A Prayer About Gospelicious Friends
I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. Philippians 1:3-6
(To my very dear gospel-sanity prayer community. Please use the following prayer in remembering specific people God has used/is using to rescue you from any way of thinking about or relating to God apart from the gospel of his matchless grace. Have a most gospelicious and gospel-sane Thanksgiving! What an honor it is to groan and grow in grace with you!)
Most glorious and grace-full Father, this Thanksgiving morning my heart is tuned to sing your praise for the many, many people you’ve used, and continue to use, to help me understand the lyric, music and dance of the gospel. How I thank you for the ragtag assortment of broken and beautiful saints who’ve been your means of continuing this good gospel-work you have begun in my heart.
For those who’ve dared describe the indescribable gift of the gospel, I give you great praise, Father. I well remember the day when I foolishly said as a young Christian, “Don’t give me theology, just give me Jesus.” My sentiments were good, but my sensibilities were shoddy. To speak the name Jesus is to do theology. How well I know this now. How well I know that bad theology is the worst taskmaster of all. How well I know that another gospel is no gospel at all. For the men and women who’ve given me the true lyric of the gospel, be praised dear Father.
For those who’ve made the unspeakable joy of the gospel audible and visible, I give you great praise, Father. How desperate I’ve been all my life to know you, to experience you, as the God who would greatly delight in me (of all people), who could quiet this restless heart of mine, who would rejoice over me with the love of a tender father and impassioned bridegroom… how shocking… how astonishing… how true! For the men and women who’ve given me the healing music of the gospel, be praised dear Father.
For those who’ve been modeling and teaching me the other-centered dance of the gospel, I give you great praise, Father. It’s been liberating to discover the whole world as the dance floor of the gospel. When we wild prodigals and stuffy elder-brothers finally make our way into your dance of joy, you take the dance outside of the house into our neighborhoods and among the nations. Jesus, you who’ve crushed the head of the serpent for us, will soon crush him under our very own feet (Romans 16:20), as your kingdom of redemption and restoration continues to infiltrate and transform every sphere of life. For the men and women who’ve given me the missional dance of the gospel, be praised dear Father.
So very Amen, I pray on this Thanksgiving morning, with all my brother and sisters, in Jesus’ name.