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1 Jesus said these things. Then, raising his eyes in prayer, he said: Father, it's time. Display the bright splendor of your Son So the Son in turn may show your bright splendor. 2 You put him in charge of everything human So he might give real and eternal life to all in his charge. 3 And this is the real and eternal life: That they know you, The one and only true God, And Jesus Christ, whom you sent. 4 I glorified you on earth By completing down to the last detail What you assigned me to do. 5 And now, Father, glorify me with your very own splendor, The very splendor I had in your presence Before there was a world. 6 I spelled out your character in detail To the men and women you gave me. They were yours in the first place; Then you gave them to me, And they have now done what you said. 7 They know now, beyond the shadow of a doubt, That everything you gave me is firsthand from you, 8 For the message you gave me, I gave them; And they took it, and were convinced That I came from you. They believed that you sent me. 9 I pray for them. I'm not praying for the God-rejecting world But for those you gave me, For they are yours by right. 10 Everything mine is yours, and yours mine, And my life is on display in them. 11 For I'm no longer going to be visible in the world; They'll continue in the world While I return to you. Holy Father, guard them as they pursue this life That you conferred as a gift through me, So they can be one heart and mind. (John 17:1-11 The Message Bible)
There is nothing like knowing someone is praying for you. As a student away for college, knowing that my mother, grandmother, and my Dad, were praying for me just blessed me beyond what words I could possibly share. Later, at my first Walk to Emmaus retreat, as I read posters from people in Africa, Europe, South America, all saying they were praying for all on this retreat by first name, That knowledge brought me to tears.
Jesus was a man of prayer. And of holy habits, He was also a man of worship. He was always praying and every time He could, He was in church, worshiping God. And in this passage Jesus is praying for His ministry, for you, and for me. Jesus was all about glorifying God, as should we be as well. Do things, say things, and think things that make God look good. We could display Christ's "bright splendor" in ways that attract others to Him. The difficulty of His ministry made Him pray that God give Him strength to face and overcome all that would come to Him during His days on the earth. His prayer reminds us of His mission "to give real and eternal life to all in His charge." And this is, "That (we) know (Him), The one and only ture God, and Jesus Chridst, Whom You sent."
The prayer part for you and me include Jesus' sharing with God that He tried to spell out His character in detail to us, so that we might know and use that wisdom and experience to our daily living. And Jesus' prayer for us is that we might stay in the faith. Jesus loves us so much that He came to us, and for us. All that God gave Jesus, Jesus gave to us, to provide for us the great victories over the challenges of life. Whatever "mountain" is looming large over us, even in the form of a warrior giant, it will fall! Think Goliath who turned out to be just a windbag; David's faith knocked him out; so can ours. If it seems like an ocean too large to cross, it can dry up or parted in two, so that we can walk right through it. Whatever, or Whomever we are up against, they are up not only against us alone, but God by our side and God in us. And Jesus ends His prayer with "Holy Father, guard them as they pursue this life that You conferred as a gift through me, so they can be one heart and mind." And what can we say about this? AMEN!
PRAYER: Awesome Father, we claim victory over all we face, in Jesus' name; in His name we pray, amen.
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord. YOUR CALL TO ACTION: Win in all things today, in Jesus' name, amen!
Receive my blessings of joy and victory,
Pastor Eradio Valverde, Jr.
