Our Sovereign God,
You have fashioned all things according to your will through your Trinitarian power. In Christ all things were created, things in heaven and things on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities. All things were created through him and for him. And even now he holds all things together. If Christ were lacking this ability at any moment, all things would descend into chaos (Col. 1:15-17). In your kindness, you not only create and sustain all things, but you also reveal yourself to us. The heavens declare your glory and the sky above proclaims your handiwork (Psalm 19:1). What can be known about God you have made plain to us, because you have shown it to us. Your invisible attributes, your eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. This leaves us without excuse. In our depravity, we knew you but did not honor you as God or give thanks to you, but became futile in our thinking, and our foolish hearts were darkened. Claiming to be wise, we became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things (Rom 1:18-23).
This is the state that you could have left us all in. Yet in your kindness, you revealed yourself to us through the person and work of your Son, Jesus. He lived the perfect life that we could not. While we were lawbreakers and idolaters, your Son perfectly obeyed the law and lived in right communion with you. We were all like sheep who had gone astray, we had all turned to our own way. We were dead in our trespasses and sins. And your sovereign plan was to lay our iniquity on your Son. To crush him in our place so that we could be made alive in him (Isaiah 53:4-10). You placed our filthy robes on Christ and gave us his pristine garments. So now, when you look on us, the muck and mire, the filthy rags are all gone, and all you see is your perfect Son. You have lavished us with favor and pardoned us through your grace, mercy, and love for your people.
And now we look around and we see the world suppressing your truth, denying your Word, blaspheming your Son. Filled with people who are foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing their days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another (Titus 3:3). This has been around since the beginning when Cain killed his own brother. There are seasons when this spirit of the age is less clearly seen, and there are seasons when it becomes very clear to see.
There are moments in life that are obvious that the forces of darkness are arrayed in an all-out attack against everything that is good, upright, and holy. The events of the past month have made this impossible to avoid. We have seen a school shooter fire upon kids while they were gathered in prayer. We have seen a young woman who was seeking refuge here from a foreign war, stabbed to death in cold blood on a train, just sitting quietly on her way home from work. And most recently, Charlie Kirk, who spent his time reasoning with people on college campuses, seeking to persuade them with truth, silenced by the shot of an assassin, leaving behind a widow and two young children. Lord, we pray that you would comfort the grieving with the steadfast love of Christ.
In moments like these, it is hard for us to see clearly and not rage. The ability for righteous anger that you possess is so hard for us to keep in balance. Thankfully, you have told us in your Word that this world would be like this, and so we can trust in you when our eyes leave us discouraged. You have said that we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places (Eph. 6:12). The devil, with his schemes, is waging a war. He is an already defeated foe, but one who will not go down quietly. And so, we see worldviews that are built on hate reveal themselves clearly in certain seasons. A variety of idolatries that can coexist because they have one common enemy, God Almighty. They set themselves up against you and take counsel together. They rage and they plot, seeking to burst their bonds and cast away their cords (Psalm 2:1-3). We see ideologies like homosexuality and transgenderism that seek to tear apart the image of God in man and woman, destroying many around us and influencing violence as they mock and blaspheme God with their perversions and mutilations (Gen. 1:27). We see government systems that should be instituted for justice making unjust rulings that bring harm to its law-abiding civilians (Rom. 13:1-4).
Sometimes the reality of the darkness of our world comes in waves, but just as you reminded your disciples in this world you will have tribulation but take heart for I have overcome the world (John 16:33). So, our posture isn’t to cower in fear, it isn’t to get sinfully angry to try to counteract the evil we see, and it isn’t to throw our hands up as if all hope is lost.
Our response is always to be optimistic. The nations may rage, but Christ is King and is firmly seated on his throne. One that will never be shaken. Your kingdom is advancing even as we see wickedness advance. There is a harvest of worshippers to be found and to be snatched from the fire (Matt. 9:37; Jude 23). And just as they are captive to wickedness, such were some of us (1 Cor. 6:9-11). Help us Lord, to keep our hand to the plow. From cowardice defend us from lethargy awake! Forth on Thine errands send us to labor for Thy sake (Facing a Task Unfinished, Keith & Kristyn Getty). The sick and twisted worldviews of our day will leave people empty, broken, and hopeless. The gospel of your Son is their only hope. Help us to proclaim it boldly, fearlessly, truthfully, unashamedly, compassionately. To shine as lights in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation (Phil. 2:15). The weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds, arguments, and every lofty opinion that sets itself in opposition to you (2 Cor. 10:3-6). May we confidently wield the Sword of the Spirit, your Word, to exalt your name in our land so that the Lamb that was slain would receive the full reward for his suffering (Eph. 6:17).
We pray this in the matchless name of your Son, the one to whom every knee will bow, Jesus Christ our Lord (Phil. 2:9-11). The one who belongs all glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever (Jude 24-25). And we pray that you would come quickly, Lord, and make all things new (Rev. 22:20).
Amen.