May the God of endurance and encouragement
grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus. Rom. 15:5
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope. Rom. 15:13
May the God of peace be with you all. Amen. Rom. 15:33
Gracious Father, your Word never ceases to astonish, nourish, and cause our hearts to flourish. In this single chapter, out of 1169 in the entire Bible, you come to us as:
The God of endurance and encouragement. Father, you know how much we need both of these grace gifts. Some days, weeks, or months seem disproportionally filled with challenging circumstances, difficult people, and unexpected disappointments. Thank you for caring, and for giving us every good thing we need in Jesus. May we live radically committed to one another’s encouragement.
The God of hope. In our increasingly complex, distressing world, it’s SO good to know that evil, brokenness, and crazy have expiration dates. Fill our hearts with the certainty of your sovereignty, and open the eyes of our hearts to see more of Jesus’ beauty and glory.
And may the aroma of the grass and flowers of the new heavens and new earth drift in our direction. Make our certain and living hope more real to us than ever. Make it sweeter than everything bitter in our world. You promise to make all things new and beautiful, in your perfect timing; and you’ve never lied or exaggerated. Thank you, and please hasten that Day.
The God of peace. Father, you are the consummate Peacemaker—reconciling enemies and restoring broken things. We have peace with you because you made peace with us by Jesus. Hallelujah, and thank you. May your peace rule in our hearts—trumping our fears, toppling our idols, and fueling our joy. You are so kind, mighty, and loving, Father. So very Amen we pray, in Jesus’ trustworthy and worship-worthy name.
