God knows your heart, but he loves to hear your voice. As you go through this prayer guide, make each prayer your own by filling in the blanks provided.
Adoration
“He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power . . . On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords.” (Hebrews 1:3; Revelation 19:16).
Jesus, you are the Son of God, full of power and glory. There is no god except for you, and no person can compare to you. You are the ruler of the whole universe, perfect in justice, love, _____, and _________. (Think about 1-2 more characteristics of God.)
Confession
“All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all” (Isaiah 53:6).
God, I confess that I have gone my own way instead of yours, sinning against you by ______, ______, and ______._ (Confess to God ways you have sinned against him in the last week.) I know that because of what I have done, I deserve to die, to be separated from you for all eternity. Have mercy on me.
Thanksgiving
“For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God . . . There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (2 Corinthians 5:21; Romans 8:1)
Thank you, Jesus, for taking my sin and giving me your righteousness. You set me free from guilt and shame. I am so grateful that, because you died and rose again in my place, I am no longer ______________________ but _______________________. (Thank God for the ways he has transformed your life.)
Supplication
“I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me” (Galatians 2:20).
Holy Spirit, give me a deeper appreciation for the cross. Continue to renew me, and help me to live in light of what Jesus has done. Remind me ______________, _________, _and _________________ are found in Christ alone. (List truths from Scripture to remember.)
Jesus’ Last Words
Many of us would expect the last words of Jesus to be a powerful statement of identity or a galvanizing call to action. Instead, with his dying breath, the Son of God uttered . . . an everyday accounting term.
It is believed that, in biblical times, if someone owed a debt they couldn’t pay, they were issued an official certificate of debt. To pay off that debt, they would often voluntarily work for the other as a bondservant. Once the debtor had worked long enough to account for what they owed, their certificate of debt would then be stamped as paid in full. In Greek, that stamp would have read “tetelestai,” meaning “it is finished.” This stamp signified their debt was paid, meaning they were no longer a debtor, and their work was finished, meaning they were freed from being a bondservant.
Why did Jesus choose this word to be his last? Was his excruciating suffering a payment for debt?
In Matthew 18:23-27, Jesus told a story about a king whose servant owed an amount so large it would be impossible to repay. We don’t know how the servant incurred the debt—maybe he damaged something valuable of the king’s or cheated in his work—but the final amount was 200,000 years’ annual income. Jesus compares that to the insurmountable debt we owe God.
God is the ultimate King, ruling over all of creation. Everything—our lives, time, bodies, talents, money, relationships—belongs to him. When we sin by living like we’re in charge of our lives, we damage what is precious to God, incurring debt beyond what we could pay on our own.
Yet, as Jesus carried the 100-pound crossbeam, he took with him the certificate of debt from your hands. Every sheet, recording with explicit detail every sin you have ever committed, clutched tightly in his hands and nailed to the cross (Colossians 2:13-14). The One you owed chose to pay it for you so you could be set free.
Will you continue clutching your certificate of debt? Or will you surrender to King Jesus?
Tetelestai.