Have you ever had something hit you as new, when it was something that you have heard or read or sung over and over again?
That happened to me this past Sunday as I was worshiping. We were singing a hymn that I have sung so many times before, but the Holy Spirit allowed the truth to settle in my heart in a fresh way.
It’s important to note that we don’t sing a lot of hymns in church, but lately we have been adding one to the worship set every now and then. A fan of contemporary Christian music and hymns, I have found it both refreshing and comforting. The hymn was “What a Friend We Have in Jesus,” and, in giving proper respect to the hymn writer, I was thrilled when we sang all four verses. In the last verse there is the line, “Soon in glory bright, unclouded, there will be no need for prayer.”
There will be no need for prayer. My heart was overwhelmed. I was touched in a new way to think that, when we reach glory, when we arrive in heaven, we will no longer need to pray, but we will communicate face-to-face with our Savior.
I was reminded of the words of Thomas, when Jesus was so gracious as to appear to the disciples and specifically allow Thomas to touch His scars so that Thomas would be convinced that Jesus had, indeed, risen from the dead. All Thomas could say was all he needed to say: “My Lord and my God!” (John 20:24-29 CSB)
Next time you bow your head in prayer, take a moment to let it sink in that one day you will be able to lift up your head to our Lord and proclaim, “My Lord and my God!”