Jesus Prays

     I love reading rhrough the book of John. The 17^th chapter invites us into the prayer life of Jesus while He was still on earth. These prayers are spoken shortly before His death. He prays for His disciples:

I have given them Your word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world anymore than I am of the world. My prayer is not that You take them out of the world but that You protect them from the evil one. They are not of the world, even as I am not of it. Sanctify them by the truth. Your word is truth. John 17:14-17 (see also verses 6-13 and 18-19

     Jesus goes on to include all of us:

My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in Me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as You are in Me and I am in You. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that You have sent Me. I have given them the glory that you gave Me, that they may be one as we are one-I in them and You in Me-so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent Me and have loved them even as You have loved Me. John 17:20-23

     Such precious and profound words. Jesus prayed that the world would know that God sent Him because Jesus lives in us. I pray that is true for all believers. In the verses that follow, Jesus speaks of wanting everyone to be with Him and see His full glory. That prayer will come true one day soon. Jesus prays for us. He is the go-between for us and the Father. He came so that we could live.

Jesus,

Your Words are beautiful. As we pray to You today, we know you bring our Words to the Father. It is only because of You that we can come boldly to the throne room of heaven. We are blessed by Your Words.

Amen