Pray This Hymn With Me

I listened to a new pastor today, a wonderful candidate to come and work for our church. He spoke on the thieves at the cross and how they are a perfect theological example of the unconditional election and of the two choices we all have. We are all either one thing or the other, a repentant thief–dying to self, ready to accept the grace and saving of a Redeemer, or an unrepentant thief–dying not to self, but truly dying in body and spirit.

And, as the pastor said, there was Jesus, just as convicted by the law of their times as these thieves, readily accepting all our Sins.

Pastor pointed out that we’ve all spent time experiencing the consequences and punishments of our own sins, before we’ve turned them over to Jesus. Can we then imagine what it was like to be there on the cross feeling the punishments for all sins everywhere for all time?

Lord,

We pray this song over all of us puny sinners today. We sing it in dedicated prayer. Bring us home. Bring home those of us who still think we’re too fast gone for saving. Bring home those of us who think we’re doing just fine and sin isn’t real. Let the world hear You calling today, Lord,

In Jesus’ Holy Name, Amen

Softly and tenderly Jesus is calling, 
calling for you and for me; 
see, on the portals he’s waiting and watching, 
watching for you and for me. 

Refrain:
Come home, come home; 
you who are weary come home; 
earnestly, tenderly, Jesus is calling, 
calling, O sinner, come home! 

2 Why should we tarry when Jesus is pleading, 
pleading for you and for me? 
Why should we linger and heed not his mercies, 
mercies for you and for me? [Refrain]

3 Time is now fleeting, the moments are passing, 
passing from you and from me; 
shadows are gathering, deathbeds are coming, 
coming for you and for me. [Refrain]

4 O for the wonderful love he has promised, 
promised for you and for me! 
Though we have sinned, he has mercy and pardon, 
pardon for you and for me. [Refrain]

Will L Thompson

A Prayer For Our Enemies

“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.

Matthew 5:43-45

Lord, we all have enemies in life, the personal and idealogical kinds. Help us to bless them. Remind us to pray for Your best for them. Knowing in our hearts that You love them as You do us.

You also watched them, as they were formed in Mother’s wombs. You also counted each hair on their heads. You know them as well as You do us, Lord, and if they aren’t saved by the blood of Your Son, You ache for the day they will.

Lord, if they live against You and make themselves enemies of Yours, we pray against them and seek Your justice, but we also pray for them. May they get so sick of the dragging down of the devil that they begin to seek rescue in the only place it can be found: in Your arms!

We pray this sincerely and humbly, knowing that without Your armor we would be as vulnerable to the Devil’s schemes, knowing that without the saving You offered through Your Son, we would be just as lost.

In Jesus’ Holy Name, Amen