Staying Awake for the Return of Christ

On Holy Tuesday, Jesus is busy discoursing with the Pharisees in the Temple and warning them of the Son of Man’s coming judgment. Upon leaving the Temple, he sits with his disciples at the Mount of Olives and exhorts them to “stay awake” in anticipation of the Son of Man’s return and subsequent judgment. As we are now 2,000 years removed from that Holy Tuesday, the temptation to “fall asleep” as we await his return is just as prevalent today as it was then. Jesus’ warning to his disciples is one we should consider each day His return is delayed. It may be another 2,000 years before Jesus returns, but until then the call is the same: stay awake and alert to the pressures and draws of this kingdom as we live and hope for Christ’s Kingdom to come.

PRAYER POINTS
-Consider where Jesus is warning you to “stay awake” and not be drawn to the earthly comforts of this life. Confess the ways you have “fallen asleep” to the things of God and lived more for this earthly kingdom.
-Pray for your heart to seek God and long for his Kingdom over this world. Pray the Spirit to impress upon you the urgency of Christ’s return in a way that shapes our everyday comings and goings.
-Pray that the hope we have for Christ’s return would be known by those around us. Consider how you can share the urgency of that hope with your friends and family this week.