(Ascension of Jesus by Andrei Rublev, 1408)

With Archbishop Justin Welby for Lectio365

Prayer of Approach
Creator God, who formed humanity from dust, breathe in me again. Revive me and sanctify me by the power of Your Spirit. Set my heart on fire with the good news of Your gospel.

Rejoice and Reflect
I choose to rejoice today in God’s majesty, joining with the ancient praise of all God’s people in the words of Psalm 24…
The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it.
The world and all its people belong to him.
For he laid the earth’s foundation on the seas
and built it on the ocean depths.
Who may climb the mountain of the Lord?
Who may stand in his holy place?
Only those whose hands and hearts are pure…
Psalm 24:1-4a

Pause and pray

Ascension Day marks the moment when Jesus was taken up into heaven in full view of his disciples. Today I reflect on Jesus’ final words to His friends, just before this extraordinary event…

Then they gathered round him and asked him, ‘Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?’
He said to them: ‘It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.’
After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight.
Acts 1:6-9

The disciples had questions. What did Jesus’ unexpected resurrection mean for Israel? But God’s agenda was infinitely broader than the disciples realised, and they had an essential part to play. Jesus told them that they would be His witnesses to the nearest community (Jerusalem), to their region (Judea) and even further, to those they disliked (Samaria). And, the Holy Spirit would make it all possible. The Spirit would give them the power to live out God’s extraordinary plan. The Spirit would propel them to the very ends of the earth.

Ask
Jesus, just as You breathed on Your disciples and gave them the gift of the Holy Spirit, would You breathe on me again (John 20:22). In the quiet of this moment, I receive Your Spirit.

Pause and pray

I think about my community, the mission field God has placed me in. The family, friends, neighbours and colleagues I share most of my life with.
God, I ask You to give me five names; people I know who don’t know You. People You want me to pray for every day between now and Pentecost Sunday. Empower me by Your Spirit to be Your witness to them this week.

Pause and pray

Yield
As I return to the passage, I open my ears to hear Your Word, and my heart to yield to Your will once again.
Then they gathered round him and asked him, ‘Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?’
He said to them: ‘It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.’
After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight.
Acts 1:6-9

The story of Jesus’ ascension could feel like an ending, but Tom Wright reminds me that, ‘the story continues, and [I am] a part of it!’* Through the life of Jesus Christ, a small group of disciples experienced the presence of God in a particular way, in one place, for a few short years. Through Jesus’ Ascension, and the subsequent sending of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, many people have experienced and will experience the presence of God in all places, for all people, for all time in and through the body of Christ, His Church.

Pause and pray

Yielding Prayer
Jesus, thank You for the gift of Your life, the incredible love demonstrated through Your death on the cross, the victory won through Your resurrection from the tomb, and the power released through Your Ascension into heaven and the sending of Your Spirit. I yield myself completely to You. Spirit of Jesus, fill me and lead me today.

Yielding Promise
And now, as I prepare to take this time of prayer into the coming day, the Lord who loves me reminds me that,
God exalted [Jesus] to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Philippians 2:9-11

Closing Prayer
Father, help me to live this day to the full,
being true to You, in every way.
Jesus, help me to give myself away to others,
being kind to everyone I meet.
Spirit, help me to love the lost,
proclaiming Christ in all I do and say.
Amen.

N.B. For more information and further prayer resources visit Thy Kingdom Come