19. The Language of Love (pt2)

Thursday 7th March 

(for more details see here)

 

Pause:

"I kneel before the Father,
from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name.

I pray that out of His glorious riches
He may strengthen you with power
through His Spirit
in your inner being,
so that Christ may dwell in your hearts
through faith.

And I pray that you, being rooted
and established
in love,
may have power,
together with all the Lord’s holy people,
to grasp how wide
and long
and high
and deep
is the love of Christ,

and to know this love
that surpasses knowledge -
that you may be filled
to the measure
of all the fullness
of God.

Now to Him who is able
to do immeasurably
more
than all we ask
or imagine,
according to His power
that is at work
within us,

to Him be glory
in the church
and in Christ Jesus
throughout all generations,
for ever
and
ever!
Amen.

EPHESIANS 3. 14-21

 

Today's reading: John 17. 6-19

If you knew you had one day left to live... what would you pray for?

Here in John 17 we listen as Jesus, with His eyes lifted towards the heavens, prays to His Father in heaven. And what a profoundly beautiful prayer.

This chapter is often called: The High Priestly Prayer as Jesus cries out prayer for Himself, His disciples and for those who will come to believe in Him through their message! We're spending these next few days exploring this incredible prayer of our Lord.

- Praying for each other... 
We saw yesterday that Jesus' prayer began in an upward motion - "Glorify Your Son, that Your Son may glorify You!" (JOHN 17. 1)
And continued from there to an inward focus - "I have brought you glory on earth by finishing the work you gave me to do." (JOHN 17. 4) 
His prayer now turns to an outwards direction - towards His disciples.

Again, it's amazing to see what it is that in on Jesus' heart for those who will go on to form the church.
The themes keep emerging as He prays, asking specifically about their:

• Protection: "Holy Father, protect them by the power of Your name, the name You gave me..." (JOHN 17. 11a)
• Peace: "so that they may be one as we are one." (JOHN 17. 11b)
• Purity: "Sanctify them by the truth; Your word is truth." (JOHN 17. 17)

As Jesus prepares to leave His disciples, the prayer of His heart for them is that they might be: kept out of harm, kept in harmony and kept in holiness.
Beautiful.

And of course, it has to cause us to pause and wonder:

• What do we pray for when you pray for other Christians?
• How much of our own prayers are in line with Jesus' prayer?

 

Reflection: The Outward Direction of our Devotion...

And so we take time to think about the directions our own spirituality:

• Upwards (Am I living for the glory of God?)
• Inwards (How much do my own priorities align with Gods priorities?)
• Outwards (How is this reflected in my relationships with others?)

Today, as we overhear this section of Jesus' prayer it is that third question that especially occupies our minds: The Outward Direction of our Devotion. Knowing Jesus' heart for His disciples, am I living in line with this.
Am I helping to establish or sabotage these things in any way?
What in me might build towards the protection, peace and purity in others?
What in me might break that down?
 

Questions for today:

• Lord Jesus, teach me how to pray.
• Lord Jesus, help me to pray like You.
• Lord Jesus, help me to live in line with Your prayer for us.

 

Prayer:

Think of a specific person, or group of people that you know. Have them firmly in mind and read Jesus' prayer over them.

• Keep them from harm (Protection)
• Keep them in harmony (Peace)
• Keep them in holiness (Purity)

 

 I prayed this.

My prayer for today: (if you would like to, please feel free to add your own prayer here):

 

---