While on a South Pole expedition, British explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton left a few men on Elephant Island, promising that he would return. Later, when he tried to go back, huge icebergs blocked the way. But suddenly, as if by a miracle, an avenue opened in the ice and Shackleton was able to get through. His men, ready and waiting, quickly scrambled aboard. No sooner had the ship cleared the island than the ice crashed together behind them. Contemplating their narrow escape, the explorer said to his men, "It was fortunate you were all packed and ready to go!" They replied, "We never gave up hope. Whenever the sea was clear of ice, we rolled up our sleeping bags and reminded each other, 'The boss may come today.'"
The word "maranatha" is a Syriac expression that means: "our Lord comes." It was used as a greeting in the early church. When believers gathered or parted, they didn't say "hello" or "goodbye" but "Maranatha!" If we had the same upward look today, it would revolutionize the church. O that God's people had a deepening awareness of the imminent return of the Savior! (Our Daily Bread.)
Today we’re looking at Revelation, the last book of the Bible, chapter 19. In recent weeks we’ve talked about the triumphal entry of Jesus, the death of Jesus, the resurrection of Jesus, and last week we talked about the ascension of Jesus.
Now I want to fast forward over two thousand years from the moment Jesus ascended, in AD 33, to the moment in the future when Jesus Christ returns.
So we know that right now we’re in the church age. The church has expanded across the Earth. And we know that Jesus will come again to collect his church and bring them home.
That moment I believe in rapidly approaching for us. But before history is completed, a time called “the great tribulation” will occur. This is a time of great crisis and struggle for the world at the end.
In life we have all sorts of struggles. We have health problems, surgeries. We deal with money problems, job problems, family problems, and so on. Life on Earth is rough. But the great tribulation will make all of this stuff seem like a walk in the park.
If you’re looking for an image of what this will be like, the Bible describes it this way, from Amos 5:19, “It will be as though a man fled from a lion only to meet a bear, as though he entered his house and rested his hand on the wall only to have a snake bite him.” So it’s described as these worst case scenarios that only seem to get worse. You’re walking down the street and you just escape getting hit by a car, but then you get hit by a bicycle. It’s bad.
Now there is a view in apocalyptic theology that if we are followers of Jesus Christ, then we will be spared from this moment. They call it the pre-tribulation rapture. The idea is that Jesus Christ will come suddenly, gather his church, and bring us to heaven before the tribulation. That’s the view we’re going to go with today. There are other opinions, but we’re gonna focus on this view for today.
Christ returns in a moment and gathers the church to heaven. So you’ve got millions of people disappearing, then the great tribulation begins. So the church is safe in heaven while the tribulation occurs. So then we see the rise of the anti-christ and the formation of a world wide government. Many events happen but then at the end, in Revelation chapter 18, we see Babylon, called “the prostitute”, destroyed by God. And then we come to our scripture today: Revelation 19:1-4
“After this I heard what sounded like the roar of a large crowd of people in heaven, saying, “Praise God! Salvation, glory, and power belong to our God! 2 True and just are his judgments! He has condemned the prostitute who was corrupting the earth with her immorality. God has punished her because she killed his servants.” 3 Again they shouted, “Praise God! The smoke from the flames that consume the great city goes up forever and ever!” 4 The twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God, who was seated on the throne. They said, “Amen! Praise God!”
So let’s pause right there. We see this beautiful scene in heaven, you’ve got the church praising God. You’ve got the evil kingdom destroyed. And you’ve got the 24 elders praising God. Who are the 24 elders? Well we believe this would all the great humans in bible history, Abraham, Jacob, Moses, and so on, and Jesus’ disciples, Matthew, Mark, Luke, James, and so on. The four living creatures, you’ve got me, I don’t really know what they are, but they’re made by God, to worship God and declare His glories.
Then it says in verse 5 through 8, “Then there came from the throne the sound of a voice, saying, “Praise our God, all his servants and all people, both great and small, who have reverence for him!” 6 Then I heard what sounded like a crowd, like the sound of a roaring waterfall, like loud peals of thunder. I heard them say, “Praise God! For the Lord, our Almighty God, is King! 7 Let us rejoice and be glad; let us praise his greatness! For the time has come for the wedding of the Lamb, and his bride has prepared herself for it. 8 She has been given clean shining linen to wear.” (The linen is the good deeds of God's people.)
9 Then the angel said to me, “Write this: Happy are those who have been invited to the wedding feast of the Lamb.” And the angel added, “These are the true words of God.”
Now you have this beautifully pictured marriage ceremony between Jesus Christ and “his bride.” Who are his bride? We are his bride. We are wed to Jesus, becoming one with Jesus, for all eternity. This will be a time of great celebration in heaven. As we gather around the table for this great and exciting ceremony of the marriage supper of the lamb.
Are you guys with me so far? Jesus was born, 2000 years ago. Jesus lived, and was crucified for our sins on the cross. Jesus came back from the dead. Then Jesus ascended to heaven, went to heaven to prepare a place for us. And now we see that Jesus will gather us in the rapture to heaven. The great tribulation will occur. The anti-Christ will establish an evil kingdom, and that evil kingdom will be destroyed by God.
Then we will celebrate the marriage supper of the lamb, this ceremony where we are joined with Jesus forever.
That is the day I’m looking forward to you guys. To be with Jesus in heaven. To be found faithful by God. So I’m always watching. Always waiting and hoping for Jesus to gather us to himself.
Your ultimate destiny as a human being, living on Earth, is to be washed in the blood of Jesus, have your sins removed, and to live to serve Jesus. And then, when the day comes of Jesus coming, you will be brought to heaven. And you will be joined with Jesus Christ your savior forever in the marriage supper of the lamb. This is the great moment of consummation. This is the great moment when we are permanently joined with Him.
We love Jesus today, but in the future we will be married to Him forever. That is the moment I look forward to. My destiny is in another world. My destiny is the new heavens and new Earth. That’s where I belong. No where on this Earth really feels like home. Heaven is home. The City of God is the real home.
But let me remind of you this, yes focus on heaven, watch always for the return of Jesus. But also continue to work here on Earth to get people saved and appose evil.
After World War I Germany was economically devastated and left broken. In that vacuum a terrible leader named Hitler rose to power. Many quietly followed Hitler and allowed him to take power. But famed Protestant theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer was imprisoned for taking a stand against Hitler. Yet he continued to urge fellow believers to resist Nazi tyranny. A group of Christians, believing that Hitler was the Antichrist, asked Bonhoeffer, "Why do you expose yourself to all this danger? Jesus will return any day, and all your work and suffering will be for nothing." They had taken a fatalistic approach, that it was already too late.
But Bonhoeffer replied, "If Jesus returns tomorrow, then tomorrow I'll rest from my labor. But today I have work to do. I must continue the struggle until it's finished." -Daily Bread, November 10, 1991.
Yes I am waiting for Jesus. I fully expect Jesus to return in my life time. I don’t expect to die of old age. I expect to see Jesus with my own eyes sooner rather than later. You might think I’m being symbolic or theological, I’m being literal with that statement. But today, right now, I’m working to get people saved by Jesus, and to serve humanity through food, encouragement, hygiene products, help with bills, and so on. I’m hard at work. And you should be too.
Why do I talk so much about the return of Jesus? Well, because the word of God talks about it so much!
The Bible is filled with references to the second coming of Christ. “In the 260 chapters of the New Testament, there are 318 references to the second coming of Christ--an amazing 1 out of every 30 verses. Twenty-three of the 27 New Testament books refer to this great event.” -Today in the Word, April, 1989, p. 27.
In 1987 Americans were surveyed, asking do you believe Jesus Christ will return a second time? 62% of Americans said yes. I wonder what that percentage would be today. I really wonder that. Or as Jesus said, “When the son of man comes again will he find faith on the Earth?”
We think we’re so advanced in the western world. We think we’re so sophisticated. We put so much faith in medicine, the sciences, and the intellectuals, we put so much faith in the experts, and we live by what they tell us to do. Whether it’s facemasks don’t help at all, we don’t use them, then a month later, facemasks are absolutely necessary. Then everyone wears facemasks. That’s a lot of faith. That’s very promising actually. Imagine if we put as much faith in Jesus Christ and the Bible as we do in handwashing guidelines, WebMD articles, and expert studies from The King’s College. I suppose that’s what we were taught, especially my generation, we were taught to trust experts, trust science, trust society, trust the TV, but the truth I realized later in life was, we should be more skeptical of the so called experts, and trust God’s word much more. It only took me about half my life to realize what my grandparents already knew a generation ago, God is real, and humans aren’t as smart as they think they are. A study can be absolutely wrong, and a Darwinian theory can be an invented fraud. And God’s word, though mocked as it is today, can actually be completely true. How ironic. What are you putting your faith in today? Theories of man, or God’s eternal truth?
So in conclusion today, Jesus Christ will gather His church, and we will be joined to Him in a marriage ceremony, the whole church to Jesus Christ, at the marriage supper of the lamb. We will see Jesus face to face, and be joined with Him. But yes, you’ll still be you. But you’ll be free from sin, and in love with Jesus with a full heart. Wow. So beautiful and amazing.
I recall many times biking and running, when the whole body felt on fire. It was burning. And it wasn't fun at all. But what does any gym enthusiast know? No pain no gain. The incredible discomfort of the workout is leading to a stronger future. Much is the same with mental fitness. When my mind is on fire, and I feel completely out of control, and my emotions are screaming unease, actually something exceedingly therapeutic is taking place. I'm going to level up, you might say, to a more mature state. Just like severe exercise levels up the body, muscle by muscle, so mental problems, mental anguish produces growth.
But to be honest, I never knew adulthood would involve this much Ibuprofen, Aleve, and Tylonel. I'm on a merry-go-round between the three. I now fully understand why old people are so grumpy. And I only just turned 35. Imagine the physical misery when I turn 60 or 70!
Sometimes in life you just have to bear up under suffering. Don't pretend it's fine either. It's not really fine. It may be OK, and you're at peace with it, but there is a legitimate ouch to all of it. Ouch. OUCH. Yes. Very ouch. About one year later, of being a minister, all I can say is, ouch. After a month of being in lockdown, once again, ouch. Still being single at 35 with no prospects, well, ouch.
But I suppose it's better than being with a wife that I realize to my own consternation that I don't like at all. Though I fully reject the modern concept of "falling out of love" with someone. Love is a choice. And given prayer, God can and will ignite those feelings that may have been lost from poor maintenance in the past.
I found myself in a spiritual crisis of a sort recently. I have a close relationship with God. Being a minister, I better have that. And honestly, you can tell if a minister doesn't. Their sermons lack any power, it's just words they came up with, and their ministry lacks any growth or vitality. So it's easy to tell. But anyway, I found myself in prayer with a Bible in my lap, searching for answers from the Lord on situations in my life.
Now, if you don't know this already I am prone to mild flights of fancy. And so I've gotten into this habit of looking to the future, to prophecy, and considering what is coming. And then searching the scriptures and listening for God's response. And this led me to a number of "predictions" of a sort.
Does this sound familiar? I'm not the first person to do this sort of thing. It's a game. But I've really felt many times that I was truly hearing something from the Lord. And the truth is we do hear things from the Lord. I've heard things many times from the Lord. Dozens of situations in my life. And the Lord is nudging me in a direction. So I felt very firmly in a great deal of prayer and scripture reading and discussions with friends and family that I had discerned a path God was taking me on.
Or I'll see something in a dream. And I'll assume that this moment in this dream is a word from the Lord. Believe me, that is almost always a mistake to think that. I've had all sorts of stuff blow up in my face from thinking a dream was from the Lord. It may have been from Satan, but it wasn't from the Lord. Yet here we go again, a dream can certainly be from the Lord. It happens in the scriptures. So it's confusing. How in the world do I know what is God's voice and what is my own voice and what is even the voice of evil?
That is the question I'm wrestling with right now. Because I was really sure about this. Multiple things had happened in my life that were saying "this is the new path." I mean, first I had a dream, then I prayed about it, several people brought up that topic with me, without my prompting, even before the dream. That next day my best friend brought up this topic without my prompting. I read the scriptures, the scriptures in prayer, and they seemed to be pointing in that direction. More prayer, more prayer, and I felt an emotive notion that this was the path. I received a random gift in the mail 2 days later that seemed to be highly symbolic of this notion I had dreamed of and prayed about and scripturally studied. And yesterday I found out that this was almost certainly not happening. Amazing, isn't it?
We can think that we have all the answers and it's coming together and all these nods are pointing me in that direction. I mean this is what I was taught as far as how to discern the will of God. I constantly pray "God grant me knowledge of your will for me, and the power to carry it out." I applied this four-fold method: Constant prayer, diligently searching the scriptures, talking with friends and family, and watching for signs/clues in the world around me. All of them pointed to this conclusion. But it wasn't true.
My reaction to this situation and the conclusion was a great deal of anger, even rage. I spend a great deal of time searching after God. I take it seriously. I spend a great deal of time trying to discern what God is saying, and I was flat wrong. This of course throws into chaos many things in my worldview. How do I hear from God? Why am I failing to hear from God? Can I even hear from God? It throws into question many concepts and ideas that I've been living on. So it's very distressing for me to consider how to hear from God.
It's always been a fudge area honestly. God does not often speak in a literal voice. He has done that at times throughout history. And even currently he does do that. We hear of reports of thousands of Muslims turning to Christ by dreams they have in the Middle East. I remember talking to a woman who had been kidnapped and taken to another country, and raped, and brutalized, but God helped her escape, and she heard a verbal word from the Lord telling her "you're going home." So yes, God does speak. But I have never once heard a verbal word from the Lord.
So it's tough to discern God's will. It's not always clear, which that also makes me angry. God obviously wants us to do His will. Then why not be a little more clear about it? Why allow me to delude myself time and again? Especially when I'm honestly attempting to find God's will. I'm honestly spending time searching for it. So why can't I hear properly from God?
Well, the answer came recently. My friend said, you know you can't always know the future. You're blind like the rest of us, living on faith in God to an unknown future.
Aha, I thought to myself with a severe amount of irritation. How correct she was. I had been playing games with God attempting to gain special knowledge of the future. How often does God give that sort of knowledge? Well, sometimes he does. If you recall the Apostle Paul was told by the Spirit of coming trouble. From Acts 20:23 "I only know that in every city the Holy Spirit warns me that prison and hardships are facing me."
Similarly Jesus told Peter ahead of time that he would deny him 3 times. But these of course are special circumstances. But I fully believe God does the same thing today. God has at times warned me that trouble is ahead. So it's tough to discern.
But essentially my friend was 100% correct, I was trying to force God to give me constant special knowledge of the future. There's nothing wrong with an assertiveness before God and a desire for knowledge. I think you should ask for new gifts, for prophecy, for dreams, for ideas, for friends, for family, for healings, and so on and so forth. Be bold in prayer. But I had taken it too far. And we have to be very careful when discerning the will of God to look to silence our own minds. I had developed an uncanny ability to assemble a house of cards. And they have kept collapsing on me.
So in conclusion, be cautious friends when discerning the will of God. Be patient. And listen, while silencing your own mind. How easy we deceive ourselves! But consider this also friends: This is pat of the full body burn of ministry, indeed of Christianity. We wrestle with God over and over in our lives. We go through suffering of the body, but also just as much suffering of the mind. We get the full body burn, and the full mind burn. Yes, these are tough situations! But remember that burn of the mind is going to be fertile ground for growth of beautiful gardens of the mind in the future. So bear up under it, and keep going!
"D.L. Moody made a deal with God that he would witness for Christ to at least one person each day. One night, about ten o- clock, he realized that he had not yet witnessed; so he went out in to the street and spoke to a man standing by a lamppost, asking him, "Are you a Christian?" The man flew into a violent rage and threatened to knock Moody into the gutter. Later, that same man went to an elder in the church and complained that Moody was "doing more harm in Chicago than ten men were doing good." The elder begged Moody to temper his zeal with knowledge. Three months later, Moody was awakened at the YMCA by a man knocking at the door. It was the man he had witnessed to. "I want to talk to you about my soul," he said to Moody. He apologized for the way he had treated Moody and said that he had had no peace ever since that night on Lake Street when Moody witnessed to him. Moody led the man to Christ and he became a zealous worker in the Sunday school." -W. Wiersbe, The Wycliffe Handbook of Preaching & Preachers, p. 205.
The moral of that story: It’s your job to share the gospel. And don’t let anyone temper your zeal. Jesus is alive. Everyone needs to know that.
We've considered the various evidences for the resurrection of Jesus Christ. We've looked at the historical evidence, and the archaeological evidence and the massive expansion of the church. Now we consider the last moments that Jesus spent face to face with his eleven disciples.
Jesus died on the cross, and remained dead for 3 days, before rising from the dead, and appearing to his disciples and various people in Jerusalem. The female disciples encountered Jesus at the tomb, then later Jesus appeared to the men as well. They didn't really understand why they were seeing Jesus. They thought they were seeing a ghost. But Jesus wasn't a ghost, he was really alive. So we see in our scripture today from Luke 24, it says, "Then Jesus helped the followers understand these Scriptures about him. 46 Jesus said to them, “It is written that the Messiah would be killed and rise from death on the third day. You saw these things happen—you are witnesses."
What's the most powerful evidence in a he said she said court case? An eye-witness. Jesus appeared to his disciples after rising from the dead, because he was appearing to witnesses. Jesus knew he needed eye witnesses or people wouldn’t believe it. These people, his disciples saw Jesus face to face, they touched him, and ate food with him after he had resurrected. And so they were eye-witnesses. They saw these things happen. It continues, Jesus says,
"You must go and tell people that they must change and turn to God, which will bring them his forgiveness. You must start from Jerusalem and tell this message in my name to the people of all nations. 49 Remember that I will send you the one my Father promised. Stay in the city until you are given that power from heaven.”
Theologians call this "the great commission." It's a great command, an order, given by our King, Jesus. Go and tell this message to the world. Two thousand years ago they started in Jerusalem, proclaiming the message of salvation. They declared to the people that they must repent, change their ways, and become followers of Jesus. And I'm telling you the same thing today, you must change your ways and follow Jesus!
The gospel, the good news started in Israel, in Jerusalem, then it spread to the Roman empire, and further. It started with one country, today the gospel has spread to every country in the world, 193 countries.
Today, this great commission, this final order of Jesus our commander is yours to fulfill. It's not my job, as your pastor, it's your job as soldiers and followers of Jesus to get the message out there. You've got to win people to Jesus. Proclaim to them that they must change their ways, and turn to Jesus for forgiveness of their sins. It's the only way to heaven.
Our scripture today continues like this: “ Jesus led his followers out of Jerusalem to the mountain. He raised his hands and blessed his followers. 51 While he was blessing them, he was separated from them and carried into heaven. 52 They worshiped him and went back to Jerusalem very happy. 53 They stayed at the Temple all the time, praising God." -Luke 24:50-53
So Jesus was born, we celebrate that on Christmas. Jesus died, we celebrate that on good Friday. And Jesus resurrected from the dead by the power of God, we celebrate that on Easter Sunday. And today we remember and recollect the ascension of Jesus. The fact that Jesus was raised from the ground and taken into heaven by God. And that's where Jesus is right now, in this parallel dimension, this reality the Bible calls heaven. And the whole idea is that Jesus is coming again. He ascended, but he will come again, to rule and reign on Earth.
Jesus gave the mission to us, to be witnesses of how much Jesus has done for us, to the world. And for two thousand years that has continued, with the church spreading around the world. The church is how Jesus spreads the gospel in the world. But now, in these end times, we consider the return of Jesus, that Jesus will return to the Earth, and every eye will see Him. Isn't that amazing? He will return the same way he left.
In the gospel of Matthew the great commission and ascension is recorded in this way: "The eleven disciples traveled to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had directed them. 17 When they saw him, they worshiped,[d] but some doubted. 18 Jesus came near and said to them, “All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth. 19 Go, therefore, and make disciples of[e] all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you. And remember,[f] I am with you always,[g] to the end of the age.”
So Jesus had led the disciples up the mount of olives, and from there gave his final words, then ascended. But Jesus didn't leave the disciples alone. And he doesn't leave us alone today. Jesus left us, the church, with the Holy Spirit, the 3rd person of the Godhead who lives within us, and ministers through us. And Jesus promises that he is with us always, as we call people to repentance and belief in Jesus for forgiveness.
It's not always easy to spread the gospel. In fact today in our modern world many don't believe in God. They think they don't need God. And the truth is many of us know there is a God but we prefer to ignore him because we're selfish, and we want to live our lives for pleasure, and not for God. But we should consider what we're putting at risk. There is a real heaven, and a real new heavens and new Earth. But how often do we focus on silly pleasures, selfishness, sex, money, greed, power when we're offered eternal joy with God in heaven?
There is an old legend of a swan and a crane. A beautiful swan alighted by the banks of the water in which a crane was wading about seeking snails. For a few moments the crane viewed the swan in stupid wonder and then inquired:
"Where do you come from?"
"I come from heaven!" replied the swan.
"And where is heaven?" asked the crane.
"Heaven!" said the swan, "Heaven! have you never heard of heaven?" And the beautiful bird went on to describe the grandeur of the Eternal City. She told of streets of gold, and the gates and walls made of precious stones; of the river of life, pure as crystal. In eloquent terms the swan sought to describe the holy city, but without arousing the slightest interest on the part of the crane.
Finally the crane asked: "Are there any snails there?"
"Snails!" repeated the swan; "no! Of course there are not."
"Then," said the crane, as it continued its search along the
slimy banks of the pool, "you can have your heaven. I want snails!"
This legend has a deep truth underlying it. How many a person to whom God has granted the advantages of a Christian home, has turned his back upon it and searched for snails! How many a man will sacrifice his wife, his family, his all, for the snails of sin! How many a girl has deliberately turned from the love of parents and home to learn too late that heaven has been forfeited for snails!
Moody's Anecdotes, pp. 125-126.
CS Lewis said, “We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased.”
― C.S. Lewis, The Weight of Glory, and Other Addresses
But one of the main reasons that I came to God in my late twenties, was because I had tried everything, drugs, alcohol, sex, pop culture, philosophy, new age, college, friendships, everything to try to find ultimate meaning apart from God. And I was left completely empty, and broken, a sad, miserable rebel exhausted by pleasure seeking. Emptiness! I got tired of making mud pies in the dirt, and decided I wanted to be a prince, a coheir with Christ in heaven. But more so, I didn't decide anything, God chose me. And He is calling you also, turn to Him before time runs out. The clock is ticking!
Logically it does make sense. Nothing in this life satisfies. There's something in me that longs for more.
"If I find in myself a desire which no experience in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that I was made for another world. "
-C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity, p. 119.
You are made for another world. That’s why this life feels so miserable, so empty. That’s why you ought to join the church, the living body of Christ on Earth. Jesus is calling the shots right now from heaven, speaking through His people, through you, through me, to call the world to himself before time runs out. We all need a savior for our sins, and if we don’t have that we’ll go to the place of darkness and evil forever. I don’t say that to scare you, but to warn you, both heaven and hell are real places. Put your faith in Jesus, turn from your sins, and live for Him. Because Jesus is coming again to rule and reign on this Earth .You will see Him with your own eyes. He’s real. The hour is late right now. Now is the day of salvation. So turn to Jesus today. Say it in your heart right now. Cry out to Jesus, Jesus be my savior right now. You died for my sins on the cross. I am yours. You are mine. I turn away from my old ways, I turn away from my sins, and I live for you now. Thank you Jesus. I live in relationship with God today, God is my daddy, my Father, and I love Him and He loves me. Join me on that journey. Jesus is coming again. He is alive, he ascended, and he will come again.
Lands of Beauty: Prayer of Natural Beauty
Glorious One,
Eternal God, Divine architect, master sculptor, mysterious painter, we marvel in awe at what you have made. You place constants, you define boundaries, you place layers, you shape rock faces, you paint the oceans blue, and the skies, your hand carves out the edges of the leaves, the tree branches, the arctic circles, the rocky mountains, the liquid haze of the blue ridge mountains,
We delight in what you have made God, though fallen,
You have left your mark on this creation,
You have given us evidence of your glory in every sunset, every sunrise, every star filled sky, shimmering in the night,
We adore thee for what you have made, your creation reflects your genius, creative persona, your mysterious infinite brilliance makes all this possible, And indeed you have made us, our very souls, as a crown for your glorious creation. Thank you Jesus, Amen.
The Grand Designer: Prayer of Science
In the beginning God you designed constants like gravity and time, indeed you formed time, and it has no power over you,
The spaceless expanses make it clear to us just what you have done,
The telescope describes you, the microscope reveals you,
Your genius formed the laws of reality,
Your wisdom placed the solar system, the strength of the sun, in it's plasmatic power,
The great power that guides the planets through space, belongs to you, though they are not you, they point us to you, in all your magnificence.
You've made DNA that fills our veins, you've designed the circulatory system, the veins and arteries, the blood that sustains and repairs our organs,
You've designed each system to function with the others, so they all fit together and function in unison, Truly God we are fearfully and wonderfully made, in Jesus name, amen.
An Expression of Infinite Love: Prayer of True Love
Dear God,
You have made us to give of ourselves, and to receiving a sustaining force called love,
You are a God of love, who teaches us to love, and gives us love,
And you call us to give that love to still others,
What is love Father, that you would sustain us with it? What is this deep sensation? What is this glorious rapturous feeling that makes us full? It is love, biblical love, a self sacrificial sensation that provokes us to action. We are sustained by your love. Your love gives us form. Your love is infinite. Your love is perfect. Your love flows out to all would do the simple deed of receiving your son, and repenting of sin,
God we express our love for you,
Teach our hearts to love like you do,
Make our hearts to love with all, with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength,
With all our excesses, with all we have left over, teach us to love you deeper and love you again, further, longer, wider, and in greater depth!
Make our love for you, like your love for us,
Make our love greater, for we are poor in love,
Make our hearts larger, and greater to love selflessly,
And help us to love our enemies, and to love our family members, and to love those that have hurt us, and done such terrible evils to us, help us to hold no grudge, but to love them deeply, and pray for them always.
Father we love you, but make our hearts to love you even more every single day,
In Jesus name, Amen.
Alone I Find You God: Prayer of Solitude
Might God of Glory,
You alone are God over all. All who call on the name of Jesus and turn from sin are part of your family, Yet you stand alone, as the only God,
Jesus Christ you came and loved the masses, and the 120 and the twelve,
Yet it also says in your word, that you often retreated to lonely places and prayed,
Help us God, to disappear into solitude,
Let us God quietly reflect on you,
In the silence, you show yourself God,
In the mysteries of life, in reflection, you declare your ways,
In the quiet place, the still small voice is heard
Make me someone who retreats to the prayer room,
Make me one who returns to the quiet meadow,
Make me to be one who searches for you in the mysteries of life,
In Jesus mighty name it is done, Amen.
God of Many Colors: Prayer of Praise
Eternal Alpha and Omega, Beginning and End, Creator Lord Almighty,
Father God of the Seven Spirits of Heaven,
Faithful protector of humanity,
Divine Master of Intellect
Holy Designer of Righteousness
King of Space and Time
General of the Armies of Heaven,
Servant slave who carried all sin,
Generous benefactor of the poor,
Defiant castigator of the pharisees,
Compassionate Father of the little children,
Rejected outcast among a self-satisfied world,
Accept us as part of your family, the body eternal,
Your love is scandalous, in the crib you watched over us,
Call us to humility, call us to holiness, call out our faults,
We give up all the wealth, all the power, all the greed, we set aside
We lay sin aside, the weight that so easily entangles,
Take us up to your kingdom, we are your soldiers
Set us free from old age, from death, make us new
Give to us an understanding and will to live out perfect holiness
Fire our minds with the wisdom of heaven and set zeal as our crown,
We take refuge in your base camp Lord, we hide in your defenses,
We ride on the wings of heaven, across all the Earth in victory. Coheirs eternal in the new city, in perfect love and righteousness, we delight in you forever.
I turn from Sin: Prayer of Repentance
Daddy God,
I come before you in sorrow and pain, I come before you grief, I come before confessing that I have sinned against heaven and against you,
I've done evil, when I should've done right, I've embraced darkness, and delighted in my flesh,
Father, I am no better than my fathers, and I feel and understand that I have done great wrong,
Sin is evil Father, and it spreads like a disease within me, and leads to still worse sins. Sin is disease that spreads to others and brings great harm to humanity.
I have sinned against you Father,
So therefore I ask for your forgiveness for these sins in the name of my savior Jesus Christ, who has washed me clean by His own blood,
I am washed clean by Jesus, and I repent. I change my direction. I leave sin and I come close to you God, forsaking and turning away from sin, and embracing holiness, embracing your way. Grant me the grace of true repentance God. In Jesus name, Amen.
Comforted by the Creator: Prayer of Misery
God I am broken today, God I'm exhausted, God I can't do this anymore,
God my heart hurts, the days events have tore me open, my soul is ripped,
I feel so empty Lord, I feel the emptiness of life,
Why must there be so much suffering?
Why must this ordeal last so long?
When will it ever end?
God I can't handle this anymore, I'm overwhelmed, and tired of the battle,
Lord, have mercy on me, I cry out to you in the midst of destruction,
God I throw myself at your mercy,
God I take refuge in you,
God you do great things in the world, though it seems like the wicked and the powerful prosper, they will disappear one day,
With no hope,
God you build me up through despair, you shape me through darkness,
You give and you take away, never the less, blessed and holy and perfect is your Name forever,
I put my trust in you in the storm, I praise you in the storm, I seek you in the storm,
I search for your face, I search for your countenance to shine down upon me,
Please God, bandage my wounds, in this battle, strengthen my heart, give me strength, and give me faith in my weakness,
You do great things in weakness and brokenness,
Do a great thing in me.
I express my trust in you in the storm,
Father have mercy,
In Jesus name, Amen.
Upcoming...
Prayer of Delighting
Prayer of Magnificence
Prayer of Holiness
Prayer of Mercy
Prayer of Marriage Blessing
Prayer of Dedication to Service
Prayer of Personality
Prayer of Sorrow
Prayer of Emptiness
Prayer of Love
Prayer of Addiction
Prayer of Starlight
Prayer of the Divine Attributes
Prayer of Praise to the Triune God
Prayer of Rage
Prayer of Suffering
Prayer of Sin Battle
Prayer of Deep Loss
Prayer of Winter Depths
Prayer of Melancholy
