A Prayer About Surprise

A prayer about Surprise

When I’m surprised by God

Holy God,

You never change, yet when I read the Bible, I see that you often do the opposite of what I would expect. You chose the youngest son of Jesse, David, rather than the oldest to be king of Israel. You took Saul, the most vicious opponent of the early church, and transformed him into Paul, the most courageous missionary of all time. You cared for and respected women in a time when they had no rights. And you used crucifixion, the symbol of ultimate defeat, and made it the sign of victory over sin and death for all eternity. I praise you because your creativity and ingenuity know no boundaries. May I never limit you to the horizon of my own understanding and expectations. Teach me to perceive what you are doing all around me. When I’m surprised by the amazing ways you work, may I respond with awe, love, gratitude, and joy.

[Jesus] gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form, he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross. Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor and gave him the name above all other names. Philippians 2:7-9