Reasons to Rehearse the Gospel Daily — Reason 20: Chosen for Prayer

June 20th. Day 20 of walking through “Reasons to Rehearse the Gospel Daily” — Part 1 of “A Gospel Primer for Christians” by Milton Vincent.

Today’s reason — Chosen for Prayer.

I already LOVE today’s reason. Chosen to have conversations with the God of the Universe. Chosen to intercede for others as Jesus interceded for you and me. What an honor. What a reason to rehearse the gospel daily.

“When God chose me in Christ before the foundation of the world, he did not merely choose me to be ‘holy and blameless’; He chose me also to be ‘before Him in love.’ {Ephesians 1:4} To be sure, I am always in God‘s presence on earth, and in heaven I will be in His presence more fully than ever. But it could also be said that in this life I am especially ‘before Him in love’ when I come ‘before Him’ in prayer and worship.” {Psalm 100:2, Psalm 68:4, 1 John 5:14}

Vincent continues by saying...

“Therefore, I can infer that prayer is not simply something I am allowed to do as a Christian; prayer is actually one of the great purposes for which God chose to save me. Christ Himself confirms this fact when He makes the following statement to His disciples: ‘I chose you...that whatever you ask of the Father in my name He may give it to you.’ {John 15:16} As a chosen one of God, I was saved to pray; and whenever I come into God’s presence to behold Him, worship Him, or make request of Him, I am arriving at the pinnacle of God’s saving purpose for me.”

Vincent elaborates a little more...

“God is radically committed to my life of prayer. He shed the blood of His son so that I might be cleansed and rendered fit {Ephesians 1:6, Romans 5:9} to stand before Him in love. He also permitted the brutal rending of His son so that I might now have a way into the Holy Place through the torn flesh of Jesus. {Hebrews 10:19-20} ‘Draw near’ {Hebrews 4:16} He says in Hebrews 4; ‘draw near’ He says in Hebrews 10; {Hebrews 10:19-22} ‘pray without ceasing,’ {1 Thessalonians 5:17} He urges elsewhere. How can I not feel the infinite sincerity of these invitations, especially when considering the painful lengths that God endured so that I might enter His presence in prayer?”

Vincent concludes with this...

“Indeed, the gospel itself serves as the sweetest of invitations to pray; and preaching it to myself each day nurtures within me a mighty impulse to come ‘before [God] in love’ and do the praying that I was elected to do.”