Praying for a Grace Invasion

I often pray as I walk in the mornings. This morning as I was praying for needs in the body, I found myself praying, “Father, may Your grace invade their lives today.” I began thinking, what does an invasion of grace look like?

We know that we were chosen by grace (Eph. 1:3-6; 2 Tim. 1:9). We were redeemed by His grace (Eph 1:7-8). We were born again by grace (Eph. 2:5). We were justified by grace (Rom. 3:24).

“The grace of God is love freely shown towards guilty sinners, contrary to their merit and indeed in defiance of their demerit. It is God showing goodness to persons who deserve only severity and had no reason to expect anything but severity” (J.I. Packer, Knowing God).

But we are also sanctified by grace (Titus 2:11-12) and we are preserved by grace (1 Pet. 1:5). Grace disciples and teaches us, and it keeps us! Grace is the beginning, middle, and end of our Christian lives, and oh how we should be humbled this reality!

“Grace demands humility, the humility that constrains us to be willing debtors all along the line of salvation from its fount in election to its consummation in glory.” (John Murray, Redemption Accomplished and Applied).

An invasion of grace is when God comes with a greater grace (James. 4:5), that brings an overwhelming sense of our weakness and the sufficiency of His grace (2 Cor. 12:7-11). Invading grace causes us to see our sin like never before and cry out to God in our weakness and conviction for His grace (Psa. 32). Invading grace is the grace that not only awakens us to our sin and convicts of our sin, but also overwhelms us, motivates us, and empowers us to deal with our sin. It is grace that gives us hope in Christ and His Spirit (2 Thess. 1:11-12; 2:16-17; 2 Tim. 2:1; 1 Pet. 1:13; 5:10-12).

“For daily need there is daily grace; for sudden need, sudden grace; for overwhelming need, overwhelming grace” (John Blanchard).

I will close with words I just read today from Paul Tripp!

So fitting.

“Because you are God’s child, grace is something you’ll never deserve but can always expect.

Grace is a tool that God uses to transform you, but it also defines the nature of his relationship to you.

Grace will devastate you while giving you peace of heart and rest of soul you have never experienced before.

Grace will require you to confess your unworthiness but will never, ever make you feel alone and unloved.

Grace will remind you again and again that you have no ability whatsoever to earn God’s favor, but it will dispel your fear of not measuring up.

Grace will confront you with the reality that you are way less than you thought you were while it comforts you with the promise that you can be way more than you ever imagined.

Grace will call you to examine yourself with honesty and humility but free you from being paralyzed by fearful introspection.

Grace will ask you to admit to your catalog of weaknesses while at the same time empowering you with newfound strength.

Grace will keep reminding you of what you are not, so you will receive God’s welcome to what you can now be.

Grace will make you sadder than you have ever been in your life and give you cause for joy and celebration that nothing or no one can take away.

Grace will blow up your little kingdom of one while it introduces you to a much better, more glorious King.

Grace will work to expose your blindness while it gives you eyes to see.

Grace will drive you to the end of yourself while it holds before you the promise of fresh starts and new beginnings.

Grace is a person, and his name is Jesus.”

How we all need God’s grace to invade our lives! Expose our sin! Humble us! Overwhelm us! Motivate us! And empower us! Father, may You give us invading grace.

In the grip of invading grace,

Pastor Brian