to supplement the joy of being your beloved bride. You weren’t quite enough for my foolish, longing heart. I thought my earthly spouse, or my children, or more money, or a different appearance, or the approval of people, or ministry success, or stolen kisses were also necessary. And though it grieves me to say it, at times these other things and other people have actually replaced you as the source of my deepest joy, contentment, meaning, peace, and hope. 

Jesus, I confess and repent. It would be one thing if you were a harsh, disengaged, demanding bridegroom. But you love me as none other. You lived and died to make me your own. You have robed me in the bridal gown of your own righteousness. You care for my heart and my whole being as no one else. You enjoy me, delight in me, and rejoice over me, and your entire bride, with irrepressible singing! 

Indeed, Lord Jesus, restore to me the joy of your salvation and the first love of bridal affection. I have no power to change me, but you have all power. I love you now in light of the day I will love you fully. I pray in your all-sufficient name.

Amen. 

A Prayer about Being Re-Parented by God  

For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith— 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, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. (Eph. 3:14–19)  

Heavenly Father, I bow before you today, not floundering in my fears but marinating in your mercies, not groveling in my guilt but growing in your grace. For you’re the Father from whom all fatherhood derives its name and meaning. You come to us in the gospel, adopting us to be your beloved sons and daughters and growing us to become like your most beloved Son, Jesus. What wondrous love is this, indeed! 

Father, I’m in constant need of your re-parenting. I need to know you better and better as Abba, Father, the most caring, engaged, and loving parent ever. I need you to continue to free me from the illusion that my earthly parents could have ever been enough. For the wounds and holes in my childhood, bring the gospel to bear with healing and liberating power. Free me from believing I need any other parent but you in order to become a whole and healthy person. 

Father, I also need you to re-parent me as a parent. You’ve already forgiven me for the years I spent parenting by fear and control and out of guilt and pride. Now I pray for the redeeming of those years. Indeed, Father, teach me what it means to parent by grace, in every season of our relationship. Write stories of restoration and renewal. 

Grant me humility and vulnerability with my children. What failures do I need to own? What stories do we need to share with each other? There’s no condemnation, but there must be conviction. What will the fruit of my repentance look like? Father, be pleased to do well beyond all I can ask or imagine. I pray in Jesus’ loving name. 

Amen.