Jesus Loved You Enough to Pray for You

Read John 17:20-26

Use your imagination to envision Jesus praying on the Temple Mount for the last time, a significant time.

He prayed “for those which shall believe on me throughout the world.” That is us. YOU!

Jesus does not talk with His followers anymore. The importance of this teaching is indicated by it being His last. He prayed for ALL Christians then alive and those to come, us. Our primary reason for living and our style of living should be “… that the world may believe.” (Vs. 21)

Glory from a spiritual standpoint means character, not aura, authority, or acclaim (Vs. 22). Jesus says I have given them Your character to enable them to be one. God loved the world so much that He got involved and became vulnerable.

In playing sports, the player who holds back and tries to protect himself is the one who is most likely to get hurt. Likewise, it is impractical for a believer to hold back love. One who does not only hurts others, but self also.

Four paradoxes of an A+ life are germane to the Christian life:
1. We surrender to win.
2. We must give away to keep.
3. We have to suffer to get well.
4. We have to die to live.

To do what these four paradoxes demand: surrender, give away, to suffer, to die, sounds like weakness; but the products resulting: win, keep, get well and live are strengths. It is a great life, if you weaken, for it is then you gain strength.

When a person discovers life’s meaning is embodied in the person of Christ, then their eyes begin to open.

Thomas A’Kempis in Imitation of Life commented – “If only your heart were right, then every created thing would be to you a mirror of life and a book of holy teaching.”

The ancient mariner did not need to know the constituency of the stars, or their temperature. He merely needed to know how to find the North Star – the guiding star. Our ambition should be to identify our spiritual North Star and stay locked on to Him.

Jesus prayed “That they… may be with Me.” (Vs. 24a)

This portion of the prayer surely relates to our ultimate and eternal destination, but it also involves daily association. We are to be with Him day by day in the truest sense of the principle.

Using your imagination again, come kneel beside Him and pray “Thy will be done.”