Amen
“For from him and through him and for him are all things. To him be the glory forever! AMEN.” (Romans 11:36)
Like the words “in Jesus’ name,” saying “amen” at the end of a prayer, or when the preacher says something particularly meaningful, carries no power to force God’s hand. Instead, both reflect an attitude of heart and an inclination to praise, worship, and surrender.
“The God of peace be with you all. AMEN.” (Romans 15:33)
In Hebrew, “amen” expresses affirmation or agreement—Yes! We believe! For sure! Let it be! When we end our prayer with “amen” we are acknowledging our belief that God has heard our prayer, that he cares about the things we have said (and the things we cannot put into words), and that God’s everlasting love is working for good (Rom 8:28), even when my current circumstances might indicate otherwise.
If our prayers begin to more and more reflect a desire to pray “in Jesus’ name,” then we may find that our “amen” begins to carry greater weight. You might even find yourself pausing, as I sometimes do, where previously you might have ended your prayer with a quick “in Jesus’ name, amen” before moving on to the next item on your daily agenda.
The increasing weight of our “amen” reflects an increasing understanding of what it means to “live as Jesus lived” (1 John 2:6) in our world.
Am I truly willing to surrender myself—all of me—to the will of God?
Can I really trust that God is working out good from the mess of my life?
Do I truly desire to love God with all my heart, soul, mind, and strength?
And is it even possible for me to truly love my neighbor, especially [fill in the blank]?
Having the attitude and mind of Christ (Phil 2:5-11; 1 Cor 2:16) — the same Christ that prayed in the garden “not my will, Lord, but your will be done” (Luke 22:42)— can seem difficult, if not impossible.
There is so much hurt, brokenness, and darkness all around us. It can be easy to lose hope…and in the process lose our “amen,”
Fortunately, Revelation 21 offers us a hope-filled glimpse into the future; a promise of what is yet to come:
Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,” (Isaiah 65:17)… I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God,… And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death” or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”
He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.”
He said to me: “It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To the thirsty I will give water without cost from the spring of the water of life. Those who are victorious will inherit all this, and I will be their God and they will be my children.
I did not see a temple in the city, because the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp. The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their splendor into it. On no day will its gates ever be shut, for there will be no night there. The glory and honor of the nations will be brought into it. (Revelation 21:1a, 2a, 3-7, 22-26)
A whole new world—a new city of God where God will once again be Immanuel, dwelling together with us.
God will wipe away every tear as the trials and troubles of this world fade into laughter and joy.
Everything will be made new—all that was broken will be remade!
Living water will be given to those whose tongues have been parched by suffering and death.
The splendor and glory of God give light to the city…every step lighted by the lamp of the Lamb.
The nations—all who call on the name of the Lord—will be able to come and see, for its gates will never be shut.
“To the only wise God be glory forever through Jesus Christ! AMEN.” (Romans 16:27)
And there—in the new Jerusalem where everything is restored, renewed, remade, and recreated—the richness of the human race will be brought together in all of the splendor and diversity of those who have walked in the dust of the Savior.