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I'm praying not only for them But also for those who will believe in me Because of them and their witness about me. The goal is for all of them to become one heart and mind - Just as you, Father, are in me and I in you, So they might be one heart and mind with us. Then the world might believe that you, in fact, sent me. The same glory you gave me, I gave them, So they'll be as unified and together as we are - I in them and you in me. Then they'll be mature in this oneness, And give the godless world evidence That you've sent me and loved them In the same way you've loved me. Father, I want those you gave me To be with me, right where I am, So they can see my glory, the splendor you gave me, Having loved me Long before there ever was a world. Righteous Father, the world has never known you, But I have known you, and these disciples know That you sent me on this mission. I have made your very being known to them - Who you are and what you do - And continue to make it known, So that your love for me Might be in them Exactly as I am in them. (John 17: 20-26 The Message)
May this be a blessed Memorial Day for you and yours, dear Friend, is my prayer. We remember the great sacrifice countless men and women made for our freedom, and we pray God's comfort be with those whose hearts still ache from those losses. As we pray, I ask prayers for Mr. Doug Smith, who took a turn for the worse. He has been valiantly battling cancer for some time now, and now hospice believes he has about 48 hours left. He has asked that I anoint his head with oil which I will do later this. morning. Prayers for his wife, Autumn, and their children. Please pray for one another and for yourselves.
This passage is known as The Prayer of Jesus. Not to be confused with the Lord's Prayer, this prayer is Jesus talking to God the Father about His ministry and His disciples. It is a very personal prayer and this passage is a desire Jesus has for the believers to be unified and together. Jesus begins this section with a prayer for present believers and for future believers (that's us!). His desire is for all of us to be of "one heart and mind," much like the Father and Jesus are one; and if we are one together as believers, we will be one in the Father and Son. It is our unity that gives a positive witness to the world. Jesus gave His glory to the disciples, and with that glory came the unity between all that Jesus desired. Jesus wants a maturity to come with that glory and unity. "The godless world" needs this evidence of love and acceptance that they can find in faith in God.
Today being Memorial Day allows me to try and explain this passage in this way, which I pray and hope helps rather than hurts. We are a country of 50 states. We have been in several wars, two major world wars, a civil war, a major undeclared war in SE Asia, a war with terrorists that has taken us to Iraq and Afghanistan, a war on drugs, and countless conflicts. Politically, we are divided, and as we approach the 2020 elections, we are drifting away from where we need to be. I ask, has there been a time when we were completely united and together? That's the same as asking if we have been a perfect country made up of perfect citizens. The answer is no. Yet, we are still Americans. We can share that attitude and conviction in our hearts and minds regardless of any exterior circumstances. In the same way, the Church, given its history of major splits into two major divisions early in our history as a Western and Eastern Church that led to the Roman Catholic Church, and the Greek Orthodox Church, the Protestant Reformation, the Counter Reformation and all that came with that. What unites us and keeps us together, in my opinion, is the conviction that without God we are nothing. Without our salvation, we are a doomed people; our right relationship with God, we are a hopeless people. The reality, Christ in His prayer, desires us to stay within the fold and to not drift towards the camp of the enemy. Or worse, to drift into despair and disbelief.
Christ has invited us to be in relationship with Him. In Him we find peace, strength, comfort, and hope. To be distracted is the weapon of our enemy and Christ has prayed for us and we need to claim that covering of His prayer for our lives. We pray that we would be among those who make God more real to others by the faith we have. We live in Christ and Christ lives in us.
PRAYER: Heavenly Father, may the prayer of Jesus be our prayer as well. We want to remain one in You and we pray that we might show Your glory in a way that brings others to You. May Your peace and mercy be with Doug, Autumn, and their kids. Bless all who battle cancer and bring healing. This we pray in Christ Jesus, our Lord and Savior, amen.
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! Shine the glory of the Lord with your smile and joy today!
Blessings of love,
Eradio Valverde
