Dear friends in the future,

I am writing this prayer on May 14, 2002. My name is John Piper,
and I have been the senior pastor of Bethlehem Baptist Church since
1980. Because Jesus Christ is the same yesterday today and forever,
we are bold to pray for you who will live and minister decades from
now. We believe we are the beneficiaries of prayers prayed in this
church a hundred years ago. May the same be true at Bethlehem for
those who live a hundred years from now.

Merciful Father and everlasting God,

We praise your name, for you are very great. We rejoice in the
certainty that there are no true gods besides you, the Father of
our Lord Jesus Christ, your uncreated and everlasting Son. We
delight to declare our confidence that when this letter is read,
you will be reigning mightily over the universe. If men have
traveled to other planets, we glory that they will have found only
another place of your absolute rule. All things were made by you
and for you, and they exist to display your glory. This we affirm
in 2002, with joy that it will be true no matter when this capsule
is opened.

We exult in the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, that he died
for our sins, once for all in history, and that he rose again, and
reigns with all authority over the universe, and that all who
believe on him will not perish but have eternal life. We take heart
that, though we are miserable sinners deserving nothing but
judgment, nevertheless the perfect righteousness of Christ is
imputed to us by faith alone, and that his shed blood covers the
guilt of all our iniquities. We glorify you, Father, that the
gospel will continue to be the power of God unto salvation for all
who believe. Therefore we exult with your future saints in advance
that they are saved by grace through faith and that not of
themselves, but by the gift of God.

Thank you, Father, for sending your Holy Spirit whose great
mission is to glorify Jesus Christ. He is our only hope for
holiness and progress in becoming more loving and obedient. We are
praying for your church in the decades to come, not with
presumption that we are better than they, but with the confidence
that they and we are, and will be, utterly dependent on the work of
the Holy Spirit for spiritual life and faith and obedience.

So, gracious God, have mercy on the generations to come. Grant
that in this place—at 8^th Street and
13^th Avenue South—there will always be a
God-centered, Christ-exalting, Spirit-empowered, Bible-saturated,
missions-mobilizing, soul-winning, justice-pursing, praying,
humble, loving church. Grant that the exposition of the infallible
Word of God would remain central in life and worship. Grant that
hearts would be enflamed with passion for the supremacy of God in
all things for the joy of all peoples through Jesus Christ. Grant
that your truth would hold sway, and that heresies would get no
foothold.

Grant spiritual and doctrinal unity to the church for the sake
of the glory of Christ. May they have one mind and one heart to
live and worship with radical devotion to him. May they be ready to
lay down their lives for the gospel, because "to live is Christ and
to die is gain." May they boldly proclaim the gospel of the glory
of Christ in these Twin Cities and to the unreached peoples of the
world until you come or until they join us in heaven.

In Jesus' name we pray, Amen.