A Prayer for Treasuring Jesus
For in Scripture it says: “See, I lay a stone in Zion, a chosen and precious corner- stone, and the one who trusts in him [Jesus] will never be put to shame.” Now to you who believe, this stone is precious.
(1 Pet. 2:6–7 NIV)
Jesus, when I hear the word precious, I immediately think about silver, gold, and platinum, all called “precious metals.” Or I think about “precious gemstones” like diamonds, sapphires, rubies, and emeralds.
But if anything or anyone deserves the appellation “precious,” it’s you, Jesus— God’s chosen cornerstone and precious capstone of our redemption. For the combined worth of all precious metals and gemstones that have ever existed does not compare with the unsearchable riches that are found in you.
To trust in you, Jesus, is to be free from the burden of our guilt and the paralyzing power of our shame. To trust in you, Jesus— to boast in the gift of your righteousness, to rest in the constancy of your love, to wake up each day to your endless mercies, to hear you sing to us in the gospel— is to feel the stranglehold of shame lose its grip over our hearts.
Jesus, I praise you for taking the guilt of our sin and the shame of our brokenness on the cross. You became sin for us that in you we might become the righteousness of God. Because of you, judgment day holds no terror. The cross was our judgment day. We no longer fear the gaze of God because of the grace of God we have in you.
May you become more and more precious to us, Jesus. May the gospel continue to change the price tags on everything in our world. May yesterday’s values be considered today’s loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing you. We pray in your glorious name.
Amen.