Thy Kingdom Come
During this season of Eastertide, the 50 days between Easter and Pentecost Sunday, we are reminded of Jesus’ victory over death through His many appearances to his followers and friends. At first, we read of Him appearing to Mary Magdalene at the tomb (John 20: 11-18), then later he appears to two followers travelling on the road to Emmaus (Luke 24). Another time it’s a private meeting with Simon Peter (Luke 24) then to seven of the disciples fishing in the Sea of Galilee (John 21), and one occasion he appears to more than 500 believers all at the same time (1 Corinthians 15:16)! These various appearances, and many more, were designed to not only prove that Jesus was physically alive and still with them, but also to encourage and instruct them, prior to His ascension.
It must have been such an exciting, confusing, and mysterious time for the disciples and early followers of Christ. I can imagine them thinking and asking: When might Jesus suddenly appear again? What might he say to us this time? How did he even rise from the dead? Will he stay with us forever?
For the disciples, friends and family of Jesus who had suffered such intense sadness, distress, and grief at his death, it must have been a huge comfort and an overwhelming joy to know that Jesus was once again with them. But as the bible reveals, we know that this time did not last forever and after 40 days Jesus ascended back to heaven (Acts 1). However, prior to this, Jesus was very clear to instruct the disciples to wait in Jerusalem for the promised gift of the Holy Spirit; the one who would be their help and reminder that God was always them, and the one who would empower them to be Christ’s witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth (Acts 1: 8).
So as we reflect on this Eastertide season, declaring Christ’s victory over death, His ascension to heaven, and the arrival of the promised gift of the Holy Spirit, can I encourage you to join up with the global ecumenical Prayer Movement called Thy Kingdom Come between the 14th-24th May. This prayer initiative, started in 2016, has grown right across the globe and invites Christians to pray during the 10 days between Ascension and Pentecost for more people to come to know Jesus. This years’ theme is ‘God with us’ and is all about the presence of God through his Holy Spirit. The God who is with us in the everyday – in the joys and sorrows of life (and everything in between) and the One who, through His spirit, longs to reveal Himself to those who do not yet know Him.
There are lots of fantastic resources on the website www.thykingdomcome.global/ and over the 11 days Thy Kingdom Come will explore a different Bible story each day, which demonstrates God’s transformative presence, power, and love at work in the lives of people and places. Alongside this, Thy Kingdom Come are encouraging us to pray for five people each, and the hope is that as we pray for our five people, they will also experience the life-changing love of God and choose to follow Him.
More locally, Turret House of Prayer will be hosting Breathe, their termly prayer and worship night on Friday 22nd May (7.30-9pm), using the theme and prayer aims from Thy Kingdom Come. There will also be lots of creative prayer stations available to use that night which will help you to reflect on the message of Pentecost and guide you as you pray for your friends. For updates on this event and for posts / updates during Thy Kingdom Come please sign up to the Turret House of Prayer Facebook and Instagram pages: www.facebook.com/turrethouseofprayer/ www.instagram.com/turrethouse247/
