Meg Bucher
The Bible makes it clear that no one knows when the last day will be except God; even, Jesus chose not to tap into that side of His divinity when asked in Mark 13:32. It was not important for the disciples to know the exact date, just as it is not important for us to know the exact date. The information we need to live godly lives and spread the gospel has been revealed in God's Word. Deuteronomy 29:29 says, "The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may follow all the words of this law." The Holy Spirit gives us the strength we need each day to accomplish the tasks and opportunities before us. Though we don't know the exact date or need to know it, we can still pray about various aspects of the end times. There's so much we can be praying for, join me!
Here are 5 powerful prayers anyone can pray for the end times:
A Bold Prayer for Living in a Wicked World
“Therefore, since we have such a hope, we are very bold.” -2 Corinthians 3:12
Father,
You go before us. You are the God of our past and our present. By Your hand we were all created for unique purpose to be realized in the days of our lives on this earth. Though we have no way of knowing what is coming our way, we are guaranteed that life this side of heaven will be hard. We know we have an enemy set to destroy us. Give us the boldness we need to operate in the power Your Holy Spirit, to discern the lies of the enemy and recall and remember the truths in Your Word.
Jesus is the story of our salvation. There in the beginning with the Father, and now sit seated at His right hand. You pray for us, and never leave us. Jesus, empower us by Your grace to love the people in our lives well, even though the ways of the world are pushing against us. Our mistakes are rampant. We’re not getting it right all of the time. We’re succumbing to pride and discord, when You set an example of and commanded us to love above all else.
Holy Spirit stir conviction in our souls like never before. Give us lessons in humility, coach us in encouragement, and mentor us in peaceably and gracefully asserting our faith into the brokenness of this world. Infuse a durability in us that is unworldly. Bless our lives to persevere, and run the race marked out for us with full steam to the very end. Until the tape breaks and we’re called home.
In Jesus’ Name,
Amen.
A Grace-filled Prayer for the Lost to Be Saved
“So too, at the present time there is a remnant chosen by grace.” -Romans 11:5
Father,
You are omnipotent and omnipresent, meaning you are everywhere, all of the time. Creator of time, You stretch and speed it up in accordance to Your will. Though we make choices and walk through the process of sanctification throughout our lives, all of our days are numbered. You are the God of our days and our lives.
You are close to the brokenhearted and ensure us that all will have the opportunity to hear Your word before Christ returns. For this reason, we do not lose hope in others. You never give up on us, so we will never give up on anyone. In our prayers, we will remember them and pray for softened hearts and open minds and ears to listen and learn. But we leave the restoration up to You. Only You can change hearts, shift minds, and enlighten souls to Your Truth.
For this reason, we do not worry about the status of the faith of others, yet, obediently continue to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ according to the Great Commission. By our words and our lives, we testify as witnesses to the One True God and salvation through Jesus Christ. We pray salvation for all people. Help us to love the people in our lives well, in Your honor, and to Your glory.
In Jesus’ Name,
Amen.
A Powerful Prayer against False Teachers and Prophets
“I know that after I leave, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock.” -Acts 20:29
Father,
The end times can be a scary place to exist. There are many who fight the truth, speak against the truth, and oppress those who believe in and stand for the truth. For those of us that live our lives according to the Truth, it gets harder every day. We are misunderstood and mislabeled. We are lonely and alone at times. But through it all, we maintain a hope and a peace that surpass all understanding.
As You promised, in Christ we are strong. Strong enough to handle the criticism but running to You in tears. You pick us up when we are wounded and guide us back to good spiritual health when we are ailing. In moments of weakness, we know there are wolves ready to pounce on us with false promises. The deceit of the enemy has the potential to seep into the cracks of those with strong faith. Father, in Christ we are sealed, but we are still capable of entertaining lies.
Increase our ability to discern falsities. Even the devil can quote Scripture. Help us to see beyond human skin and be alert to the false teachers and prophets that You promise will litter the modern skyline as the end times continue to draw on. Only You know when the last day will be. Only You know, when Jesus will return. Until that day, protect all people from the evil forces of this world bent on deceiving, lying, and destroying the people of God.
In Jesus’ Name,
Amen.
A Hopeful Prayer for Jesus to Return Soon
“All who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure.” -1 John 3:3
Father,
There are days on this earth that we yearn for Jesus come, now. Come, Lord Jesus, reigns paramount in our hearts and plays as the anthem to our souls. The compassion and grace of Christ’s presence in our lives causes us to crave more and more of Him. And on the days, Father, when the world is . . . well, the world . . . we pray for Him to come soon.
Your creation is majestic, and Your miracles manifest in our lives in gloriously faithful ways. You blow us away with Your faithfulness, Father, with Your true and perfect love and personal care for each and every life. Thank You for going before us. Thank You being the God of our memories, breaker of every chain, and forgiver of all sins through Jesus.
The more we know You, the more we want to come home. The most blessed life on this earth is only a shred of the happiness we will feel in heaven, in the presence of the Holy Trinity. Some days, imagining the initial embrace when we arrive home in heaven helps us to keep breathing. We trust in Your will and pray for Your will over all else and everything we desire. Father, we pray, Come, Lord Jesus. Come now. Come soon. Bring us home.
In Jesus’ Name,
Amen.
An Encouraging Prayer for Christians in the Here and Not Yet
“May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you the same attitude of the mind toward each other that Christ Jesus had, so that with one mind and one voice you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.” -Romans 15:5-6
Father,
We live stuck in between two realms . . . the world we live in and the eternity we look forward to in heaven. In the middle chaos abounds, and less makes sense or aligns with the truth of Your Word or Your intention for creation. But through it all, You reign. Jesus sits on Your right-hand side, and death has already been defeated.
In Your great mercy, You are waiting for every ear to hear the gospel of Jesus Christ, leaving opportunity for all to come to You and live in the presence of Your love. We pray today that you bless our lives to honor You in everything we do. Every conversation, idle moment, and seemingly everyday task—let all we do be for Your glory.
In this life between here and the not yet, give us courage and bravery to operate in Your Truth even when we are afraid. As they strip Your name from everything and everywhere, let us proclaim it louder and longer . . . and everywhere we go. Jesus Christ has defeated death. In Him, we are victorious, and He will come again. Be our strength when it’s hard to be Christians in this world. Embrace us with Your encouragement and fortify us with Your perfect love.
In Jesus’ Name,
Amen.
What Does the Bible Say about End Times?
“The symbols move before us in Scripture like a reel on fast-forward,” says Dr. Michael A. Milton,“But the background is still and clear: He came. He’s coming again. The return of Jesus is the next great event in the unfolding drama of the ages.” We are living in New Testament times the last days on earth as we know it before Jesus returns. When Christ ascended into heaven to be with the Father, the end of days began. “His first Advent brought a New Covenant. The Second Advent will bring a New World. Thus, once the first was accomplished, the Second Coming is awaited” (Dr. Milton). Not even Jesus, Himself, revealed this when asked by His disciples. Mark 13:32 says, “But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.”
Dr. Micael A Milton, in his article, “What Does the Bible Say about End Times?” states, “‘Christ has died. Christ has risen. Christ will come again.’ sounds simple, sane and certain because it is.” Jesus speaks often of the end times in Mark 13, most importantly stating when the end times will end. Mark 13:10 records: "And the gospel must first be preached to all nations."
All humans exist to honor God and share the gospel. As Christians, we experience the wonder and glory of life lived through the perspective of the cross until He either calls us home or comes back. We aren’t just sitting around waiting for all of the signs to start happening but are actively living out the Great Commission. “Much unnecessary division has come upon the Church because of placing schools of interpretation above love. However, all agree to the essential truth . . . Christ has died, Christ is risen, Christ will come again.” -Dr. Milton
To read Dr. Milton’s article in full, click here.
For more about what the Bible says about end times, click here.
12 Bible Verses on the End Times
1. “...but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things and through whom also he made the universe.” -Hebrews 1:2
2. “He was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake.” -1 Peter 1:20
3. “Above all, you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires.” -2 Peter 3:3
4. “But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.” -Mark 13:32
5. “And afterward, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions.” -Joel 2:28
6. “In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams.” -Acts 2:17
7. “When you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in various places, and famines. These are the beginning of birth pains.” -Mark 13:7-8
8. “Many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am he,’ and will deceive many.” -Mark 13:6
9. “At that time if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Messiah!’ or ‘Look, there he is!’ do not believe it. For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. So be on your guard; I have told you everything ahead of time.” -Mark 13:21-23
10. “And the gospel must first be preached to all nations.” -Mark 13:10
11. “But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days.” -2 Timothy 3:1
12. “Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope. For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. According to the Lord’s word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. Therefore encourage one another with these words.” -1 Thessalonians 4:13-18
The Most Important Thing to Remember about the End Times
Christ has died. Christ has risen. Christ will come again.
It echoes off the hearts and through many modern congregations today. The most important thing to remember about the end times is that we are living in them right now. Take each day as the gift that it is, to be part of the most important life-saving mission humanity has ever known: the Great Commission to share the gospel truth of Jesus Christ. Simply by living within the love of Christ we are fulfilling a part of our purpose on this earth. Nothing we say or do can either cause or prevent others from obtaining salvation in Jesus Christ. Although we all play a key part, and God does work through our lives and involves us in the process of His great Love . . . He alone is the curator of restoration. He alone can shift souls to enlightenment of the Risen Savior. He alone can change hearts.
Father,
We pray with utmost hope and joy today . . . Come, Lord Jesus. Make our hearts fully match Yours. May we be good and faithful servants this side of heaven, until in Your perfect timing You call us home or come back.
In Jesus Christ, our Savior’s Powerful Name,
Amen.
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