Earlier this year, while a fellow Renovatian was praying, she felt the Lord lay a heavy burden on her heart: He said, “I’m not sure My people want Me to return; they don’t pray for that.” Saddened to think that Jesus did not sense urgency on our part to see Him come again, she related the story to others in the congregation and encouraged them to let God know that we are, indeed, anxious for His return. She asked that we pray earnestly and fervently for all things to be accomplished so the end may come.
But what does this mean? Is it possible for us to affect the timing of Christ’s return? Yes, the Bible says that it is. In 2 Peter 3:11b-12 we read, “You ought to live holy and godly lives as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming.”
And from commentary on this passage in the Full Life Study Bible, there is this: “The church can help shorten the time before Christ’s return by (a) committing themselves to evangelism and missionary work through the whole world (Mt. 24:14) and (2) eagerly desiring his return by praying, ‘Come, Lord Jesus’ (Rev. 22:20; Mt. 6:10).” (NIV, Life Publishers International, 1992, p. 1970)
Let us pledge to “hasten the day” by telling the Father that we long for the Son’s return and by throwing ourselves head-long into sharing the Gospel so that the fullness of God’s plan of salvation may be realized.
