A Prayer for the Church

Dear God,

I pray for Heaven to meet earth.

I pray that every single person reading this has an encounter with the resurrection power of Jesus Christ. I pray that it manifests as the miracles, signs, and wonders they have been praying for so that there is an opportunity to believe in a new and deeper way. Because that kind of encounter is what gives us access to the faith and courage it takes to forsake everything else as we surrender to Jesus. That kind of encounter is what gives a hurting and broken world a taste of kindness from a faithful God. So Lord, may we taste and see that You are good! May we bear witness to the resurrected Christ. May we shout to those around us that Jesus is alive and so, so worthy of our surrendered life.

Oh Lord, increase our boldness. If we haven’t yet seen what we have been praying for come to pass, remove from our lips and hearts any religious excuses so that we do not diminish what Jesus has accomplished. Instead, teach us how to press in to You. Let us fall on our faces and encounter You again. In a way we can’t deny. In a way we can’t stop talking about. Let us encounter You so clearly that we can no longer be silent about who You are and what You have done.

May Your church become so aware of—and so sensitive to—the Holy Spirit within us that we are of one mind and heart as we give testimony to the resurrection of Jesus Christ. May the cry of our heartbeats be for Your Kingdom to reign, on earth as it is in Heaven.

Jesus taught: “Repent, for the Kingdom of God is at hand!” And not once did He withhold the miracle. He never withheld Your kindness, God, because it is Your kindness that leads us to repentance. It is Your kindness, and love, and mercy that leads us to continuously change our minds and our perspectives—to adopt the mind of Christ—until we begin to understand that we live under an open Heaven. Until we recognize that the Kingdom of God is accessible, available, and within us.

So I pray, oh God, for Heaven to meet earth.

And for the world to ignite.