Words of Hope Daily Devotional

The Words of Hope Devotional is a non-profit, donor-supported publication whose goal is to encourage readers to grow in faith through the practice of daily Bible reading and prayer.

The devotional is available in your email and in print.

How Should We Pray?

Read: Matthew 6:5-15

Pray then like this . . . (v. 9)

During the pandemic, people prayed regularly—for quick healing and relief, turning everything over to God. It’s always good to turn to God in prayer and cry out to him for help, but sometimes I heard prayers that seemed like the people praying wanted to direct all problems to God and away from themselves and their own responsibility.

The model for prayer in the Bible is not just prayers for relief from suffering. When Jesus taught his disciples to pray, he included the elements that we should still include in our prayers: praise for God and a commitment to his kingdom, asking God to provide for our daily needs, for forgiveness, and for protection from evil. Our prayers should include a reflection, return, and renewal—what, how, and when did we go wrong? Have we sinned against God or other people as individuals or as a nation? Do we need to repent and rend our hearts? Try praying this way: “Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting” (Ps. 139:23-24 NIV).

God is kind and compassionate. He will not slumber, nor will he refrain from doing what is right. When we come to him in prayer, we should come ready to honor the relationship he offers to us, and seek his way, returning in submission to the Creator God. Are you praying that way today?

As you pray, ask God to teach you to pray with the right attitude so you can be transformed to follow him.

About the Author

SE Asia Ministry Leader

Words of Hope’s South Asia Ministry field leader is based in India and works with more than 70 team members sharing the hope of the gospel in more than 20 languages. Because of security concerns, we have chosen not to share his name.

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Separated from Heaven

Read: Genesis 3:8-24 The LORD God sent him out from the garden of Eden. (v. 23) A common disciplinary technique used by parents and teachers is the “time-out,” in which a disobedient child is temporarily separated from the rest of

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In the Beginning

Read: Genesis 2:1-9 Thus the heavens and the earth were finished. (v. 1) One of the Bible’s best-known sentences is, “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth” (Gen. 1:1). Biblical language scholars point out that the Hebrew

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Dinner with Jesus

Read: Revelation 3:14-22 If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me. (v. 20) Recently we had out-of-state relatives make the long trip to come and

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Breakfast on the Beach

Read: John 21:1-14 Jesus said to them, “Come and have breakfast.” . . . They knew it was the Lord. (v. 12) Can you picture the scene? Sunrise on the beach—the beginning of a beautiful day. There’s breakfast on the

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Known to Them

Read: Luke 24:25-35 He was known to them in the breaking of the bread. (v. 35) When my late father-in-law led us in prayer, he would often add this thought: “Forgive us our sins and our shortcomings.” It was a

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