A Prayer That’s Always Appropriate

“May the Lord grant mercy.” It’s a beautiful prayer, and one that I can think most of us have needed to pray for ourselves or for others at some point in our lives.

Paul prayed this prayer twice for others (2 Timothy 1:15) at a dark time in his life when he really needed mercy himself. Like many leaders, Paul experienced betrayal as most people turned away from him—except for one, Onesiphorus.

When I read passages like this one, I often wonder “Where is Jesus in all of this?”

Well, Jesus is the one who never turns his back on us. He is the one who is never ashamed of us. He’s the one who seeks us until he finds us, even when all others have turned away. He’s the one who comes to refresh us.

Onesiphorus modeled what Jesus would have done—he sought out Paul, and he brought exactly what he needed: mercy.