THINK TOGETHER.
Who do you know that Prays for you?
READ TOGETHER.
John 17:1; 20-21. 1When Jesus had spoken these words, he lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, “Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you… 20“I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, 21that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me.
Did you know that God prays to God for you?
That’s a pretty amazing thought isn’t it? The Bible says that Jesus is interceding for us. Interceding means to go between two people. For Jesus it means that he is the go-between us and God. Like the priests in the Old Testament, Jesus connects us to our Heavenly Father. Here’s some verses in the New Testament that talk about this:
1 Timothy 2:5. For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.
1 John 2:1. My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.
These verses are saying the same thing – Jesus is our mediator, our advocate, our intercessor, our go-between. This is why when we pray to the Father, we say “in Jesus’ name, amen” at the end. We are agreeing that Jesus is the go-between.
In John 17 above, Jesus is praying right before he dies on the cross. Look at verse one again. Jesus looks up to Heaven and begins to pray to the Father. Now read verse 20 again. Who is Jesus praying for? His disciples? Who else? For us – those who will believe in me through their word. That’s what the Bible is, the word of the Disciples.
Now, what does Jesus pray for? He prays that all the Christians will be united – that they may all be one.
Then he prays that the world may believe that [the Father] has sent [him].
And how are these two things connected? Well, when we live as one, loving each other, caring for each other, sharing with each other, and forgiving each other, THEN the world will begin to believe in Jesus. But if we act like we don’t even like each other and are mean to each other, then why would anyone else want to be a Christian? They probably wouldn’t.
The good news is that Jesus is STILL praying for us, just like he did on the day that he died. Jesus is still praying that we would be ONE in him and in God. And that we would LOVE each other.
What do you pray for? Do you pray for these same things? You can (and you should).
Because of Jesus we are in God and united to all other Christians.
With Jesus we can pray for unity and love with everyone.
DO SOMETHING TOGETHER
Pray like Jesus! (see Pray Together below)
PRAY TOGETHER
Father, make us all one in Jesus. Help us love one another so that others will see your love. Amen.
TLICfamily 