Church Family,
The prayer below is the one prayed corporately on August 6, 2023. I included it below as a prayer of confession that you could use to reflect upon, or even pray through yourself, during your devotional time. The inspiration for this prayer was from my own reading and meditation in 1 Peter 1, especially verses 3-4 which state, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you” (NASB).
Did you catch that? What Peter is saying here is that God’s children are born again to a living hope because Jesus is alive! You will notice that the prayer below does not shy away from real difficulties, sorrows, and sins in the lives of God’s people, but it also equally reflects a heart of joy, gratitude, and hope…a living hope. I would suggest that while praying through this prompt, that you hold in your mind the resurrected Christ and remember that his blood was shed for your sins and he has redeemed your soul to a living hope even in this midst of hardship. My hope is that this prayer would provide a helpful guide for you as you incline your heart to Him. I have re-written this prayer in the first-person in order to make it more personal. I would encourage you to also personalize the bullet points in the prayer below to honestly reflect where you are spiritually as you pray. You can also check out the song Living Hope by Phil Wickham!
King Jesus,
I rejoice that I am a benefactor of a living hope because I have a living Savior. Jesus, continue to captivate my heart to the point that all of the distractions and lusts of the world lose their grip on me and may only you remain in my affections.
As I struggle with loneliness, help me take my eyes off of myself and put them onto you, my living hope.
As I bear the weight of grief, guide my thoughts to the weight of eternal glory and peace.
As I am at odds with my brother or sister, remind me that you have given me the ministry of reconciliation.
As I am ensnared by sin, free me from the schemes of the devil and instead tether my heart to you.
I stand as your glad and happy child, Lord Jesus. I declare that you are good and do good. I agree that you are the worthy one whom I adore. I affirm that whether in the body or at home with you, I will make it my ambition to glorify your Name.
Make me worthy of that purpose today.
-Pastor Sam