May 8 – The Daily Prayers this week are focussed on Jesus is Coming.

Father, I understand that the Second Coming of Your Son will be a personal, visible, bodily, and terrible advent of Jesus Christ.

1Thessalonians 4:16, ‘For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first;’

Revelation 1:7, ‘Behold, He is coming with clouds, and every eye will see Him, even they who pierced Him. And all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him. Even so, Amen;’ et al.).

God, I believe that Jesus’ coming and appearance is drawing ever closer. Thank You that the scepticism of many cannot prevent it. We pray that His coming will come much more to the fore in our thinking, but also in the world’s.

Jesus is coming as Lord of Lords and King of Kings (Revelation 19:16), also as God’s appointed judge (Acts 10:42). We pray that our church will give a clear witness to this truth, and warn people to get ready. Amen

May 9 – Father, thank You that it will bring about the rapture or catching up of the Church in an instantaneous sequence. 1Thessalonians 4:17, ‘Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord.’

It is a sure destiny for Your people. Help us here in Telford Elim to rise to the challenge of reaching the unreached, teaching the untaught, and making disciples. This is the only sure way of preparing people for His coming. In Jesus’ name. Amen

May 10 – Father, that Day will be the culmination of the era of grace, the days we are living in which began with Adam’s fall and will conclude in the Second Coming/Return of Your Son.

You have prepared that Day which will herald the commencement of the purification of this earth from all sin, corruption and rebellion. 2 Peter 3:10, ‘But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up’).

May we be a people who reflect that future reality by the way we live here and now in grace, under your favour, and in holiness. In Jesus’ name. Amen

May 11 – Father, as such, the Day of Your Son’s appearing will forever close the door of salvation and lead to the immediate judgement of the great white throne, the judgement where those who were not saved will be finally condemned to hell, by Your Son, for their own sins.

Revelation 20:11-15, ‘Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books. The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works. Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.’

All honour and glory be to the Lord Jesus. Lord, we ask for Your Spirit to guide us in how to teach and preach these great truths, and in how You would have us to live in the light of them. In Jesus’ name. Amen

May 12 – Father, thank You that Your children will face the non- condemnatory judgement seat of Christ. At this judgement seat works will be rewarded.

Romans 14:10-12, ‘But why do you judge your brother? Or why do you show contempt for your brother? For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. For it is written: “As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to Me, and every tongue shall confess to God.” So then each of us shall give account of himself to God.’

2 Corinthians 5:10, ‘For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.’

Thank You Lord that we will not face the wrath of the Lamb for those things we have neglected to do, nor which our personal sin prevented us doing. There is cleansing in the blood of the Lamb. Praise His blessed name.

Teach us to live so that we produce much good fruit to the Fathers glory, and which draws men and women, young adults, young people and children to Christ in large numbers. In Jesus’ name. Amen

May 13 – Father, prior to the return of Your Son there will be signs of His coming, including the rise of the son of perdition, who will be destroyed by His coming.

2 Thessalonians 2:7-8, CSB, ‘For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work, but the one now restraining will do so until he is out of the way, 8and then the lawless one will be revealed. The Lord Jesus will destroy him with the breath of his mouth and will bring him to nothing at the appearance of his coming.’

Lord, we see the rapid rise of an anti-Christ agenda, the implementation of unbiblical laws and regulations, and the concerted attack on the right of believers to state their case. These were spoken about in Scripture:

2 Thessalonians 2:9-12, CSB, ‘The coming of the lawless one is based on Satan’s working, with every kind of miracle, both signs and wonders serving the lie, 10and with every wicked deception among those who are perishing. They perish because they did not accept the love of the truth and so be saved. 11For this reason God sends them a strong delusion so that they will believe the lie, 12so that all will be condemned — those who did not believe the truth but delighted in unrighteousness.’

As we see the actual source of these antichrist things – we remember that our battle is not with flesh and blood, but against the unseen powers behind them. We ask that You will give Your Church across the UK great boldness in these days to take up the spiritual battle in Christ’s armour of light, and to be a biblically inspired prophetic voice which brings Your words to many. In Jesus’ name. Amen

May 14 – The following is developed from a piece by Anthony Hoekema:

Father, we declare that Your Son has won the decisive victory over sin, death and Satan. By living a sinless life and by dying on the cross as the sacrifice of atonement for our sin, He defeated sin.

By dying and then victoriously rising from the grave, He defeated death. By resisting the devil’s temptations, by perfectly obeying You, and by His death and resurrection, He delivered a deathblow to Satan and his evil hosts.

This victory of Your Son’s was decisive and final. The most important Day in history, therefore, is not the Second Coming of Christ which is still future, but it was the first coming which lies in the past.

Because of the victory of Your Son, the ultimate issues of history have already been decided. It is now only a question of time until that victory is brought to its final consummation. Hallelujah. Amen