Prayer and the Lord's Day

“This is the day the LORD has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.” (Ps.118:24).  The Lord ’s Day is a special privilege for the Lord’s people, the day when we meet for the public worship of God and with His redeemed people.  No wonder the writer to the Hebrews warns against forsaking the gathering of ourselves together, (Heb.10:25).  When we do, we deprive ourselves of the blessing of God.

I think what has brought a level of encouragement to us is the reality of being with Christ the moment we die.  We heard of the death an elderly close relative of a very close friends of ours, an octogenarian who became a Christian just a few years ago.  He was maybe 80 years a Presbyterian, and the last few a Christian.  Being a church member is no guarantee of heaven, but being a Christian is.  To paraphrase an old Londonderry professor of theology: “you can be a church member without being a Christian; and you can be a Christian without being a church member; but believe me,” he said, “it’s better to be both.”  Our old friend was both – a Christian and a church member.  It truly is happy for him now that he’s with his Saviour forever, and all sickness, pain, anxiety, trouble, darkness and night, even the devil, are away forever; no more sorrow or sickness or death (Rev.21:4), and “all is peace forevermore.”  Yes, there is sadness for the immediate family in particular.

But Christ is there giving light to all, as are all the redeemed of the Lord, robed in spotlessly white garments.  In Immanuel’s land, “the Lamb is all the glory.”

Death, when it comes, raises some very profound considerations.  One of these Margaret likes to sing.  “Will the circle be unbroken bye and bye?”  This concentrates the mind and heart wonderfully.  We are OK, but what about our unconverted loved ones?  We love them very dearly and to think of us being in heaven without them is a difficult and disturbing thought!  Christian parents want their family complete in Christ, and the family circle complete in heaven.  I am sure every family is in this situation and all of us have family members who do not know our blessed Saviour.  That means that we have much for which to pray.  Never say, “But I don’t know what to pray for!”  Have you unsaved relations?  Never mind this business of professions of faith for they might be quite deceptive.  Have you loved ones who are not saved?  Are there people in your life who are not living in fellowship with Christ?  Have you close friends who are unsaved?  Then you have lots to pray about.