Last month, a clip went viral of podcaster Joe Rogan saying, “We need Jesus” and “now’s a good time” for him to return. In response, Pastor Greg Laurie agreed, adding that we should pray for people to know Jesus and for Jesus to “come back soon.”
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In a March 19 video posted to social media, Laurie, pastor of Harvest Christian Fellowship in Riverside, California, used Jesus’ words from the Lord’s Prayer to discuss God’s coming kingdom. Laurie captioned his post, in part: “We need to pray for the soon return of Jesus to our war-torn planet and establish His kingdom! As the Apostle John said, ‘Even so, Come Lord Jesus!’ (Rev. 22:20)”
@joerogan recently said “We need Jesus”. He is right. We need to pray for the soon return of Jesus to our war-torn planet and establish His kingdom! As the Apostle John said, “Even so, Come Lord Jesus!” (Rev. 22:20) pic.twitter.com/2LTpKfBzh4
— Greg Laurie (@greglaurie) March 19, 2024
Greg Laurie on How To Pray About God’s Kingdom
The petition “Your kingdom come” has multiple meanings, according to Greg Laurie. First, it’s a “personal prayer,” because we’re saying, “Lord, I want your kingdom to come in my life.” Because the kingdom of God is “the rule and reign of Christ in your life,” Laurie said, we’re praying that we’ll seek first God’s kingdom (Matthew 6:33) and “seek the reign and rule of Christ in your life and all things.”
Second, that petition is “effectively an evangelistic prayer,” Laurie said, because we pray, “Lord, I want your kingdom to come into the lives of other people as well.” The pastor urged people to “pray for people that are not yet believers…that God would open their heart.” He suggested inviting non-Christian friends to the Harvest Crusade in Anaheim, California, on July 20.
Finally, the three words “Your kingdom come” constitute a prayer for Jesus to return to this earth, Laurie said. “We’re saying…Jesus, come back, and come back soon!”
Laurie shared a screenshot of Rogan’s Feb. 7 podcast, where he spoke to NFL quarterback Aaron Rodgers about secularism, morality, and today’s messed-up world. Rogan laughed after saying, “We need Jesus,” but then added, “For real. Like, Jesus, if you think about coming back, right now, now’s a good time.”
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Laurie concluded, “I agree with Joe Rogan on that. This is a good time. Let’s pray for Christ to return and establish his kingdom on this earth. So keep praying, ‘Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.’”
YouTuber: Is Joe Rogan ‘Waking Up’?
Another response to Rogan’s “We need Jesus” statement came from popular YouTuber Ruslan KD, who promised viewers the clip wasn’t just clickbait. According to Ruslan, Rogan is taking shots at the New Atheists, at people like Sam Harris, and at people who’ve tried to remove religion from society. “Rogan’s waking up” to what happens when you do that, Ruslan said.
