All praise, glory, and honor “to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine.” (Eph.3:20)
Lord Jesus, we praise you for being our reigning King, loving Savior, and soon returning Bridegroom. Because nothing is impossible with you, we can trust you with our deepest aches, heaviest burdens, and most intense longings. Hallelujah, and here we go.
Though you can do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, Jesus I will gladly settle for a few things I can imagine and do passionately crave. First: Jesus, you have promised “to shorten the days of evil” mounted against your beloved people in the world (Mk.13:20). But would you also shorten the days of meanness, unkindness, and harshness in us? The world will know you are true, good, and beautiful by the way we love each other (Jn.13:34-35).
Indeed, I can imagine your beloved grace-redeemed Bride—people who vote differently, worship differently, have different passions and interests, different life callings and missions burdens—I can imagine us loving each other with mutual respect, forbearance, humility, and hope for the Day of all things new.
Second: Jesus, would you gift us and our country again with a Great Awakening—a Grace Awakening—a genuine Holy Spirit revival? Humble us, Lord. Bring us low, don’t make us great, for grace runs downhill. Third: Jesus, would you please restore us to our first love for you? Would you reignite our calling to carry the Gospel to the nations? Would you out-grow our ingrown churches? Would you make us good neighbors, mercy givers, and grace fountains? Would you make your now-and-coming-Kingdom a greater focus for us than our now-and-very-temporal national identity? I can imagine all of this Jesus—for your glory. So Very Amen.