Are we praying with eternity in mind?

There is a familiar theme in many prayers written by saints who have gone before us. It is noticeable in the prayer by the Polish-born reformer Zacharias Ursinus (1534–1583).

His prayer commences conventionally, with the acknowledgement to God the Father that we are weak - for we are being attacked by the Devil, the world and our own flesh unceasingly. The prayer includes the plea that the power of the Holy Spirit would keep and strengthen us, so that we would not be defeated.

However, the prayer concludes with a striking petition - that, by the power of the Holy Spirit, we would "remain persistent until we finally attain the complete victory and reign together with your Son, our Lord and Protector Jesus, in Your kingdom forevermore."

This eternal dimension is absent from so many of our prayers. It is good that we pray for: world events; God’s international mission; events in our nation; and matters affecting our local fellowship. Yet, in focusing on the immediate, we often overlook the ultimate reality - that matters affecting us now are transitory, for, in the end, God wins. This does not mean we should neglect praying for present matters, for God cares about them too. But as we bring these requests before our Father, we should do so within the greater context of His eternal purposes and victory.

Why the eternal perspective matters in prayer

An eternal outlook encourages us to reframe the struggles that we face as we walk with God in this world; our present trials are seen in the light of the promised victory through Christ (2 Corinthians 4v17-18).

This viewpoint fuels perseverance. When we remember how the story ends, we find renewed strength to endure what we face today. It gives us new energy. As C. S. Lewis wrote in The Chronicles of Narnia's The Last Battle: “The things that began to happen after that were so great and beautiful that I cannot write them... for them it was only the beginning of the real story... which goes on forever: in which every chapter is better than the one before" (Collins, London, 1980, pp 171 -172).

As we fix our eyes on heaven, we can also pray with gratitude for the inheritance already secured for us in Christ (Ephesians 1v18 - 23). This deepens our worship, as we prepare ourselves to worship God for all eternity.

An eternal focus also offers hope in the present, especially to the grieving; those who walk by faith know that eternal communion with God is not wishful thinking but a guaranteed reality for those in Christ.

Practical ways to pray with eternity in mind

How do we go about incorporating this eternal perspective into our prayers?

• End with the horizon in view. After praying for the present needs, we can affirm the ultimate hope of Christ’s return and our eternal life with Him.
• Pray Scriptures that point forward. Just as the early church incorporated Scripture into their prayers, so we can also include forward-focused passages such as Revelation 21v1-5 and John 14v1-3, which will naturally lift our eyes beyond the present age.
• Anticipate the victory now - as we thank God explicitly that sin and death will be no more one day as Jesus has conquered them.

We can pray with the perspective that we will one day go Home; this world is not our final resting place. We are exiles, waiting for our Father to call us to Himself, where we will unceasingly praise and worship from the eternal perspective.