Morning Prayer For Grace And Mercy

Some of the attributes of God are loving, merciful, and gracious. It means that the God we worship, our Heavenly Father in Christ, is not just an omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent, and sovereign God Who sits on His throne, but He is also One Who is loving, gracious, and merciful. We know this because His most significant act of love, grace, and mercy toward us was sending His Son, Jesus, to die for our sins.

Heavenly Father, I thank You because You are not just some kind of all-powerful God Who sits on a throne. You are our heavenly Father in Christ, Who has been directly involved in our lives and shows us grace and mercy in times of need. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

What is the difference between grace and mercy?

Before we talk about praying for God’s grace and mercy, we should first understand what these are and the difference between them. 

Grace is unmerited favor from God. It is something that we never deserved yet was still given to us. One excellent example of grace is our salvation. We were sinners before Christ and brought eternal death and separation from God upon ourselves. If we die eternally, it is something that we deserve. We were enemies of God, as written in Romans 5:10 (For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.). Being God’s enemies, we hardly deserve any favor, help, or love from Him.

That is why we call it “grace” that God sent His Son to die for our sins so that in Him we may receive eternal life, forgiveness for our sins, and justification as righteous in God’s eyes. We never deserved our salvation, yet God still gave it to us through Christ. That is also why it is written in Ephesians 2:8-9 that it is by grace that we have been saved through Christ. It is not something we earned but a gift given to us. 

We receive grace from God not just through our salvation. Pretty much any favor we ask God for, whether healing, strength, or help with whatever we need, is grace from God. Remember, if not for Christ, we would never have deserved any of those strengths, healing, and whatever help from God we pray for. We can’t face the things we ought to face on our own. It is only by the grace of God that we persevere.

Grace is unmerited favor—something we never deserved yet is still given to us. On the other hand, mercy is something that we deserve, yet God may withhold from us. One example that we have in the Bible is King David. In 2 Samuel 11-13, we see the story of King David, who committed several sins against God. He committed adultery and murder when he slept with Bathsheba and put Uriah (Bathsheba’s husband) on the front line so that he would die in battle. In that instance, God could have struck King David dead, caused His kingdom to fall away, or inflicted whatever punishment King David deserved. Yet, God still used King David, and we know him today as a man after God’s own heart.

As you can see, grace and mercy work together. God, in His mercy, withheld punishment from King David, giving King David the grace to be a man after His own heart. In the New Testament, Peter is an example of a recipient of God’s mercy. After denying Jesus three times, he deserved to be punished. But then, we know that Peter had been restored by Christ and was one of the pillars of the early church. The apostle Paul is an even more extreme example. He was ravaging and persecuting the early church. He even approved of the stoning of Stephen. When Christ appeared to Him, Christ could have punished Paul immediately. But He didn’t. He showed mercy and instead used Paul for the expansion of His kingdom.

The many stories of imperfect and sinful people in the Bible being spared from the punishment they deserved but were instead used by God can show us that we have a merciful God. As written in Romans 9:15-16, God shows mercy to whom He shows mercy. We have also been recipients of this very mercy. Initially, we are spiritually dead. Being spiritually dead means we are on our way to eternal death and punishment because of our hardness of heart. But God, as written in Ephesians 2:4-8, being rich in mercy even though we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together through Christ, and it is by His grace that we have been saved.

Another essential thing to note is that God’s mercy is also His lovingkindness or compassion for us. That is also why some verses in the Bible talk about God’s mercy, such as Psalm 23:6, which says that God’s goodness and mercy shall always follow us. Saying it in the same way as God’s goodness and lovingkindness shall always follow us is not necessarily a mistranslation. That is also why, in Psalm 86:15, when David was crying out to God because he was in distress, he appeals to God’s mercy and meditates on the truth that He crowns us with mercy, as written in Psalm 103:4 (Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies;).

So, we should ask God for His grace and mercy whenever we go through something or need support. Always remember what Psalm 103:8 says: the LORD is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.

Father in heaven, I thank You because You are a loving God Whose love is steadfast, slow to anger, and always showing us grace and mercy. We never deserve the favor we receive from You, but You still give it through Christ. Thank You also for showing us mercy and compassion whenever we face challenges in life. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

Why do we need to pray to God for grace and mercy in the morning?

We need to pray to God in the morning for grace and mercy because we need it so desperately. That is why, in Hebrews 4:16 (Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.), it is written that in Christ we can draw near before God’s throne of grace with confidence and ask God for grace and mercy in times of need. We are always in need of God’s grace and mercy; that is why we have to pray before God and ask Him.

Another reason you need to pray to God in the morning for grace and mercy is that it is probably the only thing you are holding onto right now. Suppose you are going through difficulties in life and find yourself in a situation similar to King David’s—you are troubled, grieving, or in distress. In that case, God, Who is gracious and merciful, is the only One you can run to.

It takes humility to acknowledge that we need God’s grace and mercy, even in our daily matters. It is written in James 4:6 that God opposes the proud and gives grace to the humble. Whenever we face the morning, whether we have big problems or small ones, we ought to humble ourselves, knowing that we need God’s grace and mercy to get through the day.

Father in heaven, help me never to be proud and depend on myself as I face life. Help me be humble and acknowledge that I need Your grace and mercy. Thank You because I am a recipient of Your grace and mercy through Christ, which I can ask for in times of need. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

How do we pray for grace and mercy in the morning? 

As you pray for grace and mercy in the morning, you first must establish in your mind that God is a loving, gracious, and merciful God. The verses that we have mentioned above clearly show us that.

King David’s prayers in Psalms 25 and 86 are excellent examples of how we pray to God for grace and mercy in the morning. King David was distressed, troubled, and afflicted when he cried out to God in those two Psalms. In other words, we pray for help in the morning by crying out to God regarding whatever it is that we are troubled with and asking Him for His grace and mercy. That is also why it is written in Hebrews 4:16 that we can draw near before God’s throne of grace so that we may receive grace and mercy in times of need. All we have to do is humble ourselves, cry to God, and ask Him for the grace and mercy we need.

That simple principle applies to everything you are specifically praying for. For example, if you are a professional having a hard time at work, given that there have been severe problems there lately, cry out to God that you need help and that You need His grace and mercy in that particular aspect of your life.

Father in heaven, I am having trouble with my work lately. You are the only One I can run to for the grace and mercy I need to face and contribute a solution to the problem at work. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

If you are going through financial difficulties, grace and mercy are something you should ask God for.

Heavenly Father, I am currently having trouble with my finances, and I don’t know if I can make ends meet. I pray for your grace to help me find a job or a way to earn what I need. I also pray for Your mercy so You will provide for me in a way that I will not have provision that is just enough but one that’s overflowing. This way, I may also be a channel of blessing to others. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

And if you are going through something difficult emotionally, God’s grace and mercy are what you need to comfort you.

Father in heaven, You know the pain and hurt that others have caused me and I am currently going through. You know the tears I shed because of the betrayal of those I held dear. I pray for Your grace and strength to help me persevere despite these difficulties and to still thrive as a Christian despite my situation. Have mercy on me, comfort me from all those pains, and heal my broken heart. Thank You because You are a compassionate God Whose lovingkindness always follows me. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

Whatever it is that, as with David, has been causing you distress, trouble, pain, and affliction, know that God is your heavenly Father Who is gracious, merciful, slow to anger, and has steadfast love. You can always face another day no matter how hard it is because, as written in Lamentations 3:22-23, His steadfast love never ceases, and His mercies are new every morning.