A Prayer to Look to The Lord as Everlasting Father
By Chelsey DeMatteis
“I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand. I and the Father are one.” - John 10:28-30
The word “everlasting” for a long time was one that had me thinking of hard seasons, slow seasons, and seasons of my life that seemed as if they’d never end. But, God. He has redeemed this word for me because, truly the only thing everlasting is Him. No season, no hurt, no pain, not even the victories we will see as a human on this side of heaven will ever last forever.
I don't know what place you find yourself in today. Maybe you're exhausted, running on autopilot; perhaps you feel like you've been in "survival mode," as my friend put it, to get through the rest of this year. Maybe you're on that mountaintop rejoicing with Jesus for the victory He's brought you. Or perhaps you're just coasting and feeling grateful that life is good. Whichever season you find yourself in, I pray you know what God’s true everlasting promise means. It’s not circumstantial; it’s not for a span of time. It’s eternal; it’s everlasting.
“I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand. I and the Father are one.” - John 10:28-30
And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.” 1 Peter 5:10
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” - John 3:16
The true everlasting promise from our "everlasting Father" is eternal life with Him. Picture it as best as you can; nothing ever separates us again from our Creator. No sin, no death, just us.. with God the Father and His son, Jesus, seated as His right hand.
Isaiah 9:6 is a promise. Isaiah was prophesying what was to come, who Jesus would be, and what a gift He is to those who are His. As Christmas draws near and the season of Advent begins, I pray your heart is tethering itself to this scripture. Ponder the goodness of God and the gift of His Son. Remember Jesus’ humble beginning and all that He would endure for us.
If you've never accepted Christ, I want to invite you this Advent to ask Him into your heart as your Lord and Savior with this prayer.
Let's pray:
"Father, I know that I have broken your laws, and my sins have separated me from you. I am truly sorry, and now I want to turn away from my past sinful life toward you. Please forgive me. I believe that your Son, Jesus Christ, died for my sins, was resurrected from the dead, is alive, and hears my prayer. I invite Jesus to become the Lord of my life, to rule and reign in my heart from this day forward. Please send your Holy Spirit to lead me in obedience and to do Your will for the rest of my life. In Jesus' name, I pray, Amen."
*If you took this step, be sure to get connected to a biblically sound church in your area.
Lord, thank you for giving us the opportunity to live in an everlasting covenant with you. What a gift it is to be known and loved by our Creator. I pray for a heart that seeks to obey and serve wherever and whenever your Spirit leads me. Thank you for being my Everlasting Father. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Photo credit: ©Andreas Kretschmer/Unsplash
Chelsey is the voice behind the Living with Less Podcast and author of the 52-week devotional More of Him, Less of Me: Living a Christ-centered Life in a Me-centered World. She writes devotions for Lifeway Women's Journey Magazine, Crosswalk.com, and iBelieve.com. She also writes Bible reading plans for the YouVersion Bible App. Chelsey lives in Ohio with her husband and two children. You can connect with her on Instagram @chelseydematteis and at her website ChelseyDeMatteis.com.
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