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A Prayer about Waiting for the King’s Return

A Prayer about Waiting for the King’s Return

Lord Jesus,

You are

the King of shalom,

the King of righteousness, 

the King of justice, 

the King of peace. 

How long until you return 

to make your face shine upon us, 

to restore us to yourself (Psalm 80:3)?

How long until you return 

to wipe away all tears (Revelation 21:4):

the tears of those who have been abused 

because of their skin color, 

the tears of those who have been abandoned 

by loved ones, 

the tears of those who have been afflicted 

by disease?

Even as we await your return, 

empower us to live your healing love 

into this hurting world.

In your restoring name we ask.

Amen.

Read Psalm 82; Psalm 80:3; Revelation 21:1-5.

A Prayer about Our Rescue in Distress

A Prayer about Our Rescue in Distress

Lord of Angel Armies,

When we are hard-pressed on every side (2 Cor. 4:8-12), 

may we cry out to you.

With you on our side, 

whom shall we fear (Psalm 118:6)?

With you as our helper, 

what can man do to us (Psalm 118:6-7)?

With you as our refuge, 

what human would we trust in (Psalm 118:8)?

When we feel utterly defeated by human foes, 

may we remember that the evil one, 

who hates us fiercely, 

has already succumbed to defeat 

by Christ our Savior. (Psalm 118:7). 

In the name of our friend Jesus we pray. Amen.

Read Psalm 118:1-29.

A Prayer about Daring to Hope

A Prayer about Daring to Hope

God of Hope, 

I confess, as lovely as every word in this verse is, 

it’s often hard to hope.

Stories marked by earthly hopes 

disappointed 

often tamp down our hope. 

I pray for myself and for my friends 

who may feel the same way:

By the power of your Holy Spirit, 

transform our skeptical hearts into hearts 

that trust in our God of hope.

Transform our impatient hearts into hearts 

that wait eagerly for the glorious work

our God of hope will do in us and in others.

As you transform our hearts, 

fill us with your joy—

the capacity to enjoy you and enjoy the wonder-full story 

you are writing in this world and in our lives.

As you transform our hearts, 

fill us with your peace—

the capacity to rest in you and to believe 

that you are writing a new story of wholeness, harmony, and unity.

Finally, as you transform us and fill us with your joy and peace, 

may our hope spill over into every crack and crevice of our lives 

and the lives of those around us, 

sprouting forth in bright blossoms of new creation glory.

In Jesus’ hope-giving name. Amen. 

Read Romans 15:1-13. 

A Prayer about Weakness

A Prayer about Weakness

Lord,

I confess, I don’t like being weak at all. 

You say that weakness is the Christian’s way, 

but I was born and raised in America, 

by strong people who taught me to work hard and be tough. 

Not only that, but I’m afraid much of what I’ve observed in church 

suggests that we should be strong as steel and stoic as statues. 

And yet, you say that the way to be strong is to be weak. 

You say you will make us into people 

who are “content with weaknesses, insults, 

hardships, persecutions, and calamities” (2 Corinthians 12:10). 

Help us, by your grace, to grasp the paradox. 

May we cling to our crucified Savior, 

who though he was God, 

took on the weakness of human flesh. 

Wrap us in the strong embrace of our risen and ascended Savior, 

who for the joy of making us your children endured the shame of the cross.

Send us into the world, 

weak and frail as we are, 

to invite others to join us 

in the only weakness that could ever strengthen us.

In Jesus’ strong name. Amen.

Read 2 Corinthians 12:1-10.

A Prayer about Not Worrying

A Prayer about Not Worrying

Good Father,

Once, after a hurricane, 

a friend told me how she handled her worry 

that her seventy-year-old house 

would be destroyed: 

“I stayed inside and thought happy thoughts.” 

There’s nothing wrong with thinking happy thoughts, 

but you have given us a much better antidote to the worry and fear 

that plague us during seasons of crisis: 

Prayer. 

Rejoicing in you, 

because that turns our thoughts 

toward your delight in us and our hope in that delight (Philippians 4:4).

Presenting our requests to you, 

because that acknowledges our utter helplessness, 

your supreme power,

and your good, Fatherly care for us (Philippians 4:6).

Thanking you, because that reminds us 

of how you have saved us in the past 

and points us toward 

how you will rescue us in the future (Philippians 4:6).

Lord, today, when worry creeps in, 

turn our hearts toward you in prayer, 

that we may know the peace 

that surpasses all understanding (Philippians 4:7).

In Jesus’ peace-bringing name.

Amen.

Read Philippians 4:4-9.

Something Worth Waiting For

Something Worth Waiting For

Hi Friends, in this season after a year of so many canceled celebrations, many of us are anticipating graduations and reunions and vacations. But I’m aware that some are still stuck in very painful, anxiety-inducing waits. Wherever this day finds you, I pray this excerpt from The Waiting Room reminds you of the hope we all have in the day that is worth waiting for. 

I will tell of the Lord’s unfailing love. I will praise the Lord for all he has done. I will rejoice in his great goodness to Israel, which he has granted according to his mercy and love. Isaiah 63:7, NLT

After our son’s second brain surgery, a small piece of his skull had become infected, and the neurosurgeon had removed it. Six months later, they would implant a synthetic skull piece to replace the one removed. We were all eager for our son to have this fourth, and hopefully, final surgery.

The day finally arrived for this surgery. When we arrived at pre-op at the appointed time, ten a.m., there was a delay; we were asked to remain in the surgical waiting area. Finally, around noon, our son was taken to pre-op. Forty-five minutes later, my husband and I were invited back to wait with him. An hour went by, then two. We were told that the neurosurgeon was involved in a very complex surgery; we’d have to wait a while longer. As the wait was extended, my restlessness increased, but my husband and our son remained fairly calm. Finally, at six p.m., eight hours after he had been told to report, our son was taken back to surgery. Less than two hours later, the surgery was over, and all was well.

Amy Carmichael, missionary to India, puts words to how I felt in that “longest wait”: “…sometimes we are tempted to discouragement. So often we have believed that what we asked was about to be given, and then have been disappointed. But delays are for the trial of faith, not for its discouragement.” [emphasis added][i]

In the delay, my faith had indeed been tried. I held my tongue, because I did not want to infect our son with my anxiety, but internally, I was fantasizing about running down the hall of pre-op, screaming, “We can’t take this anymore!” I later asked our son, “How did you stand that long wait?” He answered very simply, “I knew they were going to come get me eventually.”

In order to wait well, we must know that the Lord is “going to come get us eventually.” As Isaiah 63:7-9 reminds us, we have every reason to believe in the Lord’s unfailing love. Despite Israel’s repeated disobedience, the Lord has shown them “great goodness,” “which he has granted according to his mercy and love” (Isaiah 63:7). As Isaiah also reminds us, “In all their suffering, he also suffered, and he personally rescued them….” (Isaiah 63:9, NLT).

Indeed, we have every reason to trust. God did not delay in sending Jesus to rescue us from the suffering of our sin. And, though it may seem like a long wait, God does not delay in sending Jesus back for us. When Jesus arrives, we will affirm, as Amy Carmichael so eloquently writes, “‘Lord, this was worth waiting for.’”[ii]

Prayer

Lord, in our longest waits, help us to remember your unfailing love and abundant mercy. May we never forget that you are coming back for us and that the sweet reunion will be worth the wait. Amen.

Further Encouragement

Read Isaiah 63:7-9; Isaiah 65:17-25.

Listen to “It’s Hard to Wait” by Flo Paris at https://youtu.be/HbMsm328cu8.

For Reflection: What delays have you experienced during this journey? What helps you to wait well?

 

 

[i] Amy Carmichael, 258.

[ii] Carmichael, 258.