Can this be the prayer for 2023? Apart from the Lord’s Prayer it is one of the oldest prayers of the Christian Church for the Apostle Paul uses it in 1 Cor 16:22, “Come, Lord!”
“He who testifies to these things says, “Yes, I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.” (Revelation 22 v 20)
It was the prayer for John on the island of Patmos.
Is it okay to ask Jesus to come quickly? Is He dragging His feet?
We all need the emergency services and if we have never used them we accept life is better for having them there. If we ever used them we would be expected to use words of “come quickly”, if we said “whenever you’re ready, no need to rush” then everyone would know we are not in that place of great need.
But today wherever we look we have to say the world is in great need and the urgent prayer is: Come Lord Jesus. In carrying this prayer the Church recognises that the need of the world cannot be met by the programmes and the efforts of the believers though they must exist. We must be the witness to our world but we cannot save the world. This prayer keeps us focused on the reliance of the person Jesus Christ. The world needs Jesus. This prayer spurs the Church on to reach the lost people of the world. The prayer launches the gospel into the places where Jesus is not known. “Come Lord Jesus!”
Missions Paul 