“Neither
for these alone do I pray [it is not for their sake only that I make this
request], but also for all those who
will ever come to believe in (trust in, cling to, rely on) Me through their
word and teaching.” (John
17:20)
A few verses earlier in John 17, Jesus
prayed passionately for his disciples.
He knew His time on earth was short and there were a few petitions He
wanted to make to His father on behalf of His disciples while He was still with
them.
He prayed for their protection and unity (v11). He prayed that they may have a full measure
of joy (v13). And He prayed that they
may be sanctified - dedicated, consecrated, made holy (v19).
But, Jesus didn’t just prayer for His
disciples. He prayed for “all those who will believe,” past, present, and
future. That includes you and me!
It’s like I can hear those prayers still
echoing in Heaven. Even though the words
were spoken 2000 years ago, His prayers are just as active, alive, and powerful
now as they were then.
Jesus asked His Father for all those
things on our behalf – protection, unity, joy and to be set apart for the
Master’s use.
So, be encouraged today! And, don’t take Jesus’ petitions on our
behalf lightly. He could have asked the
Father at any time, but He purposely made them within earshot of the disciples,
so they could hear them, be encouraged, and record them for us to hear.
No comments:
Post a Comment