“I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you.” Eph.1:18
Heavenly Father, thank you for making hope our non-optional calling—the heart and life vocation of those you save by your grace, for your glory. What is the hope you have given us, to which you call us? The assurance that you will complete the good work you have begun in us (Phil. 1:6). One Day we will be as lovely and as loving as Jesus (1 John 3:1-3). There’s no chance we’ll ever be “un-born again,” “dis-adopted” as your beloved children, or snatched out of Jesus’ hand and heart.
Hallelujah, our hope also includes everything broken becoming “all things new.” All sin, evil, disease, and anti-grace have an expiration date. No eye has seen, ear heard, or mind imagined all the goodness and grandeur you have planned for us. Thank you, Father. Free us from under-believing the Gospel and over-believing our fears—especially when life gets hard. We’re tired of being wimpy in our faith, too easily discouraged, and too immersed in our “selfism.” We know better than to be tricked by the lies of the enemy and the weakness of our flesh. So…
For the rest of summer 2023, our prayer is as core, basic, and impassioned as this: Father, Abba, Father… restore to us our first love for Jesus. Fill us to over-flowing with the Holy Spirit. Make the Gospel so palpably real again, Jesus so unavoidably beautiful and precious to us, and the life of heaven so alluring … we will live and love to your glory all the way Home. So Very Amen.