Luke 23:42 Then he said to Jesus, “Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom.”
The thief who hung on the cross next to Jesus prayed a short yet a passionate prayer from his heart. “Lord remember me”. He didn’t have time to go on a 3 day fasting and prayer to confess and repent for his sins. He didn’t have any time to waste. Yet when everyone around them saw Jesus as a helpless failure pinned to the cross, the spiritual eyes of one of the thieves who hung next to Jesus were opened. A short prayer with deep spiritual insight turned the direction of the murderer from hell to heaven!
It is not how long we pray or how eloquently or articulate our prayers are; few passionate words to the Lord can turn the trajectory of our life. All that the marauder pleaded with Jesus was to remember him in His kingdom. The dying bandit has taught us a very powerful pocket prayer – “Lord remember me”. When the Lord remembers us there are new beginnings, new life and new hope. The Lord remembered Noah and the animals in the ark and new life sprung up again on the earth. But God remembered Noah and all the beasts and all the cattle that were with him in the ark (Genesis 8:1). After the great flood, there was destruction and reeking decay but the Lord turned the earth back into a flourishing garden.
Rachel, Jacob’s wife, was barren for 14 years before she had her first baby. Then God remembered Rachel, and God gave heed to her and opened her womb (Genesis 30:22). Likewise the Lord remembered Hannah and she brought forth a prophet.
Did you know that the thief on the cross next to Jesus was the first one to experience the power of the cleansing blood of Jesus? The sin stained soul and blood blemished hands of the thief from murdering and looting were washed white as snow while Jesus was still on the cross! All he prayed was “Lord remember me.”
‘Remember me’ is a passionate pocket prayer:
1. New Beginnings: When the Lord remembers us there will be new beginnings and new doors of opportunities will open for us. Bible scholars believe that Noah and his family were locked up with the smelly animals in the ark for over 370 days. With every passing day, it would have been more and more difficult for Noah to manage the husbandry. But God remembered Noah.
2. New Life: New life began in the dead womb of Rachel when the Lord remembered her. When we pray for God to remember us, what is dead, dry and deceased will come back to life.
3. New Vision: The passionate prayer of Hannah instilled new vision in her heart. She stopped praying for a child and envisaged birthing a prophet. When God remembers us, our desperation will lead us to our destiny.
Passionate short prayers unfold new beginnings, new life and new visions.
1 Samuel 1:19b the Lord remembered her.
Prayer: Father God, remember me. Remember the promises that I am holding on to and give me new beginnings and new doors of opportunities to experience your goodness. Ame
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