"O, Come!"

There’s a Christmas carol I love called, “O, Come All Ye Faithful (Adeste Fideles).” I’ve sung this carol ever since I can remember, but after a prayer group meeting, it took on a new meaning. I hadn’t thought of this song in the context of prayer. “O, Come all ye faithful, joyful and triumphant.” Bear with me. I saw this first verse of the song as Jesus standing before us asking us to come to Him being real, bold, and audacious!

Why do we sometimes have trouble coming to the Lord? We think our problem or request is too big or too small; we think we can handle it on our own; we only come when the fire is blazing. No matter our excuses, our human nature with its independent streak and stubbornness, falls short of being courageous and bold. Jesus doesn’t care whether you think your request is tiny or large. His heart is large and His grace and mercy are endless.

So, do you pray timidly not really expecting much or do you pray loudly, persistently and with boldness expecting Jesus will hear you? I challenge all of us to drop what holds us back and pray with a passion and boldness, knowing we will be heard and our prayers will be answered. Maybe this will help you see what I mean.

Jesus told a parable where He asked the crowd to imagine what would happen if you went to a friend in the middle of the night to ask for bread for an unexpected guest. The friend wouldn’t even open the door and yells from bed that everyone’s asleep and he’s not getting up. Because he’s your friend, you stand your ground and bang on the door so hard that it wakes up the neighbors. Because of your boldness, he gets up and gives you what you asked for.

Jesus wants us to come to Him just like that. He wants us to bang on heaven and ask for what we need boldly. He wants us to come to Him making a noise knowing that He is our Lord and He can do anything but fail. That’s what the first verse of the song tells us. Oh, come all of you faithful, bold and passionate people. Come joyful and triumphant because Jesus, your Savior is waiting for you. He is your solution, He is the answer to your prayer.

Right now Jesus is saying to us in this Christmas season to Come! But there is a pandemic. Come. I received bad news from the doctor. Come. I can’t pay my rent. Come. I may be evicted. Come. I don’t have a job. Come. I’m depressed. Come. I’m struggling with fear and doubt. Come. No one loves me. Come. I’m all alone. Come. I lost a loved one. Come.

His arms are wide open and He’s waiting to hear that bold and audacious prayer. Ask Him for what you truly need, not what you think He will give you. He has more love and mercy to give than you can imagine. He wants to show you His love so that you can give Him the glory and strengthen your faith. “O, Come all ye faithful, joyful and triumphant.” With boldness and passion, pray. Ask Him for what you need; seek Him and I promise you’ll find Him; knock like you know He’s there, and the door will swing wide open.

“So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you ; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.” Luke 11:9-10

“Then Abraham spoke up again: ‘Now that I have been so bold as to speak to the Lord, though I am nothing but dust and ashes…’” Genesis 18:27

Prayer

Lord,

As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for You, my God. My soul thirsts for You, for the living God. When can I go and meet with You? My tears have been my food day and night, while people say to me all day long, “Where is your God?” These things I remember as I pour out my soul: how I used to go to Your house under the protection of the Mighty One with shouts of joy and praise among the festive throng. Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise Him, my Savior and my God. My soul is downcast within me; therefore I will remember You from the land of the Jordan, the heights of Hermon—from Mount Mizar. Deep calls to deep in the roar of Your waterfalls; all Your waves and breakers have swept over me. By day You direct Your love, at night Your song is with me—a prayer to the God of my life. I say to You my Rock, “Why have You forgotten me? Why must I go about mourning, oppressed by the enemy?” My bones suffer mortal agony as my foes taunt me, saying to me all day long, “Where is your God?” Why, my soul, are you downcast?  Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise Him, my Savior and my God. As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for You, my God. My soul thirsts for You, for the living God. Amen!


Photo by David Wirzba on Unsplash

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