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A Prayer About Lenten Weeping & Dancing

May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The one who calls you is faithful and he will do it. 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24
Heavenly Father, as I continue to pray-read my way through Lent, it’s portions of your Word, like this one, that make me want to weep and dance, at the same time. I feel like weeping over the years I spent in gospel-ignorance-a stranger to the ways of grace. Grateful that you brought me to Jesus, but clueless about how you actually change your sons and daughters… I suffered much under the hands of bad theologies, man-centered remedies, and Christ-less formulas.
Gracious Father, this one passage alone tells me that you’re the God who called me to life in Jesus… who is thoroughly transforming me to be like Jesus… who is keeping my whole being blameless until the Day you send Jesus back to finish making all things new… including ME! God of peace, you are, indeed! Where else can such peace, joy and assurance be found?
How did I miss so much of the gospel for so many years? Why was I such an easy target for performance-based spirituality? Why didn’t I despair of the corruptions of the gospel that set me up for the “paralysis of analysis”… growth by guilt-n-grit, instead of grace through faith… seeing Jesus more as my perfect model than as my perfect Righteousness… holding out for a 2nd, 3rd, 9th and 17th baptism in the Spirit, instead of savoring a life of union and communion with Jesus? How did I miss so much of the gospel for so very long?
Enough of looking back in sadness. I choose to look up in gladness, for you’ve turned my mourning into dancing, Father. You’ve removed the sackcloth of my self-righteousness and have clothed me with the wedding garments of the Lamb. With the music of a coming banquet already emanating from heaven, my prayer is simply this, “Dear Father, more and more, and through and through, make me like Jesus. You are faithful and you will do it.” So very Amen, I pray with profound gratitude and assurance, in Jesus’ holy name.

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