Things We've Learned-- 2. Prayer

(In case you missed it, Kate's out of town, and then Nate's family will be in town, so instead of all the blogging responsibilities falling to me, we pre-wrote some blogs to post here. The first is here, explaining the series. The other posts include 1. Sovereignty 3. Community 4. Contentment and Sustaining Grace)

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            I am speaking here of a specific kind of prayer. A kind that I am not sure I knew how to do before we went through the trials we did. I am speaking of the groaning, yearning, lamenting, pleading kind of prayer: the kind of prayer that begs of Jesus’ return and the consummation of all things. Prayer that groans for all things to be made new, for the day when there will be no more pain, sorrow, tears, and loss.

            The longer I live, the more I realize that suffering really is good, and not the kind of good that ice cream tastes like, but the kind of good that conforms us more into Christ, the kind of good that doesn’t necessarily feel, well, good. These “trials of various kinds” cause us to grow uncomfortable in this mortal life. They truly are His grace because they shift our eyes from this life to the one that is to come for those of us who know and follow Christ. It is His grace that allows us to go through things that remind us that our citizenship is not here, and that our life is hidden with Christ (Philippians 3:20, Colossians 3:3). Praise God that this life is not as good as it gets for those of us who are His, it gets infinitely, unimaginably better. The book of Revelation, written to churches who were being tried, served as a reminder for them, and now for us, that this is not the end. That Christ Jesus will have the last word, and that there will be an end to our labor and toil in this foreign land. We look forward to a greater and far better country. These are the truths that lead us to groaning prayers.

              We have mentioned many times that living here has been difficult. The culture, language, expectations, etc. are different and each time we encounter one of these problems we are reminded this is not our home. This is where we currently reside, but this is not where we are from. We are painfully reminded often that we are strangers in this land. In these times, it is encouraging to remember that this season has an end. We do not think this removes our responsibility to live intentionally here and now, however, we draw much comfort from knowing that this is only 3 years. In the same way, there are times in life when we are painfully reminded that this earth is not our home, and while we are called to live intentionally here, serving Christ wherever we go, there is much comfort to be drawn from the reminder that there is an end.

            Never before in our lives have we been able to prayer with such fervency and longing, “Come quickly, Lord Jesus.” (Revelation 22:20) We pray that this does not discourage you, brothers and sisters, but causes you to look to Jesus and pray fervently for His return.