Tuesday, July 21, 2020
What Does Jesus Pray For?
“Who then will condemn us? No one—for Christ Jesus died for us and was raised to life for us, and he is sitting in the place of honor at God’s right hand, pleading for us” (Romans 8:34 nlt).
What does Jesus pray for when He prays for us? What does He say when He intercedes for us?
In John 17 we find the true Lord’s Prayer, a prayer that only Jesus could pray. Here Jesus said, “Now I am departing from the world; they are staying in this world, but I am coming to you. Holy Father, you have given me your name; now protect them by the power of your name so that they will be united just as we are” (verse 11 nlt).
Jesus prays for our protection. That’s His heart toward us.
The Bible tells us of a time when Jesus was with the disciples and turned to Simon Peter and said, “Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift each of you like wheat” (Luke 22:31 nlt).
Now, would it freak you out if Jesus said that you? “Hey, the Devil has been asking about you by name, that you’d be taken out of God’s protection.”
Jesus could have stopped there and just let that hang for a moment. But He went on to say, “But I have pleaded in prayer for you, Simon, that your faith should not fail. So when you have repented and turned to me again, strengthen your brothers” (verse 32 nlt).
Many of us know people who have made a so-called commitment to follow Christ, but they mysteriously crash and burn. They fall away spiritually and are no longer interested in following Jesus.
Maybe you’ve thought, “Wow, if someone like that could fall away, am I next?”
That’s entirely up to you, because God has given you a free will. He doesn’t want you to fall away, but you have to do your part. The moment you fail to move forward spiritually is the moment that you essentially begin to go backward.
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