Gratitude Day 270

Wed., May 15, 2019

John 17:11b – (Jesus said), “Holy Father, protect them by the power of your name, the name you gave me, so that they may be one as we are one.”

It’s terribly powerful when someone prays specifically for you.

It’s happened to me many, many times. One thing I miss about Sunday mornings now that I am no longer serving as a pastor? Hubby Rick praying for ME on Sunday mornings.

We had this long-standing tradition. Before I left the house, we would stand in the kitchen and Rick would pray for me. If he happened to attend early worship with me, then he’d pray for me in the car before I walked into the church. Every Sunday, Rick asked that God would use me as God’s servant; speak through me; touch the hearts of those in worship. Those prayers helped get me in the right spot to lead worship.

These days, we still pray before we walk into worship. We sit in the car, grab hands, touch foreheads and ask that God speak to us during worship. If I am providing music, Rick asks that God use this to enhance worship as well.

Really, these prayer times? Probably my favorite time of the week. We stop, pause and are in union with Christ.

As a pastor, I have had countless opportunities to pray with and for people. There were many times when the prayer would end, a person would turn to me and say, “That’s the first time I have ever been prayed over.” Or specifically prayed for. It was very humbling to be in such intimate times with so many people.

On the last night of Jesus’ life, one of the last things he did at the Last Supper was pray for the disciples. Look at the verse above. Jesus pleads with the Father, “Protect them. Make them one in my Name.”

Jesus knew those disciples were pretty special people. He’d spent three long but quick years with those guys. He ate with them, slept with them, played jokes on them and walk thousands of miles with them. He taught them over and over and over. But his last gift to them? He prayed for them.

Talk about a humbling experience at the end of a super cool dinner party.

Jesus doesn’t stop there, though. Go to John 17 and read down a little further. At verse 20, Jesus now prays for ALL BELIEVERS. Jesus prays for you. Me. And everyone who wants to know him. Jesus opens up his prayer to include us all. He prays that WE will know him and why he came. He prays that believers will live in unity with each other. He petitions God that we, Christ’s believers, will choose not to let things pull us apart but that we will be one big family, just like the disciples. Maybe a dysfunctional at times family. Maybe a family that disagrees. But a family that holds onto essential Truths in our lives.

Somehow, I think we’ve forgotten that Jesus prayed for us. Prayed that we’d hear his message and decide to keep together with other believers. Prayed that we’d be protected from evil. Prayed that we would see Christ’s glory.

When we think of Jesus’ most powerful prayer, we often think of the Lord’s Prayer. I love the Lord’s Prayer. It’s deeply meaningful for me. I pray it every night after I crawl into bed.

But I also need to remember that one of the very last actions Jesus took was to pray for Me. For You. For everyone who yearns to know Him. Think of Jesus praying specifically over and for you. That’s what he does in this prayer. And it’s terribly powerful if we see it this way.

For Jesus’ prayer specifically for me and you, I am grateful. 

Holy Jesus – It’s so difficult to articulate how deeply meaningful it is that You prayed specifically for me. You yearn for us to be in union with You. I pray we stop and see how powerful Your prayer can be for us. Amen.

Blessings –

Dianne

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