PRAYER GUIDE

MAY 2020

CONTENTS

FROM OUR PASTOR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3

DAY 1 | SUNDAY, MAY 10 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

DAY 2 | MONDAY, MAY 11 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5

DAY 3 | TUESDAY, MAY 12 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6

DAY 4 | WEDNESDAY, MAY 13 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7

DAY 5 | THURSDAY, MAY 14 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8

DAY 6 | FRIDAY, MAY 15 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9

DAY 7 | SATURDAY, MAY 16 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10

DAY 8 | SUNDAY, MAY 17 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

DAY 9 | MONDAY, MAY 18 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

DAY 10 | TUESDAY, MAY 19 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

DAY 11 | WEDNESDAY, MAY 20 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

DAY 12 | THURSDAY, MAY 21 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

DAY 13 | FRIDAY, MAY 22 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

DAY 14 | SATURDAY, MAY 23 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

DAY 15 | SUNDAY, MAY 24 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

DAY 16 | MONDAY, MAY 25 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

DAY 17 | TUESDAY, MAY 26 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

DAY 18 | WEDNESDAY, MAY 27 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

DAY 19 | THURSDAY, MAY 28 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

DAY 20 | FRIDAY, MAY 29 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

DAY 21 | SATURDAY, MAY 30 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

3

FROM OUR PASTOR

Jesus is moving among the people at First Norfolk! As we journey along through these unprecedent-ed times, we continue to see the precedence of God’s wind of favor hoist the sails of our church and carry us into the days ahead. Even as I write this, He is already at work making His name great in our families, church, and community. We are seeing lives changed with the Gospel, families drawing closer together than ever before, and a church that is unified around the mission that Jesus has given us – Serving Hampton Roads to Change the World! Our church is in the exact place that Jesus has called and equipped us to be. He is with us even as the chaos rages around us, and when Jesus is with us, we have the strength and peace we need for times such as these. Our confidence may be shaken, but Jesus isn’t. As we experience God’s blessing, we want to continue to seek Jesus’s presence. The greatest gift Jesus has ever given us is the gift of Himself in the Gospel. As He walks with us through these days, we want to seek Him as a church. Today, I invite you to join us in taking a set time each day to pray through the devotions found in this prayer guide. These are written so that you may know how to experience the good news of the Gospel in the presence of Jesus every day. For three weeks, we will be learning and praying the same truths as a church and asking Jesus to move in our families, church, and community. In the days ahead, we know that Jesus will already be there and working. Join us in prayer as we seek Him and experience God’s continued presence with our church.

Praying with you,

Dr. Eric Thomas

4

DAY 1 | SUNDAY, MAY 10

Psalm 4:1a - A Prayer to God for the Righteousness He Gives

1a Answer me when I call, O God of my righteousness! You have given me relief when I was in distress.

How great is it to know that God answers us when we call? David has found himself in a place of distress and he needs to hear from God. But David’s calling out to God and memory of relief from God in the past is not based on his own merit, but on the truth that God is the God of his righteousness. Because God is the One who made David righteous, David knows in his distress God will again work for his own good. How do we know that God is working for our good in the midst of distress? Consider the Gospel. The Gospel is the Good News that God has rescued you from the greatest distress possible – His own wrath – by relieving you of sin’s consequences and placing them on the perfectly righteous Jesus Christ. In that great exchange, you receive the righteousness that is Christ’s, while Christ suffers in your place the greatest possible distress imaginable. This righteousness now guarantees a day where all distress is defeated by Jesus Christ, and gives us hope to endure all earthly, momentary distress in light of our eternal, heavenly relief. Today, God is at work in the midst of your distress. Because of the Gospel, you can know that His work is the work of a God who has secured your righteousness. God is working to relieve all distress, and because of the Gospel we can find relief in Him.

PRAY

Think about distress that you currently have in your family. Tell God what it is. Now pray:

God, thank You that You hear me in my distress. Because of the Gospel, I know that You are working to relieve the distress of all who call upon You. Give my family comfort and relief in the Gospel, and teach us to trust Your work in the midst of this distress. Amen.

5

DAY 2 | MONDAY, MAY 11

Psalm 4:1b - A Prayer to God That He Is Gracious and Hears Us

1b Be gracious to me and hear my prayer!

We all get frustrated when it feels like we are not being heard. Whether it is a child who does not feel like their parents are paying attention to them, or a teenager that does not believe that the adults in their life understand them, or as an adult that does not feel like their spouse, boss, or even the fast-food worker is not paying attention to them! In the soil of perceived neglect, we can feel frustration rise in our hearts as we feel unheard in the depths of our soul. David is feeling this in the midst of his chaos, and cries out for God to hear him. Yet David’s request to be heard is not based on David’s own merit or reputation. His appeal actually says the opposite – “God, give me what I don’t deserve (grace) and hear my prayer!” David understands that God will hear his prayer because God is the One who gives the undeserving His undivided attention. Isn’t this what the Gospel teaches us? “There are none righteous; no, not one … for all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God, and are justified by His grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus” (Romans 3:10, 23-24). God shows grace to the undeserving! Today, we are not asking God to hear our prayer as a church because of what we have done for Him. An understanding of the Gospel tells us that we were bought with a price, are fully His, and are only doing the works that He has designed and empowered and recreated us to do (Ephesians 2:9-10). We are not asking God to hear our prayer because of our reputation. We have been around for more than two centuries – but eternal God is the One who has allowed us to minister for so long! We are asking God to hear our prayer for one reason and one reason only: Jesus.

PRAY

Let’s take some time to thank God for His grace toward us as shown through Jesus Christ and ask Him to hear and answer our prayer to make His name known in the coming weeks.

Father, You are gracious and You hear my prayer. I know You are gracious and hear my prayer because You showed me grace in the Gospel, heard my prayer, and saved me when I was far from You. Thank You, God, for Your grace toward my church in the past and for Your continued grace in the future. Now by Your grace, hear our prayer of blessing in the coming days. Amen.

6

DAY 3 | TUESDAY, MAY 12

Psalm 4:2-3 - A Prayer to God for Setting Apart the Godly for Himself

2 O men, how long shall my honor be turned into shame? How long will you love vain words and seek after lies? 3 But know that the LORD has set apart the godly for himself; the LORD hears when I call to him.

Do you remember being on a playground or in the schoolyard as a child when a group was being divided into teams? There was a team you wanted to be on and team you did not want to be on. Perhaps the analogy above doesn’t work because you always felt left out. Moving beyond the playground, life situations tend to leave us left out or include us when we don’t want to be and we feel the sting of disappointment in another’s selection. David was watching God do what He was doing and was feeling left out. Those around him were soaking themselves in empty messages while he was trying to honorably follow the Lord. This left him feeling lonely, but then a thought struck him; “God sets apart the godly for Himself.” David was comforted in his loneliness by knowing that, though he wasn’t included in one group, he was in God’s family. His godliness proved to his heart that he belonged to God. Because of the Gospel, we know that God sets apart those who are godly. But God doesn’t look for godly people, then set them apart to be His. God makes His people godly through the Gospel, then sets them apart to be His. In other words – “And you, who were once alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, He has now reconciled in His body of flesh by His death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before Him … (Colossians 1:21-22). In other words, He brings you to Himself, makes you godly through faith in Jesus Christ, and sets you apart as His. Today, God is not looking for godly people to bring into His family. He is looking for lost people – even those who are alienated from Him, hostile, and evil – to make them godly through the Gospel and bring them into His family. Would you take some time to pray for our community and ask God to use your family and our church to share the Good News of God so that those around us would be brought into God’s family?

PRAY

God, thank You that, because of the Gospel, I can know that You brought me into Your family before I was godly. Thank You that, because of the Gospel, I can know that You have made me godly in Christ Jesus. Use me, my family, my friends, and my church to share Your Good News with our community. Let us see those who are far from You be brought near to You. Amen.

7

DAY 4 | WEDNESDAY, MAY 13

Psalm 4:4 - A Prayer to God for the Rising Anger Due to the Current Moment

4 Be angry, and do not sin; ponder in your own hearts on your beds, and be silent.

So far in Psalm 4, David has felt unheard, lonely, betrayed, dishonored, and confused. Like any sane person, David was angry! There should be some comfort in those words. Everything had shifted around him, and those who were speaking around him were proving themselves to be untrustworthy. David should be angry about that – but his anger did not negate his responsibility to be holy. He reminded himself, “I am angry, but I won’t sin.” Yet, because of the Gospel, we know that it is possible to both be angry and to be free from sin. Jesus Christ came to set us free from the power of sin. We are no longer under the control of our emotions, but they have been crucified with Christ and the Holy Spirit now lives within us (Galatians 5:24). Because of the Gospel, you can have the same hope that David has – You can be angry, but angry without sinning. Anger will show itself by what we say, write, and think. It is easy to grow angry when we don’t trust what is happening around us – and there’s a danger in that as Christians. John Piper calls anger “the emotion that consumes all other emotions.” You’ve experienced being angry in your life and feeling it consume everything about you in a sinful way. You can recall when you wrote or said something, only to know you were angrily acting in sin. Your anger makes sinning easy because it consumes love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control – the things the Holy Spirit is working within us (Galatians 5:22). Today, take the lead in your family by being an example of someone who, when angry, does not sin. Glorify God in how you respond. Take David’s example of being quiet and not sinning. Watch as God proves Himself, in time, to be the One who is really in control.

PRAY

God, I know that I am angry sometimes. Yet I know that, because of Your Gospel, You can overcome my anger. Teach me to trust You in my anger. Show me how to think about this situation and represent Jesus Christ well in the coming days. Forgive me where I have sinned in my anger and walk with me that You may be honored. Amen.

8

DAY 5 | THURSDAY, MAY 14

Psalm 4:5 - A Prayer to God That We Would Worship and Trust Him in This Time

5 Offer right sacrifices, and put your trust in the Lord.

David is at a place where he feels the weight of those who persecute him, and he longs for them to turn away from evil and turn to the Lord of righteousness. By offering such sacrifices, David’s opponents would be acknowledging God’s righteous vindication of him. Even in the face of persecution, David knew the proper response was worshiping God by trusting him for deliverance. Have you stopped to take a minute today to remember God’s deliverance for us? Friends, remember Jesus, the Author and Finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God (Hebrews 12:2). Because of Jesus’s perfect deliverance from sin once and for all, we are privileged to lay down our life in worship for Him. Right now, in this moment, God has already delivered you. He has given you the victory in Christ; and this calls for worship. Would you take a moment to slow down the busy world around you and spend an intimate moment with the Lord of Lord’s?

PRAY

Think about the great sacrifice Jesus bore for you. Now pray:

Lord Jesus, I thank You for what You have done for me. I thank You that you delivered me from sin so that I might be made right with God. And now, I worship You. I give all the praise, honor, and glory to your holy and righteous name. Help me to honor you at all times, in all ways. Amen.

9

DAY 6 | FRIDAY, MAY 15

Psalm 4:6 - A Prayer That God Would Be Obvious in His Goodness in This Season

6 There are many who say, “Who will show us some good?

To know that God is always there for us when we need Him is truly comforting. As David finds himself in a desperate place, he turns his attention to cry out to the Lord. Specifically, he asks God to “lift up the light of Your face upon us;” for God to show His good and faithful love in the midst of life’s deepest difficulties. David knows that God will always give His people exactly what they need, when they need it. Isn’t this what he has done for us in the Gospel of Jesus Christ? God looked down upon his desperate, hopeless people. We weren’t just desperate, we “were dead in our trespasses and sins” (Ephesians 2:1). Yet God showed His goodness in that, at just the right time, Christ came and died for us (Romans 5:6). He made Himself know through the person of Jesus Christ. God, in His infinite mercy, heard His people’s cry and answered. Brothers and sisters, you can be assured that God hears your cry today and is standing by to hear the cries of our community. He hears us and will manifest His grace to us in these times. He sees our heart-break, trials, and frustrations. And when we call out to Him, you can be assured the God of salvation will show His goodness and rescue whoever calls on Him.

PRAY

Think about the distress of COVID-19 we face as a community. Take this to prayer and pray:

God, we know You see our present pandemic. We know You see our longing to help those around us and for us to be able to meet together again. Help us to see You in the midst of this and show our community Your goodness. I pray we would take our focus off of what is in front of us and put our eyes on You and You only. Amen.

10

DAY 7 | SATURDAY, MAY 16

Psalm 4:7 - A Prayer That We Would Feel Joy at God’s Presence More Than at the Presence of Goods

7 You have put more joy in my heart than they have when their grain and wine abound.

Through the trials of David’s life, he learned where to find real and authentic joy. In this Psalm, David is in great turmoil. He is surrounded by people who do not worship God but instead do everything that is against Him. Despite this, he still proclaims the great joy that God has poured into David’s heart. The joy that God brings his heart is better than any “grain or wine” – David finds it satisfies the deepest desires of his soul. For you and I, as followers of Jesus, how can we find this deep joy? Look no further than the Gospel. The Gospel of Jesus Christ truly gives us more joy than anything we could ever hope for in this world. Jesus made atonement for our sins (1 John 2:2). He continuously intercedes on our behalf before the Father (Hebrews 7:25). And, He has gone to prepare a place for us (John 14:3). He did this and tells us these things that His joy would be our joy (John 15:11). You can experience this joy of Christ today. Whatever you may be going through, whether that be job loss, the long-felt tension of a family relationship, or even going stir crazy being locked down with your spouse and children, the joy of Christ can reach even you. God is working to produce this joy in you, and because of the Gospel, we can find this joy in Him.

PRAY

Think about the area where you need joy in your life. Now pray:

Lord, I thank You that You are the God of joy. I thank You for the work of Jesus on my behalf. God, I ask that You would bring joy to my life today. I pray that You would help me to find the joy in You. I thank You because I know that You take care of Your people and You will take care of me. Amen.

11

DAY 8 | SUNDAY, MAY 17

Psalm 4:8 - A Prayer of Rest and Peace in Spite of Troubles

8 In peace I will both lie down and sleep; for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety.

Isn’t peace something we all desire? This is exactly what David knows he has in God. When David says “both”, he shows that the peace he has allows him to simultaneously find comfort in knowing he can truly sleep and that he can truly relax worry-free because the Lord will keep him safe. God gives David peace in his chaos because of the safety He provides. Do you see the need for peace for those in our church? How can those in our church family find peace in their lives despite the chaos? Let us, as a church, look straight to Jesus. His love stretched down to save us from our sin and will sustain us until He comes back again. Paul reminds us, “For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:38-39). We are truly safe in the arms of God. You might be in that very situation today. You may know others in our church family going through a difficult time in their lives right now. Let’s hang on to the promise that God’s love is reaching down to our church in this very moment. Remember the love Jesus showed for us on the cross and how that love will carry us through to a peace that surpasses understanding.

PRAY

Ask God for the peace that only He can give. Pray:

Father, I know You see our church and our situation. I know You can sympathize with us in our needs, Lord Jesus. Give us the peace that only You can. Increase our faith to trust You. Help us to know we are safe in Your arms. Amen.

12

DAY 9 | MONDAY, MAY 18

Psalm 5:1 - A Prayer for the Inward Groans of Our Hearts

1 Give ear to my words, O Lord; consider my groaning.

Have you ever been in that place where words do not seem to express the depth of your pain or anxiety? Where all you can do is to repeat a phrase or two over and over, begging God to hear the rushing thoughts beneath the surface? I have more than once in recent weeks. As we are watching life unfold before us in a new and unfamiliar way, I praise God for Scripture like Psalm 5:1. It confirms that I am not alone in this experience. Generations ago, David had the same impression of his prayers. He recognized that his heart was bursting forth with more than he could sort into neatly labelled sentences. Praise God that He sees us and knows us so well, for the gift of seeing ourselves reflected in the lens of Scripture. Even more than that, I praise God for what we have been given in the Holy Spirit. Romans 8:26 tells us that, “the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit him-self intercedes for us through wordless groans. 27 And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God.” Jesus promised us a Helper – and what a help it is to know that the jumble of thoughts in my head and my imperfect command of language is of no consequence as the Spirit lovingly translates the depths of my heart. Today, take comfort in the fact that in a time of upheaval in our “normal” life, God can hear and understand our prayers. There is great power in having Someone who truly considers our groaning, and does not misinterpret our meaning. Right now, we find much of our community in a virtual setting, where all thoughts are broadcast, misunderstandings run rampant, and opinions are wielded like weaponry. For many of us, this can create great distress. Let’s turn together to the One who can give us comfort and peace by offering up our words to Him, investing our efforts in praying that our community would see God’s glory and come to faith in Christ, and that through this time God would restore us – maybe not to what was before but to what is for our best.

PRAY

Consider what leads to deep groaning in your heart. Pray that you would bring that consistently to God first, where you can find peace and comfort. Pray that people in your community would, through your actions and those of others, see God clearly in this season and come to faith in Christ.

13

DAY 10 | TUESDAY, MAY 19

Psalm 5:2 - A Prayer for the Recognition of God as King

2 Give attention to the sound of my cry, my King and my God, for to you do I pray.

Loyalty means a lot to me. It figures in the stories I love, the relationships I value, the people I admire, but it can be an incredibly challenging concept to live with and live out. These verses remind us that we get to choose where our ultimate loyalty lies. We get to choose who we pray to in our times of need and celebration. In these verses, we are reminded that the One who hears us is not only our God, but also the King we have chosen to follow. Thankfully, our God never changes, our loyalty can remain consistent because He does. Jesus was loyal to the Father and the mission He had been given to fulfill even when other paths were presented. One of the most powerful images in Scripture that comes back to me constantly as I read through the Word is that of the “bondservant.” In Jesus’ day, a bondservant was someone who was free that chose to become a servant in a house. They had the freedom to choose not only to become a servant but also to choose the master they would serve. Once they made the decision to become part of that household, they were marked and set apart as a member of that master’s house. We make the same decision, to be set apart from the world as a follower of Christ. As His bondservant, our prayers are not primarily for us to list our requests and vent our frustration to God, but to align our hearts with our King’s – to view the world through His eyes and bend our priorities to His mission. During this strange time, we have all been thrown into situations where it can become overwhelming to make it through the day, whether we are confronted with situations that create fear, frustration, friction in family relationships, or even sorrow over the normalcy that has been lost. In those moments, rather than surrendering to a tidal wave of emotion and self-pity, take a breath and pray. Acknowledge the King that you serve and the fact that He is sovereign over every moment and experience you face today, even in the midst of a pandemic. Embrace the opportunities this season gives for you to pray with your family or friends who are like family and lean into opportunities to disciple and be discipled.

PRAY

Pray that your life would be marked by the Kingship of Jesus. Pray that God would be the first place you turn in times of emotion or worry. Pray that God would give you opportunities to cultivate a rich prayer life for you and your family during this season.

14

DAY 11 | WEDNESDAY, MAY 20

Psalm 5:3 - A Prayer Thanking God That, Because of Jesus, He Hears Our Voice

3 O Lord, in the morning you hear my voice; in the morning I prepare a sacrifice for you and watch.

There are so many days I struggle to do the simple actions listed in this verse – speak, prepare a sacrifice (worship), and watch. Oh, there are times when I rise and I speak – asking God to hear my voice, my needs, my concerns, but I don’t give up the time or effort to worship and watch. Maybe I look at my day and think that taking time to worship is too much to ask in the scheme of everything else I need to do. Maybe I only want to recognize the answer to my prayer as being the outcome I was asking for, so I don’t watch carefully to see Him move in the ways I am not expecting, in the ways that change my own heart and not my own situation. Regardless of the reason, and how naturally it comes, I can easily miss out on recognizing something incredible God is doing. On top of that, I take for granted the access we have to freely worship God because of the sacrifice that Jesus made. Before we had a Savior to be our intercessor, the process to have the ear of God was far more involved – exclusive even. But now the veil is torn because of the perfect sacrifice Jesus made for me and for you, so we are able to rise in the morning and He hears our voice! Don’t miss out on how incredible that is! We don’t have to travel to a special place, or put on a special outfit, or say any special words to have the chance for the Lord of all to hear us. I am thankful for the role Jesus plays in prayer, making a way so that I have the relationship that allows access to the Father. There is power in prayer. How many times have we heard that or seen it scripted across an Instagram post or repeated it to ourselves? Do we recognize what kind of power that is or where it comes from? It is not from the number of people praying, or the floweriness of the words, the power is in the One we are praying to. In His ability to move within our circumstances, and even more, to move our hearts. This journey in prayer that we are on together as a church is not intended for us to put a check mark on our to-do list at the beginning of our day or to develop a positive habit. It is to change our hearts. May we come out of this time with hearts that are more like Christ’s as we genuinely draw close to Him in prayer and study.

PRAY

Pray that He would create unity in our church family, even as we are physically separated. Pray that He would give us patience to walk through this season, knowing that He is in control and has something to teach us through these circumstances. Pray that as we come back together in the future, we would be amazed at how He forged our identity and mission even in our time apart.

15

DAY 12 | THURSDAY, MAY 21

Psalm 5:4-6 - A Prayer Thanking God That, Because of Jesus, He Hears Our Voice

4 For you are not a God who delights in wickedness; evil may not dwell with you.5 The boastful shall not stand before your eyes; you hate all evildoers.6 You destroy those who speak lies; the Lord abhors the bloodthirsty and deceitful man.

I don’t know about you but when I get to verses like this in Scripture, it makes me uncomfortable. These aren’t really the words that I jump to first with my highlighter or want to underline and camp out on. I think there is part of me that rushes by these words because I understand the message. “Yes, obviously, God does not delight in wickedness, He is not evil, doesn’t like lies, I get it.” Another part of me maybe does not want to think about God hating or destroying or abhorring. I don’t want to see anyone hurt. But still, there is another, perhaps quieter, part of me that maybe does not want to see myself in the passage. I don’t want to consider when I do evil, boast, delight in something sinful, or am less than honest with myself or others. We know that all Scripture is God-breathed, important, and useful. I have to push past my discomfort to surrender to the message that God has for us. Jesus brought to us such a different understanding of the Father than what the Jews He interacted with had known. Yes, God is holy. He is so far removed from the mess of our world, but Jesus shows us the holiness of God through the lens of His love. God is so holy that we are separated from Him by the sin we have chosen, but this separation was something He could not abide to the point that He willingly sacrificed His own Son to make us holy and bring us back to Him. Jesus came to bring a relationship with a holy God into our reach. The first step of that relationship is also a continual step – to confess our sin. To see ourselves in the words of Scripture instead of the people we would rather identify as the wicked and deceitful, to look at ourselves honestly in light of God’s holiness. Maybe as you have journeyed through the season of social distancing, you have had more time for self-reflection and prayer. Perhaps you are in a situation where old sin struggles have returned along with unfilled time and lonely days. Maybe your world has been gripped by spinning worry and fear of finances, health, and future. It could be that the fractures have appeared in relationships as you have spent time sheltering in place, and your reactions to those stresses have not been the holiest. No matter where you are, take stock of what area of your life needs a fresh acknowledgement of God’s holiness, and your call in Christ to pursue it.

PRAY

Pray that God would reveal to you where He needs to be Lord of your life and your decisions. Pray that God would give you strength to resist temptation, flee fear, kill delight in sin, and sideline lies.

16

DAY 13 | FRIDAY, MAY 22

Psalm 5:7 - A Prayer That God Makes His People Holy Because of His Love

7 But I, through the abundance of your steadfast love, will enter your house. I will bow down toward your holy temple in the fear of you.

This verse is a prayer for guidance. David is probably on his way to the Temple (church) or thinking about the next time he gets to go. He is determined to stay close to God and to both publicly and privately worship Him, and looks forward to the day he gets to worship freely in God’s house again. From David’s descendants according to God’s promise, He brought the Savior Jesus Christ (Acts 13:22). Jesus showed us the way to God through prayer, both publicly and privately during His time here on earth. In all He did, He spoke with God the Father. We also can speak to Him for encouragement, comfort, direction and joy through prayer. God is not surprised by what is happening today in the world. He knows what you and your family are experiencing. He stands ready to talk with you and give you guidance.

PRAY

Pray about what is going on in your family today.

God, thank You for always being ready to talk with me. I know You see what is happening in the whole world and my world. Wrap Your loving arms around me and my family today. Give us hope, patience and guidance in the coming days and draw us closer to You. Amen.

17

DAY 14 | SATURDAY, MAY 23

Psalm 5:8 - A Prayer to Walk in Holiness

8 Lead me, O Lord, in your righteousness because of my enemies; make your way straight before me.

Winding roads and crooked paths can be fun in the sun, but dreadful in the dark. When David faced dreary seasons of life, the pathway to follow became muddled with misery. That’s what David was going through in these verses, and why he is asking God to lead him clearly. David knew that times like this make sin easy to fall into and wanted to be steered away from distractions in order to avoid sin. David knew that His only hope for walking the path God had before him was to live in the righteousness that He provided. What can we learn as a church in this time of turmoil? As a church it is so important that we seek God’s clear pathway through His Word. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 says ,“Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Jesus Christ for you.” As a church we need to continually be in prayer for our leaders and members to see and walk on God’s clear pathway provided through Scripture. We know that God’s Plan A to get the Gospel to the world is His people, and there is no Plan B. So we trust God to lead every member to continue to support the ministry of the church through generosity, serving, and prayer. As David learned to lean on God’s righteousness for His daily walk, so must we too rely on God’s righteousness to lead us on His righteous path.

PRAY

Father, right now, I raise up our church to You. I ask You to continue to provide protection, direction and endurance in these times. Unite us in spirit and purpose to do Your will. Helps us to be a beacon of Your love and grace in the seven cities of Hampton Roads. Amen.

18

DAY 15 | SUNDAY, MAY 24

Psalm 5:9-10 - A Prayer for Spiritual Conviction

9 For there is no truth in their mouth; their inmost self is destruction; their throat is an open grave; they flatter with their tongue.10 Make them bear their guilt, O God; let them fall by their own counsels; because of the abundance of their transgressions cast them out, for they have rebelled against you.

Does this seem a bit strong at first? David is speaking of his enemies and praying to God for their correction. He is not praying for his protection but that God see their rebellion against Him. Is it right for David to pray that they would bear their guilt and fall by their own ideas? It is, and the Gospel helps us understand why. We see a lot of rebellion against God today – both in our own hearts and in the hearts of those in our community. Being a man after God’s own heart, David feels the sadness and hurt of their deception and knows that God alone is the one who can cause them to turn from their sin and be saved. If someone does not intercede and something doesn’t change, they will never see their need for salvation. The Gospel declares that everyone, apart from Christ, is already condemned (John 3:18b) and that their only hope is to turn from their sin and believe in Jesus for salvation (John 3:16-18a). The Gospel that saved us from our sin is the Gospel that saves all sinners. So what does that mean for today? Today, we pray that God would open the minds and hearts of the lost to see how their own ideas make them fall. We ask that God would open their eyes and reveal to them their sin. We pray that God would use us to spead His message of life through Jesus Christ to those whose self-deception will lead them to eternal hell. We ask through the lens of the Gospel, “Let them bear their guilt; let them fall by their own counsel” so that they may find redemption in Christ and be lifted up into eternal life.

PRAY

In these times of turmoil we need to pray for the Gospel to be embraced in our community and nation. Let’s pray together:

Father, we pray for Your presence in our lives today. Show me, God, where I still believe my own counsel above Yours. We ask that in this time many people come to faith in You and that Your Glory be spread throughout the earth. We put our faith and trust in You. In Jesus’s mighty name we pray. Amen.

19

DAY 16 | MONDAY, MAY 25

Psalm 5:11a - A Prayer for Joy in the Midst of Difficulty

11a But let all who take refuge in you rejoice; let them ever sing for joy,

Seeking refuge in a storm is not only prudent, but wise. What makes a place of refuge wise or foolish, however, is not the intention of finding refuge, but whether or not the refuge is capable of weathering the storm. David was in the midst of a hard and difficult time. David, being a warrior-king himself, had learned the difference between wise and foolish places of refuge in hard and stormy days. In his spiritual walk, he had learned that God was always a safe place of refuge – and in this refuge he could find joy in the midst of difficulty. The Gospel teaches us that God is not afraid of life’s difficulties but has power over them – even death itself is no match for God! In the life of a follower of Christ, taking refuge in Christ during difficult times has a way of producing great joy. Suffering is indeed difficult but taking refuge in Christ while suffering can produce joy (Romans 5:3-4). Working with others in difficult times is hard but helping them find refuge in Christ can produce joy (2 Corinthians 1:24). Persecution in the name of Christ can be painful but finding refuge in Christ while persecuted produces joy (Luke 6:22-23). These things are not enjoyable, but those who take refuge in Christ can experience great joy. Your family may be in a deep need for refuge right now, but not all places where we look for refuge are able to handle the storms and produce joy in the midst of them. Whether it’s due to suffering of some sort, working together during this difficult time, or from following Christ when others seem to be following so many other ways, Christ is not only your refuge but also a joy-producing refuge! As you walk out these days of pandemic, God’s desire for your family is to find refuge in Him. As David found, those who find refuge in Christ will find a deep and abiding joy!

PRAY

Think about where your family needs refuge, then pray:

God, today my family needs refuge from _____________ . Lord, show me where I may be seeking refuge in something other than You. Teach me to trust You as my refuge. God, produce joy in my heart and in my family as we find refuge in You. Amen.

20

DAY 17 | TUESDAY, MAY 26

Psalm 5:11b - A Prayer for Protection

11b and spread your protection over them, that those who love your name may exult in you.

Love and protection go hand in hand, do they not? Think about those whom you love most or those things that you love most. What length would you go to in order to ensure their protection? There is no length of love too far that a godly father or mother would not do to protect their child. There is no amount of protection that is too much for the things that carry your love. For good or evil, love drives and compels us to protect those things and people who we pour our love into. Love moves us beyond speaking and to action, even when uncalled for, in order to protect what we love. David knows God’s perfect love. In fact, the Gospel describes this love as a love that is demonstrated to us in an extravagant way using terms related to acting in protection. Romans 5:6 – Jesus died for us while we were weak. Romans 5:7 – For the good and righteous, someone give their life for them. Romans 5:8 – God demonstrates His love for us by Christ’s death. God continues to fill us from within with His love through the Holy Spirit. In other words, God’s love for us compels and drives Him to protect His children from any and all real harm. Because of the Gospel, we are protected from the truest and most real harm we could face that results in death from sin and separation from God. God protected us from His own wrath and gives us cause to rejoice in this life, no matter what comes (Romans 5:11)! For our church, we know that because of the Gospel there is nothing that can leave us unprotected. Jesus Christ, right now, is leading His church, on His throne, and calling us to continue to follow Him. He promised to be with us always and gives us cause to rejoice in lesser threats to our physical lives because the greatest threat of all – spiritual death and separation from God – has been conquered. Even our lives on earth are in His hands. And so, let’s pray for protection over our church, that the reality of God’s demonstrated love toward us in Christ would compel us to be bold and trust Him, and that God would cause our understanding of His protection from any eternal effect of sin to result in exultation (worship in recognition of how great God is)!

PRAY

God, You are my Protector! I know that You have already made a way, in Jesus Christ, to protect me from the greatest threat there ever was. In these days of physical threat, protect our church. Protect our church, Father, from physical sickness. More than that, protect our church from spiritual sickness. Keep our eyes on Jesus in these days. Amen.

21

DAY 18 | WEDNESDAY, MAY 27

Psalm 5:12 - A Prayer of Grace for Those Who Follow God

12 For you bless the righteous, O LORD; you cover him with favor as with a shield.

It is comforting to read these words, isn’t it? Just drilled down to this small little verse, we can let the world stop spinning around us for a moment. The constant parade of fear or sadness or frustration that we are tempted to entrench ourselves in can fade away as we remember that the Lord covers the righteous with favor. Sometimes we may not recognize the favor for what it is in the moment, but when we look hard enough over the path we have walked we can see markers of God’s goodness and mercy that we did not recognize at the time they were being unfolded. Let’s look back at the Scripture though – who does He cover? The righteous. While we know that God can cover us with favor in specific areas of our lives that may be identifiable to us, we should have it constantly before us that we are also covered by the redemption of Christ when we choose to accept that free gift. We cannot be righteous without Jesus, we have no access to the favor without Him. Favor is certainly something we long for, and pray for frequently in one situation or another, but how much more are we blessed by the simple covering of Christ’s sacrifice as payment for our sin? Surely that is a shield that covers us as we walk through life, to know that we have a Savior that loves us deeply and wins the day. So, what does this mean for us today, in the midst of a world that looks much different than it did a few months ago? I take comfort in the fact that there is a shield over me as a member of the body of Christ. That shield does not promise to keep me from harm or difficulty, in fact, we are promised to have troubles in this world, but to know that those troubles that do make it to my doorstep are those God has ordained that I battle with brings me purpose and determination. It leads us to consistently study our path, before and behind us, to see evidence of God’s favor even in, and maybe especially in, the midst of trials. Regardless of how you have responded to this time of quarantine, what you may see in and around it politically, socially, or economically, take a moment to identify where you have found God’s favor in these weeks. What lesson or memory or stolen moment of joy in the midst of chaos will rise from a time of difficulty to remind you that you have not walked through this season without purpose?

PRAY

Pray that God would give you eyes to see the favor that He covers you in, including the simple gift of His grace. Pray that God’s favor would be present in your home and the homes of those around you. Pray that as we move on from this season, you would be able to look back and see His favor evident in new ways as life continues on.

22

DAY 19 | THURSDAY, MAY 28

Psalm 6:1-3 - A Prayer That God Would Answer Soon

1 O Lord, rebuke me not in your anger, nor discipline me in your wrath.2 Be gracious to me, O Lord, for I am languishing; heal me, O Lord, for my bones are troubled.3 My soul also is greatly troubled. But you, O Lord—how long?

Waiting for an answer you are longing to hear is best described in one word: hard. You can feel it deep within, especially when the answer you’re longing to hear affects something significant in your life or in the life of someone you love. David knows this feeling. He is waiting to hear from God for freedom from sickness and a cure for his troubles, but it feels like God is taking a long time to answer. Is it discipline? Is God angry? Is God not being gracious to David? All of this waiting and questioning builds up until it becomes just one question – “How long?” “How long” is the hallmark statement in David’s psalms where he is lamenting about his situation. Feeling stuck somewhere between the pain of now and the promise of the future, David so often finds himself where we have all found ourselves – asking God “How long?” How long until you hear my prayer to protect my family? How long am I going to have to go without? How long are you going to let me stay lonely, or broke, or hurting? We begin to know the pain that Jesus felt on the Cross that caused Him to cry, “My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?” Though there are answers, today why don’t you let your heart take some time to simply pray a prayer of pain to God. What is it that you feel God is taking long in answering in regards to yourself or your family? Have you been waiting for Him and feel troubled in your soul because of it? Here’s what you can know: you are doing what normal Christians do. It is appropriate and OK to say, “God, how long are you going to wait to answer?” So let’s do that today.

PRAY

Think of something you are waiting on for your family. Now pray:

Father, how long are You going to delay an answer for me? We have been waiting for _____________ , and You have not answered yet. God, teach me to trust You in the wait. Amen.

23

DAY 20 | FRIDAY, MAY 29

Psalm 6:4-5 - A Prayer for Deliverance Because of God’s Love

4 Turn, O LORD, deliver my life; save me for the sake of your steadfast love. 5 For in death there is no remembrance of you; in Sheol who will give you praise?

In this psalm, David has a sense that God has turned from him. Whatever is threatening his life, it seems like David sees the end of his life coming if God doesn’t intervene. Looking straight ahead to where the dead go in David’s language (Sheol), David’s plea to God is to save him for one reason alone: for the sake of God’s love for David. We know that, because of the Gospel, we can appeal to God’s love and grace toward us to answer our prayers for our church. Sometimes it is really tempting to list out all the ways that God has used our church in the past – and that can be really helpful for our own hearts sometimes! But when we feel like we have to somehow convince God that He owes us something good because we’ve done something good, we’re taking His grace and turning it into something owed. Here’s a great truth that you can know: God is extravagantly gracious, saved you by His grace through faith, and knows you can in no way repay Him (Ephesians 2:8-9). His church is saved simply because He loves His church. And based on His love, we ask Him to intervene. Today, we are facing a difficult and challenging season as a church. By God’s grace, we have more than two hundred and fifteen years of serving Him! But why He will continue to be with us through and beyond this season is simply this: His love. We have financial needs as a church, but because God loves us we know He will provide through His people. We have spiritual needs in our church, but because God loves us we know that He will provide through His Word. We have new and changing opportunities for ministry, but we know that He will go before us and with us because of His love for us. As we face tomorrow and walk through today, we have no problems praying loudly, “Because of Your steadfast love for us, save us!”

PRAY

God, thank You for Your steadfast love for our church. You have always gone before us, provided for us, and remained present with us from our very beginning. We ask, God, based on Your steadfast love that You would empower us to follow You in these days. We love You, God. Amen.

24

DAY 21 | SATURDAY, MAY 30

Psalm 6:6-10 - A Prayer for the Coming Glory of God

6 I am weary with my moaning; every night I flood my bed with tears; I drench my couch with my weeping. 7 My eye wastes away because of grief; it grows weak because of all my foes. 8 Depart from me, all you workers of evil, for the LORD has heard the sound of my weeping. 9 The LORD has heard my plea; the LORD accepts my prayer. 10 All my enemies shall be ashamed and greatly troubled; they shall turn back and be put to shame in a moment.

For 21 days now, we have been praying through psalms and asking God to hear our prayer for our family, church, and community. Today we end our time together on these beautiful verses that give us reason to pause and process what God has been saying to us in these last three weeks. Instead of providing a prayer for you to pray, take some time to answer the following questions and write out your own prayer to God. After writing out your prayer, pray this prayer out loud for every member of your family, the ministries of the church that you participate in, and for our community.

1. What is one truth about the Gospel that you have learned more about over the past 21 days?

2. What is a characteristic of God that stood out to you in these verses over the past 21 days?

3. Based on these psalms, what would you want to see God do most in your family? In your church? In your community?

PRAY

Now, write out your answers to the questions above and turn them into a prayer to God:

____________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________