Jesus replied, “What is impossible with man is possible with God.” Luke 18:27 (NIV)
Dear heavenly Father, we praise you for your promises of steadfast love, daily mercies, and doing the impossible, for we need all three. Because of your steadfast love for us in Jesus, we have incomparable peace. Because of your daily mercies, we have the freedom to be vulnerable. Because nothing is impossible to you, we can trust you with our hardest situations and most broken stories.
Father, some of us run to your throne of grace today, primed for a miracle; some of us are making our way very slowly, under the weight of shame and emotional exhaustion; and some of us are stuck on the mercy road, not sure we can risk the pain of hoping again. Thank you that you meet us where we are, just as we are; because you are always running towards us in the gospel.
Father, for those of us who ache with the pain of betrayal, loss, and rejection, hold us close to your heart, tightly. We want you close and yet we are inclined to stay away from you. We want you to bring healing, yet some days we want justice much more than we want mercy. Help us Lord.
Father, for those of us who feel the burden of our guilt, the consequences of our failure, and the shame of our foolishness, help us leave our agenda for putting things right with you, and simply come home to you as Abba. You must script our repentance and renewal. We’re tired of being our own savior.
Father, for those of us who are ready to trust you with failing health, limited finances, unexpected reversals, big and little decisions, spiritual malaise—ours and others, job situations, children who are “all over the map”—and any of a number of other situations, with palms up, we praise you and surrender to you—the God who does all things well and who makes all things beautiful, in your time. So very Amen we pray, in Jesus’ loving and powerful name.
Scotty Smith is the founding pastor of Christ Community Church in Franklin, Tennessee. You can follow him on Twitter.
