“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)
Dear Jesus, thank you for making hope a calling for us—our heart and life vocation. What is the hope you have given us? It’s certainly more Someone than something, for you are our hope, Jesus—the source, foundation, and fountain of all hope, peace, and joy. There’s always more of you for us to know, experience, and love. In fact, eternal life is knowing you (John 17:3); living forever is just the dessert and eternal delight of coming more fully alive to your glory and grace.
We want to be like John the Apostle. In his early 80’s you gave John a fresh vision of who you are—how you are the heart and hero of the entire Bible (Rev.1:7-18). It wasn’t that John learned anything new; but it was a timely visitation that so overwhelmed John, he fell down in awe and worship.
We want to be like Paul—who from a prison in Rome gave us words and a prayer we make our own today: “We want to know you Jesus, and the power of your resurrection—suffering with you in life, becoming more like you as your cross and Spirit do their work in us, looking forward to the Day of our own resurrection (Phil.3:10-11).
We want to be more like those who are already with you in heaven, Jesus (Revelation 4-5). We’ll wait for your timing to get us there, but we feel a holy and redemptive envy as we see them loving you with unfiltered adoration, with a gratitude we’ve experienced maybe 2% in part, and with the fulness of the same joy that you pray for us to have (John 17:6-19). Jesus, restore to us the joy of our salvation, renew our first love, and take us to new places in knowing, adoring, and serving with you in our broken world. So Very Amen.