A Prayer to Long for Heaven
By Emma Danzey
“But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.” - Philippians 3:20-21
Do you look forward to heaven? If I am being honest, my heart can be so focused on the now and building my “earthly kingdom” that I often miss the joy of focusing my thoughts and heart on eternal joys. It is not bad to be thankful for the beautiful blessings that we have been given from our Father who loves to give good and perfect gifts. However, when we become consumed with the world, we need to be reminded and convicted that this world is not our true home.
Maybe you have recently lost a loved one and are thinking more about life after death. Perhaps you are more aware of your aging body or your health declining? Today, we are going to pray with joy that Jesus came so that we do not have to live in fear or dread of the future. We have the guarantee of heaven as believers in Jesus. Scripture tells us that Jesus is the only way to heaven, and it is not what we can do to try to live a “good life,” but it is receiving what He has done by living the perfect life and dying on the cross for our sins, rising again.
1 Peter 1:3 tells us that Jesus is our living hope. Even though we cannot physically see heaven, He has promised it to all who believe in Him. All of God’s Word has proven true, we have read of the fulfillment of His prophecies and every Word coming true. He is faithful. It takes faith to trust the Lord that He is waiting in heaven for us, but He has told us.
John 14:3 says, “And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.”
Let's pray:
Dear Jesus,
Thank You for going to prepare a place for us. Would you help us to long for you the way that You long for us? You have loved us like a faithful husband to an unfaithful wife. You have pursued us like the lost coin. You have welcomed us back like the prodigal son. Thank You for your forgiveness and love. We praise You for the promise of a future with you. We thank you that Your Spirit is with us always. We have a down payment of heaven in our hearts. Help us to seek Your Spirit daily and be filled with joy. Father, show us how you are working eternity into the hearts of humanity around us. Use us to share this good news of heaven with You!
Do not allow the enemy to cloud the true spiritual reality that we want to invite as many people to the gates of heaven as possible. Jesus, You get people into heaven, but we want to extend the invitation. We pray for Your movement and your kingdom to come and your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Cultivate heavenly thoughts and refresh our focus in our hearts and minds. Renew us from our sinful nature to grasp onto the temporary tighter than the eternal. Forgive us for fixing our eyes on temporary things instead of fixing our eyes on You, Jesus.
Father, thank You for preparing a place for us. Thank you that Your word is true and heaven is more than we could ever imagine. We are amazed that You would choose us to be your own even after our sins. Thank you for Your forgiveness and the future we have with you in heaven. We pray that as we remember those we miss here on earth, we can have peace that those who trusted in You as Savior are happier than they have ever been and in the best place they have ever been with You. We praise You for making a way, opening the gates of heaven, and calling us Yours forever. Amen.
Image created using DALL.E 2024 AI technology and subsequently edited and reviewed by our editorial team.
Editor's Note: We're proud to announce we've just launched a new nighttime companion to Your Daily Prayer: the Your Nightly Prayer devotional. You'll soon be able to subscribe to receive Your Nightly Prayer via email, or as a podcast, but for now you can find it on the website at crosswalk.com/devotionals/your-nightly-prayer. We hope it's a relaxing and soothing way to wind down your day with rich meditations on who God is.
Related Resource: Jesus Calling - Stories of Faith
Kerry Washington. Andrea Bocelli. Reba McEntire. Mark Wahlberg. Tony Dungy. Matthew McConaughey, What do all of these people have in common? They are all people of faith who have leaned on God in both the good and challenging times—and they’ve shown up to tell their story of faith on The Jesus Calling Podcast. The Jesus Calling Podcast provides a place for people from all walks of life to share the heartaches, joys, and divine moments that keep them going.
Inspired by Sarah Young's classic devotional book, the Jesus Calling podcast has brought encouragement and peace to millions. New episodes drop every Thursday! Listen today on LifeAudio.com or wherever you find your podcasts.
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Originally published Thursday, 18 July 2024.
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