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Personal and Powerful are Prayers from Jesus
From John's Gospel, John 17:1-11: After Jesus had spoken these words, he looked up to heaven and said, "Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son so that the Son may glorify you, since you have given him authority over all people, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him. And this is eternal life, that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. I glorified you on earth by finishing the work that you gave me to do. So now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had in your presence before the world existed. "I have made your name known to those whom you gave me from the world. They were yours, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word. Now they know that everything you have given me is from you; for the words that you gave to me I have given to them, and they have received them and know in truth that I came from you; and they have believed that you sent me. I am asking on their behalf; I am not asking on behalf of the world, but on behalf of those whom you gave me, because they are yours. All mine are yours, and yours are mine; and I have been glorified in them. And now I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them in your name that you have given me, so that they may be one, as we are one.
"I'm praying for you!" or "I'll keep you in my thoughts!" These and other expressions of concern have been shared with you and me. And, we have also shared those with others. But we've been in settings where we have heard people stop and pray for us in ways that have moved us to tears. I have shared how when an intern, afraid of nursing homes, I would enter and be blessed and prayed for by righteous people. When having a fear of not knowing what to say, God provided those who loved Him enough to say it for us. Imagine a prayer from Jesus for you, which is exactly what this passage is all about.
If we look at the prayer it is not like the one we call the Lord's Prayer, but it is powerful and personal. He begins by asking for Himself that which He knows He needs for the facing of the hour that was coming before him. Jesus knew His very being and power came from above, so He looks to heaven and prays to His Father. The hour had come and now Jesus needs God more than ever. When you and I need God we should know to look to heaven. Jesus asks that glory might come to this hour so that in all that was to happen, God would receive the glory. Jesus also knew that within His power He had authority through which He could share eternal life with those who believed in Him and Jesus even defines it in a beautiful way; relationship with God. It all comes down to that; not religion or being religious; not having a superior attitude about being holier than someone else; how well do you know, love, and trust God?
It is in knowing and loving God that comes the fullness of life as promised earlier in John 10:10. From knowing and trusting God comes the protection we need in all things and at all times. Do you have a relationship with God? If not, what's holding you back? Surely you can come up with a thousand and one excuses or prerequisites that you think exist before something like this is possible, but it's not true. Just asking and praying will bless you with a relationship with the Living God. And with that and through that, will come all that we need to live a life that blessed and pleases God.
PRAYER: Loving God, at times we think we don't measure up or that we couldn't possibly have time to have a relationship with You, but this prayer shows the concern and love that You have for us. To You we turn over all that is troubling us and in You we find our hope and peace. Bless this dear reader in all that s/he is facing. Help them to know how special they are in Your eyes and how they are never now or ever, alone. We pray in the Name of He who prays for us, Jesus our Lord, amen.
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!
Eradio Valverde
