“How long, O Lord?” A prayer of hope

Father,

We cry along with the rest of Your believing children, 

Across all of time and place, as we earth-dwellers perceive it, we cry along with Your invisible church, Your believing family of Christ-followers from every tribe, tongue, and nation. We cry as we see bickering, false teaching, persecution, wounding, and chaos…even among Your own people. How long, O Lord?

Though with a scornful wonder
men see her sore oppressed,
by schisms rent asunder, by heresies distressed,
yet saints their watch are keeping,
their cry goes up, “How long?”

(“The Church’s One Foundation,” Stone, S. J., 1866)

We cry, longing for the battles to end

We cry along with Your people across history because, ever since Genesis 3, we’ve been in a continual battle. We long for it to end. We long for our true home. How long, O Lord?

Great God and Father, because You’ve transferred us out of the domain of darkness and into the kingdom of light (Col. 1:13), we, as members of Your invisible kingdom, are now at war with sin and this world. No wonder we’re crying and longing.

For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do (Gal. 5:17 ESV).

We’re at war with Satan and his beastly minions, because he’s waging war on us as Your offspring in Christ (Eph. 6:12; Col. 2:15; 1 Pet. 5:8).

The dragon was furious with the woman and went off to wage war against the rest of her offspring—those who keep the commands of God and hold firmly to the testimony about Jesus (Rev. 12:17 CSB).

Lord of heaven and earth, this squeeze of suffering is evidence of that ongoing war with Jesus Christ and His followers, in this fallen world.

This week, particularly as women whose longings often revolve around children, offspring we know, love, and ache to hold…we also cry for kids as they grow up right now. We walk burdened in this gospel-focused war between Jesus and the enemy, crying for children’s hearts as “offspring” too. How long, O Lord?

So we cry to our victorious King, the church’s one foundation

The church’s one foundation
is Jesus Christ, her Lord;
she is his new creation
by water and the Word:
from heav’n he came and sought her
to be his holy bride;
with his own blood he bought her,
and for her life he died.

Oh Father, as we wait, help us to see that the church’s one foundation IS Jesus Christ, our Lord! We are the Bride of Christ, longing for the wedding feast to come! Jesus has already victoriously established His kingdom, continuing to bring believers to Himself through the gospel, the power of God for salvation (Rom. 1:16)! By Your great gift of grace, You’ve done this in us, and You’re doing it right now in this period of Your redemptive history. You infinitely love and care for all of Your offspring. And soon, Your Son Jesus will eliminate Satan forever…we will never have to battle sin or suffering ever again! This is our hope!

And soon the night of weeping
shall be the morn of song.

Bringing my cries of “How long” to You as I sing gospel truth

Along with my brothers and sisters in Christ from around the world, I’m clinging to Your promises of the gospel yet again. I cry, longing for Your children to come to You in repentance and belief. I cry thinking of many sufferers who have gone before me into our true home, as I agonize in a world that hates You.

“O Sovereign Lord, holy and true, how long before you will judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?” (Rev. 6:10 ESV).

Please help me to wait patiently. Help me bring my “how long” cries to You, with every honest tear needed for Your healing work. Remind me of my living hope, into my weary cries. By Your grace and strength, help me to cling to and share Your gospel truth as You call us to do. Because Your answer?

It’s “soon.”

Elect from ev’ry nation,
yet one o’er all the earth,
her charter of salvation
one Lord, one faith, one birth;
one holy name she blesses,
partakes one holy food,
and to one hope she presses,
with ev’ry grace endued.

In the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord, Redeemer, and King, amen and amen.

🎶✝️🙌🏼

If you too are crying, “How long, O Lord,” this week’s playlist gift is one that sings these very words of lament, moving us into gospel-centered, Christ-focused truth once again. We cling to Him and praise Him as we pray-sing. For me, He has used this to wipe my tears and calm my heart when I’m weighted down and weary. If it would bless you, just sign up and it will come to your email. Or perhaps pass it along to your pastor or hurting mother with an encouraging prayer!