×

A Prayer Expressing Our Intense Longings for Jesus

     And the angel said to me, “Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.” And he said to me, “These are the true words of God.” Then I fell down at his feet to worship him, but he said to me, “You must not do that! I am a fellow servant with you and your brothers who hold to the testimony of Jesus. Worship God.” Rev. 19:9-10
     Dear Lord Jesus, it’s easy to understand why John fell down and began worshipping the messenger angel of this vision. For our oldest longings, greatest cravings, and deepest yearnings are claimed by what John saw: the wedding supper of the Lamb—the fullness of your lavish love for us, your Bride. What do we really want, more than anything else? It’s you, Lord Jesus. We yearn for “the already” of our grace established relationship with you to give way to the consummate “not yet.”
     We show the depth of our brokenness and the degree of our foolishness when we’re even tempted to think there’s some set of circumstances, some person, some relationship, some paramour, some lover, some change in our world, some sensual experience that can satisfy the restlessness in our hearts.
     But we’re made singularly for you, Jesus; we’re designed to be fulfilled and completed only by you. Never let us forget this, and allow us to come more fully alive to an insatiable thirst that you alone can meet. You are the most loving and tender bridegroom who cherishes a most unlikely and ill-deserving bride.
     Jesus, because we’re called and guaranteed a place at this banquet; because you’ve set your affection upon us and find great and unwavering delight in us; because we’ll spend eternity celebrating the only love that was ever enough—the the only love that would never let us go… O Lord, for these incomparable gifts, we too fall down and worship you, for you alone are God and you alone are worthy.
     Jesus, until that Day when you consummate your marriage with us, help those of us who are married to love our spouses as you love us. Free us from unrealistic expectations of one another and free us from having no expectations of one another. Free us from thinking you cannot renew broken, boring, passionless, purposeless marriages. In these temporary marriages of ours, bring grace-full kindness and playful tenderness to bear once again. So very Amen we pray, in your merciful and mighty name. Amen.

LOAD MORE
Loading