At the end of the book of Revelation, the Lord said, “Yes, I am coming quickly,” to which John replied, “Amen.  Come, Lord Jesus” (Rev. 22:20).  Anyone who has read the scriptures understands that the Lord may return at any time.  Most of us, however, tend to overlook, or ignore, His statement that He is coming quickly.  Fewer still of us, it seems, think about, or pray, as John did, “Amen.  Come, Lord Jesus!”

Why is this the case?  There may be many reasons why we do not utter these words in prayer, not all of which are motivated by unholy concerns.  Obviously the wicked are not anxious for the Lord to return, but even godly people, being human, don’t know what the other side of life is like.  Therefore, we’re not generally anxious to get there.  We know the world, and we know life on earth.  So we want to cling to it as long as possible, whether it is because of our fear of death, or of our uncertainty about the Lord’s return.

This reality aside, though, there are at least three reasons for us to pray every day for the Lord to come.  In the first place, when the Lord comes again, He will deal out retribution to the wicked (2 Th. 1:7-8).  One of the most difficult aspects of life on earth is the fact that justice is not always meted out on the wicked.  In too many cases, it seems as though the bad guys are winning, and this makes life much harder.  However, when the Lord returns, justice will be rendered to the wicked.  This is something many psalmists prayed for in ancient times, and it will happen when the Lord returns.

Secondly, when the Lord comes the godly will receive relief from all the suffering that they have endured here on earth.  2 Th. 1:7 promises that the Lord “will give relief to you who are afflicted,” even as He deals out retribution to the wicked.  We are also promised that when the godly are taken into heaven, the Father Himself “will wipe every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away” (Rev. 21:4).  This is also an important reason for us to pray for the Lord to come quickly.

Third, when the Lord comes the righteous will be taken into the heavenly realm, where the Lord has been preparing a place for them to reside for eternity.  This is the promise that Jesus made to His disciples on the night of His betrayal (Jn. 14:1-3), and it is the promise that each and every Christian has from Him.  In 1 Pet. 1:3-4 Peter blessed the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, because we have been born again in order to receive an inheritance that is “imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you.”  For this reason we should pray for the Lord to come, so we may quickly reach our final reward.

We live in troubling times.  There is so much evil in the world.  There is so much opposition to our Lord and to His word.  In so many instances, it appears that the wicked are winning, and we may wonder about the promises of God in which we have placed our hope.  The scriptures declare that God is faithful, who will not allow us to be tempted beyond what we are able to bear, but will provide a way of escape so we may endure it (1 Cor. 10:13).  “He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 Jn. 1:9), and His desire is for all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth (1 Tim. 2:4).

Our faithful Father in heaven hears our prayers and responds to our needs in every way, in accordance with His divine will.  If we pray for our Lord to come, God the Father will respond to that prayer as well.  Therefore, let us earnestly pray, “Come, Lord Jesus!”