Smitten With The Glory and Grace

Scotty Smith:  A Prayer for God to Be “Really Among Us”

If the whole church comes together and everyone speaks in tongues, and some who do not understand or some unbelievers come in, will they not say that you are out of your mind? But if an unbeliever or someone who does not understand comes in while everybody is prophesying, he will be convinced by all that he is a sinner and will be judged by all, and the secrets of his heart will be laid bare. So he will fall down and worship God, exclaiming, “God is really among you!” 1 Corinthians 14:23-25

Heavenly Father, this portion of your Word compels me to pray for our church family early on this Lord’s Day morning. O to be a congregation so smitten with the glory and grace of Jesus today that all of us, not just unbelievers, would fall down and worship you, in truth and in Spirit. In light of the Day when every knee will bow, proclaiming that Jesus is Lord (Phil. 2:9-11), move us to kneel today as well—not as a ritual, but in response to your convicting, liberating and healing presence.

Rescue us from the perfunctory and predictable. Don’t let us go through the motions of the liturgy without heart devotion for you, our Lord. Spare us the tragic consequences of mere normal and cold formal worship. It’s not that we lust for experience, it’s that we long for you, O glorious Triune God. Humble us with your holiness. Confound us with your goodness. Transform us by your loving-kindness.

Make the truth of the gospel so clear, so sensate, so beautiful—to young and old alike. Send your Spirit to do what your Spirit alone can do. Restore in us the joy of your salvation—which you have freely given us in Jesus. Renew in us the love we had at first—for you and for others. Rekindle in us a passion for missions, with which our hearts first burned with kingdom gladness.

Forgive us for worshiping worship more than we worship you. Forgive us for playing church rather than being the church. Forgive us for not forgiving others as you have forgiven us. Forgive us for expecting so little from you and demanding so much from others.  Forgive us for gossiping more than gospeling. Forgive us for neither speaking nor doing the truth in love.

Forgive us for hoarding our brokenness, weaknesses and restlessness, when only you have shoulders broad enough and a heart big enough to handle all our stuff. Forgive us for posing and pretending with one another, when you tell us the gospel is the end to all such make-believe living. Forgive us for getting use to being disconnected from you—perhaps, still honoring you with our lips, but with hearts far from you. May this be the last day that is acceptable to us.

Father, Son and Holy Spirit… come in power, grace and beauty—come this very day. So very Amen we pray, in Jesus’ holy and loving name.