Your Kingdom Come - Singing Our Prayers

When I was growing up we celebrated Advent as a family in our home. Every Sunday for the four weeks leading up to Christmas we read Scripture and sang songs as a family that celebrated both the anticipation of Jesus’ birth and the anticipation of his coming again. One of the songs we sang together was “Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus.” The song is a prayer for nothing less than the complete establishment of the kingdom of God.

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Psalter Hymnal 329

Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus

1 Come, thou long-expected Jesus,

born to set thy people free;

from our fears and sins release us,

let us find our rest in thee.

2 Israel's strength and consolation,

hope of all the earth thou art:

dear desire of every nation,

joy of every longing heart.

3 Born thy people to deliver,

born a child and yet a king,

born to reign in us forever,

now thy gracious kingdom bring.

4 By thine own eternal Spirit

rule in all our hearts alone;

by thine all-sufficient merit

raise us to thy glorious throne.

Text: Charles Wesley, 1744.