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Hear the Devotional Read here: https://bit.ly/2X53ipp
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)
A Happy and Blessed Monday to you, dear Friend!
Is it easy for you to pray in public? I'll say it became easier for me with the years of college and seminary, and with the pastor I had while I was in college, who when he would see me in worship those weekends I would come, "We are so blessed to have Brother Eradio Valverde and he is studying to be a pastor, so I'm going to ask him to say today's pastoral prayer. Please come up here, Brother Valverde!" Mind you, this was happening in full blown Spanish, the kind one studies in school for many years, not the kind I learned at home and on the streets of a small South Texas town. We're not talking the formal lisp-type Castellano; gosh, the nervousness was enough for me to add my own lisp. Long time readers of this devotional may remember that I have shared how this one particular pastor had a PhD in formal prayer, and though I was in college, I was happy to pray at a GED* level (*Get 'er done!) Spanish. Spiritually, I was not yet mature in my walk, and I knew that prayer was a connection of my heart with God's heart, to openly and publicly pray was very difficult for me. I took the pastoral prayer time as one of the most important parts of the worship service; people gather after about a week away from worship, most with needs, questions, and doubts that needed someone to pray for them. I took that seriously and it only added to the nerves I was feeling.
Someone who did not fear prayer, but Who loved and hungered for prayer was Jesus. Jesus was a man of prayer Who thrived on prayer. Jesus loved the connection He had and felt when He prayed to His Father. Jesus taught the Disciples the prayer we call The Lord's Prayer, and this is but another of Jesus' prayers. The Gospel of John admits that not everything that could be written about Jesus was written, and if it were all the books in the world could not contain them all. And one can only imagine that those books would be filled with the prayers that Jesus lifted up on our behalf. And in this prayer, Jesus is praying for you and me. Jesus asks that the glory of God not be hidden from us. In Him we can see God and more so if we can see the glory of God in Him. Jesus also asks that God grant to those who believe in Him to have eternal life. Jesus prays also that we might know Him better and trust Him more. And Jesus asks God to guard and protect those who are still here in the earthly realm. And Jesus asks that we might all be of one heart and mind. The prayer is for peace and unity.
Hebrews 7:25 says that Jesus intercedes for us; it is He who takes our prayers to the throne of God and presents them to God for God to answer. To me that speaks a personal touch that really works. One earthly example was a few years ago and Nellie and I were planning our first overseas trip to Europe. Her passport was about to expire and we had sent in our reapplication with plenty of time, but somehow it was delayed. As the days were nearing for us to board the plane, we finally called one of our senator's office and a woman there assured us that she would personally walk the application through the US Passport Office in DC and that she would demand they overnight it to us. The next morning, the passport was there! That was just an example of something that can happen here on earth, but imagine our prayers for healing, comfort, peace, for worries, for financial assistance, whatever that is, and to know Jesus, the Lord of Lords, and King of Kings, presenting our petitions before God; we simply have to pray, "Not my will, but Thine," and trust in the Lord.
PRAYER: Heavenly Father, we rejoice in knowing that the prayer we lifted up first thing this morning, and this one we lift up now, is in Your hands and You are personally presenting this to Your Father, God. May we be calm and secure in knowing that we can trust in You. May calm and peace reign in our hearts. This we pray in Christ Jesus' strong name, amen.
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! Share a word of hope with someone today that blesses them with peace.
Receive my blessing of hope and peace,
Pastor Eradio Valverde
