A Prayer to Help You Long for Heaven
By Dr. John Barnett
"In My Father's house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you." - John 14:2
Before we long for heaven, we have to understand what heaven is:
Heaven is a place from which God looks down to the earth: "The Lord looks down from heaven on the sons of men to see if there are any who understand, any who seek God" (Psalm 14:2, NIV).
So what is heaven? Not only the dwelling place of God, but it has an incredible vertical imagery. It is the place, first of all, from which God looks down upon us.
Heaven is the place from which Christ came down: " ‘For the bread of God is He who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world' " (John 6:33). The Bible describes heaven not only as the place from which God looks down upon the earth but also the place from which Christ came down to the earth.
More than anything else-heaven is a city. In Revelation 20-22, we see that this city is replete with walls, gates, and streets. This testifies to us as believers being united in one place in the worship of God. We are all going to be delivered securely to a city in heaven that is perfect and eternal. But though a city, it is unlike any city we know here on earth, for this city also possesses the features of an earthly paradise. We will have the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the Paradise of God (Revelation 2:7). There is also the crystal-clear river of life that flows from the throne of God. On each side of the river is the tree of life, that bears twelve crops of fruit every year, and its leaves are for healing the nations (Revelation 22:1-2).
Do you long for heaven? If not, that’s okay—it can be hard to long for something that seems so far away from us. But the more you meditate on the Word and pray, the more you will long to be close to Jesus in heaven. Here’s a prayer you can begin to pray today to draw close to God and long for heaven:
Lord, I confess I don’t often long for heaven. I’m a creature of this world and crave worldly things, not heavenly ones. I ask you would grow a desire in me for heaven. Help me not be satisfied with the things of this world, but long for closeness with you and the perfection of eternity in your presence. Lord, thank you for the hope of heaven and the joy we will have when we get there! In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Editor’s Note: The following is an abridged version of Heaven Is a Real Place from Discover The Book. To read the full article follow this link.
Related Resource: Let God Reframe Your Year: A Psalm 107 Year-End Reflection
As we wrap up our year together, I want to invite you into this meaningful spiritual practice: looking back on the year through the lens of Psalm 107 to identify the “fingerprints of God’s faithfulness. In this episode, we'll walk through four redemptive storylines found in Psalm 107—each representing a way God rescues, restores, and reorients His people. Whether you felt lost, trapped, wounded, self-destructive, or overwhelmed by storms, I encourage you to reflect on how God met you in weakness and brought deliverance. This episode is part of our How to Study the Bible Podcast, a show that brings life back to reading the Bible and helps you understand even the hardest parts of Scripture. If this episode helps you know and love God more, be sure to subscribe to the How to Study the Bible Podcast on Apple or Spotify so you never miss an episode!
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Originally published Monday, 22 June 2020.
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