Most people don’t know this about me but I actually went to catholic school until I was in the 5th grade. I honestly kinda forget I grew up knowing about Jesus. Maybe that’s because there is a distinct difference between knowing about Him and knowing Him.
I don’t remember a lot about catholic school other than uniforms, confessions, and a lot of kneeling. Confessions were the scariest thing in the world to me. I dreaded those Friday mornings. I do however vividly remember being told to go say a certain amount of prayers and that my sins were forgiven. I remember praying this a lot:
“Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from the evil one.”
Lately I’m at this place where I’ve been really trying to learn how to pray. I’m not saying there’s a right or a wrong way because honestly what do I know…but I do know that I’m pretty scatterbrained. And in the book of Matthew it clearly states that you should pray this way. So I’ve been taking this well known prayer apart piece by piece the last few months.
I’m not one for fancy church words, sayings or prayers. Maybe that’s because I get confused easily, or maybe that’s because I don’t think fancier words make your prayers more important to God. So when I first heard someone pray the words “let Heaven come” I immediately thought to myself “Oh hear we go again with the fancy phrases that everyone pretends they understand but really we’re all scratching our heads in confusion”. But I couldn’t stop thinking about what kind of declaration that was. How bold of a prayer “let Heaven come” really was. Then it popped up everywhere! In songs, in church sermons, in podcasts I was listening too, in bible studies…I mean I couldn’t escape the darn phrase.
So I studied and I read. I looked everywhere in the bible for references about Heaven until I came across Revelation 21:3-4.
“And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”
I thought about the little girl Melonie I met while I was in Guatemala who followed me around an entire day through multiple towns because she told me she was afraid of being kidnapped by the white people and sold into sex slavery. I thought about the things I witnessed in the Philippines with houses being destroyed by monsoons, children begging us for food, and people living on mountains of trash just because they had no where else to go. I thought about the orphanage in Haiti where parents had to sell their kids because they couldn’t afford to take care of them anymore. I thought about some of the painful life experiences I’ve been through. I thought about the tears shed over deaths taken from my family so suddenly. And I began to get the most beautiful pictures in my head of what that would look like. God wrapping us up physically and wiping all those tears away. I pictured all the people I’ve met in places around the world who are in pain because of their hunger dwelling at a banquet table with God until their little bellies were full. I had picture after picture running through my head of old things passing away and God renewing people’s lives. And for the first time since the fall of man everything was as it should be.
It was in the moment I understood why people pray bold prayers like “let Heaven come”. When I pray the little phrase “let Heaven come” I’m believing that God will release the properties of Heaven onto this Earth – love, joy, peace, hope, redemption, restoration. I’m believing that God will bring total healing to His people – physically and emotionally. I’m believing for wholeness, completeness and unity. I’m literally believing for Heaven on Earth.
As I prepare to head to these 11 countries – India, Nepal, Vietnam, Cambodia, South Africa, Botswana, Swaziland, Peru, Bolivia, Chile, Argentina – will you join me in this prayer?
Will you believe with me for Heaven to come to Earth?
Please pray with me and consider partnering with me financially to help me bring the properties of Heaven to the ends of the Earth. I’m believing for big things this year, will you be apart of this journey with me?
