Bringing Heaven to Earth, Part 2
“To those who have sorrow in Zion I will give them a crown of beauty instead of ashes. I will give them the oil of joy instead of sorrow, and as spirit of praise instead of a spirit of no hope….”
Isaiah 61:3 (NLV)
What happens when the will of God is done on earth as it is in heaven? When heaven breaks through, it shatters the darkness in our lives and brings the light of His life! We experience what we were made for and find meaning and purpose in life. We become citizens of a royal family, the Kingdom of God! He establishes His rule and reign in our hearts by faith. We begin to experience “kingdom living” and see what it looks like for heaven to break through the kingdom of this world. What an adventure!
But there’s more! When heaven breaks through, it restores brokenness! God specializes in restoration! He never throws anything away, no matter how broken it is. The Psalmists exclaimed, “He restores my soul!” Psalm 23:3
Sin devastated all of us. It left us broken and hopelessly incapable of fixing our mess. But God takes that mess and turns it into a life message of hope! Heaven heals our brokenness whether it’s a broken heart, a broken relationship, or a broken body. Every miracle Jesus performed on earth was heaven breaking through, bringing the kingdom of God to this world! Heaven breaks through and transforms our brokenness into beauty like a stained-glass window for His light to shine through!
The prophet Isaiah said God would give us beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for sorrow, and a spirit of praise instead of a spirit of no hope when heaven breaks through! What are the ashes in your life? Give them to God and pray for His will to be done with them here on earth as it would be in heaven. Pray for heaven to break through the sorrow and pain you feel from loss and brokenness, and watch what God will do. God never wastes a sorrow. All our scars tell a story of His grace. That’s why Jesus kept the scars on His resurrected body. They were marks of ownership displaying His love for you and me. When heaven breaks through, God turns our scars into stars to shine brilliantly for Him and tell our story of His grace restoring our lives.
When heaven breaks through, there is an outpouring of grace that changes lives! The Apostle Paul used his own story as Exhibit A of what it looks like for heaven to break through. He was radically transformed from a persecutor of Christians to a missionary and church planter who would write most of our New Testament! He once said, “By the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace to me was not without effect….” 1 Corinthians 15:10 (NIV). That word “effect” means “to cause to change.” That’s what it looks like when heave breaks through! His grace changes us from the inside out!
What about you? In Colossians 2:13-14 (NLT) the Bible says, “You were dead because of our sins and because your sinful nature was not yet cut away. Then God made you alive with Christ, for He forgave all our sins. He cancelled the record of the charges against us and took it away by nailing it to the cross.” Our record has been expunged! God replaces our guilt with His grace! He shatters our shame with His sacrifice! He removes the charges against us, and our debt is paid in full! Praise God!
Have you experienced such an outpouring of grace in your life? Let heaven break through right now and cry out to God as your Heavenly Father. Put your trust in His Son, Jesus, as your Savior from sin and receive His forgiveness, grace, and love.
Then begin to pray each day for heaven to break through in your life, your marriage, your family, your business, your school, and your relationships. You are part of a royal priesthood authorized by the King in His Kingdom to pray, “Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.”
As you pray, asking God to bring heaven to earth, look for ways to bless others in Jesus’ name. Speak blessings over others and over your life. You are an ambassador for Christ, and God has given you authority to speak words of blessing! The kingdom of this world needs the kingdom of God. Let’s bring heaven to earth through our prayer and blessing!
Another important part of your daily devotional is spending time with God in prayer. The Woodlands Church Prayer Board lists prayer requests submitted by our members and provides a way to send them some encouragement by using a button on the page to let them know that you prayed for them. Whether you use the Prayer Board, or pray from your heart, the goal is to build the habit of incorporating prayer into your quiet time.
Need prayer yourself? Let us know by submitting a prayer request on the Woodlands Church Prayer Board.