Jesus called in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face. Jesus said to them, “Take off the grave clothes and let him go.” John 11:43-44
Dear Lord Jesus, as surely as you raised a dead Lazarus by calling his name, so too, you raised us from spiritual death when you called us by the gospel. We were dead in our sins and trespasses, but you spoke and raised us to eternal life! For the sovereign grace and the resurrection power of the gospel, we praise you today. Indeed, salvation is of the Lord!
Yet as surely as Lazarus needed to be freed from his grave clothes, so do we. The smell and signs of death still haunt us and stalk us, but you have come to set prisoners like us free. This is our great hope and steadfast joy. Well before the Day of consummate freedom, liberate us more fully, for your glory and by your grace. Break our chains; thaw our hearts; lubricate our whole being with the WD40 of the gospel.
Lord Jesus, free us to love you more openly, joyfully and passionately. You have lavished your love on us. You sing and rejoice over us with much delight, great Bridegroom to beloved bride. How dare we offer you a measured response of polite gratitude? Have we confused reverence with rigor mortis?
Free us to love the gospel of the kingdom and the kingdom of your gospel. Help us realize that we have only seen one leaf in the great forest of gospel riches. Free us from our little fiefdoms of self-absorbing preoccupation. Free us to invest and work, weep and dance in the advancing of your kingdom. Free us to see the glow and smell the aroma of the new heaven and new earth. Free us to know that none of our labors in you are in vain.
Free us from the many expressions of living for people’s approval. As long as we give people power to either make us or break us, we cannot love them well. Free us to forgive those who fail us; to bless those who curse us; to pray for those who shame us. Free us from needing to be needed and noticed. Free us from trying the be the 4th member of the Trinity in the lives of others.
Free us to linger longer and laugh louder. Free us to age grace-fully, not regret-fully. Free us to grieve well, suffer patiently and live expectantly. Free us to pray more than we pout; to gospel more than we gossip; and run to you more than we run away. Free us to enjoy good meals with friends and share our bread with strangers. So very Amen we pray in Jesus’ name, with humble anticipation.
