Come Lord Jesus
Great is the darkness that covers the earth
Oppression, injustice and pain
Nations are slipping in hopeless despair
Though many have come in your name
Watching while sanity dies
Touched by the madness and lies
Come Lord Jesus, come Lord Jesus
Pour out your spirit we pray
Come Lord Jesus, come Lord Jesus
Pour out your spirit on us today.
May now your church rise
With power and love
This glorious gospel proclaim
In every nation salvation will come
To those who believe in your name
Help us bring light to this world
That we might speed your return.
Great celebrations on that final day
When out of the heavens you come
Darkness will vanish
All sorrows will end
And rulers will bow at your throne
Our great commission complete
Then face to face we shall meet.
Words and music Gerald Coates and Noel Richards. 2015
We haven’t sung this in church for a while but the words of this song are prophetic and speak to our situation now. As you read or sing or listen to the lyrics, every line seems to resonate with our current situation and can inform the way we pray.
The first verse is a stark reminder of our fallen creation, how far we have fallen from God’s standards and the implications of that rebellion for the nations. Watching while sanity dies….touched by the madness and lies.
The second verse is a call to action, a call to the church, the Body of Christ worldwide, to rise up and proclaim the gospel to the ends of the earth. It’s the Great Commission Jesus gave us at the end of Matthew’s gospel.
Verse three is a triumphant and prophetic declaration of the victory won for us by Jesus and a glimpse of the joy we will know when we see him face to face having run a good race.
How do we respond to this in prayer? Verse one surely calls us to repent…. for ourselves but also on behalf of our nation for turning our face from God. Let’s pray that dangerous prayer of asking him to break our hearts for the things that break his.
The second verse calls us to rise up in power and love so let’s pray that we will respond and proclaim the gospel wherever and whenever we can. Let’s ask for the gift of faith and boldness so we will be effective.
And we can speak out those prophetic words of the third verse in faith and hope of what is to come. Oh Lord, open our mouths and our lips will proclaim your praise!
Finally, we can cry out to God the words of the chorus “Come Lord Jesus, pour out your spirit on us today!” As we approach Pentecost, let’s claim the promise of God that He will pour out his Spirit on all people. Acts 2:17 and Joel 2:28.
Mark Searle, 24/04/2020