Monday, March 28, 2011

Praying for Jesus' return

I was at a 'concert of prayer for revival' on Saturday. Many thoughts went through my mind in relation to it but one that has stuck with me is this: why don't we ever have 'a concert of prayer for the return of Jesus'?

Is it less likely to happen than revival? I guess it must be - there's only one 2nd Coming; there have been, and may yet be, many revivals. But I don't think we pray out of mathematical probabilities.

No. I wonder if our heart really is intent on the glory of God? Prayer for revival would seem to say it is, but lack of prayer for Jesus' return in glory would seem to suggest otherwise. Do persecuted Christians pray for revival or for the second advent? And if it's the latter, does the lack of prayer for it amongst the not-so-persecuted suggest a lack of empathy for suffering brothers and sisters?

I was sharing some of these thoughts with a friend and he told me of a conversation with a Brethren brother some years back, who said something to the effect that the place held in reformed theology by revival was held in brethren theology by the second coming of Jesus.

And I went away pondering where the emphasis lies in the New Testament.

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