2007-10-01 - Praying for Ketchup Ice Cream

2 Peter 3:9, "The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance."

We all have things that dominate our private prayer lists before God. We all have those prayers that take priority over other prayers. Some of our longings in prayer might need evaluation. For example, if we are praying for the day that Baskin Robbins brings back ketchup ice cream, and it is dominating our prayer list, we might need to think about praying more along eternal lines. In praying with an eternal mindset, many praying people, many people who often visit the throne of mercy, do so praying that loved one's or close friends will come to faith in Christ as their only hope. It can be, and is for many, a dominating prayer. We long to see those we love come to Christ, escape the promised wrath of God, and have that change in life now that only a conscience clean from forgiven sin can bring.

It is the longing of many a redeemed heart to see those they love come to Christ, and today I hope to encourage you to keep praying. I want to encourage you to lay siege, even more, at the gates of Heaven for those whom you love who are without Christ. Are your children unconverted? Does it seem like the lives they live are past the power of prayer? When you have given someone up, and concluded that they are beyond grace, are you not limiting an omnipotent God? Are you not lessening grace that has no restraining, restriction or constraint? Who was more outside of grace than the Apostle Paul, before He came to faith in Jesus Christ? Do not lose hope! I encourage you to believe concerning your unconverted brother, sister, friend, child, husband or wife.

The Lord Jesus has only to speak a word, and their heart will melt, even as Paul's heart was turned from persecuting the cause of Christ, to being its foremost advocate. Do not think about the greatness of your child's sin. Do not think about the magnitude of your husband's rebellion from God. Do not think about the vast amount of times your brother has rejected the gospel. Think, rather, on the immensity of the love of Christ and the greatness of the Savior. Pray seeking his mercy for your loved one, because if His grace can reach you, it can reach anyone. If the mercy and love of Jesus has been made known to you, who is beyond the wide scope of His forgiveness?

Lastly, it may be that you keep looking at your child, sister, friend, or wife and seeing no movement toward Christ. I strongly suggest that if this is the case, you are not looking where you may find the best encouragement to pray. Don't look at the sinner; look at the Savior. Fix your eyes upon the Lord Jesus Christ, and the greatness of His love in seeking and saving those who are lost. Look more to Christ than you look to the one who is forsaking the love of Jesus. Plead more with Jesus based on His love, than based on the hardness of your loved one's hardness of heart, and may these verses be prominent in imploring and appealing to Christ: "This is good and acceptable in the sight of God or Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth," 1 Timothy 2:3, 4.

Soli Deo Gloria,
T-

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