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Jesus Prays For Us
Andrea Lende • May 17, 2020
Luke 22:31-32
Jesus Prays For Us
You can also listen to the meditation and prayer at: https://anchor.fm/andrea-lende/episodes/Jesus-Prays-For-Us-ee5g5n
Daily Word:
Luke 22:31-32
“Simon, Simon (Peter), listen! Satan has asked excessively that [all of] you be given up to him [out of the power and keeping of God], that he might sift [all of] you like grain.”
“But I have prayed especially for you [Peter], that your [own] faith may not fail; and when you yourself have turned again, strengthen and establish your brethren.”
Jesus had just finished with the first communion at the Last Supper.
He was advising His disciples to be servants.
And then He told them that Satan was asking for them.
Satan was asking that Jesus’ disciples be given over to him so that he could sift them like grain.
The first step in the process of sifting back in those days was to loosen the husk from the grain.
This was done by laying the grain down on a cement of hard floor and beating it with a flail – basically a weapon.
Essentially, the enemy was asking for the disciples to be taken away from the Lord so that he could beat them.
But Jesus prayed for them.
He prayed their faith would remain strong through all that was about to happen.
Watching their leader, their master, their teacher be crucified must have been so extremely difficult.
And it is in times of great difficulty that we find it almost impossible to stand.
Stand against the enemy.
However, Jesus prayed.
He interceded for the disciples.
He intercedes for us today.
He prays that the enemy may not get a hold of us and beat us.
When life is difficult, I know that Jesus is praying.
He is praying for me and holds me up when I cannot hold myself up.
Today I am thankful that the Lord intercedes for me and that He will always be praying for my spirit.
May you find that Jesus intercedes for you as He sees your every need.
Daily Prayer:
O Lord, my God, thank You for sending Your Son to come to this earth and willingly give His life for me. Thank You for making a way for me to be close to You. Thank You for the gift of salvation. Thank You for Your perfect plan to make it possible to see me as perfect even though I am so very flawed. Help me see me as You do, Lord. Help me feel the love that You have for me although I feel so unworthy to be loved. You sent Your Son to die for me in order for me to be close to You, Lord. Help me to come close to You, Father. Keep me from feeling inadequate to sit in Your presence because I so desperately need to be close to You. I praise and worship You, Lord. You are my only place to go that is truly sacred. You, and You alone, are my reason for this life. Help me always be close to You. Help me serve You, Father. Show me all that You ask me to do and give me the strength to carry out Your plan. Help me bless someone this day. Thank You for hearing my prayer.
Answer: You are Mine, sayeth the Lord.
Response: Undeservedly Yours, Lord.
We start a New Year! How exciting! Paul had just finished telling the Ephesians to put off their old nature. They had been run around by their feelings and desires. He told them to be renewed in their spirit. The Amplified Bible defines this to be “having a fresh mental and spiritual attitude.” As we say goodbye to this year, let us put on the new and leave the old behind. We have an opportunity to reflect on what to bring forward into this New Year.
This is a great message for the New Year. We can be in control of our own words. As a mother, I used to tell my children to use their words to explain what was happening in their minds. I tried to help them find the right words. Words that would help the situation and not make it worse. I must do the same thing when talking to them. It’s important to use words that do not damage their spirits. Words that lift up instead of tear down. Even though my children have grown, I still want to be careful how I speak to them because my worlds will impact them for the rest of their lives.
As we approach the New Year, it is a perfect time to take inventory of what part of our lives, our hearts, and our souls are not bearing fruit. What can we give up as this year comes to a close? What do we need to give to the Lord for His cleansing and pruning? The answers to these questions take time. Time with the Lord. We are creatures of routines and habits which serve us well. But we can also change our routines and habits to serve us and the Lord better. So, we can ask God to show us what He wants us to give up so that He can have more of us.
I cannot think of a better verse to meditate on as we approach the New Year. Jesus said, "the kingdom of God is within you [in your hearts] and among you [surrounding you]." For so many years I believed I had to wait to go to heaven to experience the kingdom of God. I have longed to step into heaven and meet the Lord and His Son. However, as we read the Gospels and study Jesus and all that He said, we begin to understand the kingdom of God is all around us. The kingdom of God is within.
Paul wrote to the Colossians and told them he was praying for them. He prayed they would be refreshed, renewed, and invigorated. He also prayed they would be strengthened. May his prayer be heard by the Lord God Almighty on our behalf today just as it was received two thousand years ago. God is the Source of all things beautiful and wonderful. There is no shortage of renewal, refreshment, or inspiration in His kingdom. And as the Creator of this universe, He continues to pour all good things into His people. Paul wrote that refreshment and strength are needed so we may have endurance.
This verse is the perfect verse to reflect on as Christmas comes to a close. The Lord sent His Son to us. He sent Him to this world as a babe. Jesus was given the task of growing up. A difficult one for all of us. He endured the awkward stages we all go through as we grow past them. I look back at old picture and cringe, yes, I cringe. This life provides plenty of opportunities to feel awkward and just plain weird, but our Father loves us as though we are perfect every day of our lives. This is why Jesus came. He came to make us perfect in God’s sight.
God made Himself flesh so He could take away the sins of the world. The story of the very first Christmas was humble, yet the most powerful and loving birth ever recorded in history. All humanity changed in an instant. When Jesus was born, love filled the earth. Love came down and lifted us up. The angels came to tell the shepherds of this beautiful birth. The stars in the heavens also told the story. As we do all tasks that we do to ensure a beautiful Christmas day, may we remember the miracle that God sent long ago. The miracle of all miracles.
The first Christmas was going to be documented, so that it could be read many times over for all Christmas’ to come. It was also documented so the prophecy of the Messiah’s birth would be known to be fulfilled. Prophets of old foretold Jesus would come from the house of David. They also prophesied that He would be born in Bethlehem. And all this came to pass. Even though Jesus would be known as a Nazarene, His beginning began in Bethlehem. God’s divine plan was set in motion with the first census while Mary was at the end of her pregnancy.
What a wonderful passage to read during Christmas week. Our passage touched my heart as I read it through the lens of Jesus’ birth. “It was God [personally present] in Christ, reconciling and restoring the world to favor with Himself.” We have so much to be thankful for in these few short words, “restoring the world to favor with Himself.” So undeserved and yet so graciously given. We are offered favor with the Lord. Imagine having favor with the almighty God, the Creator of the universe. Jesus chose to leave heaven’s door where all was perfect. He chose to be born into this dusty messy world.
Jesus had just spoken to a fig tree and deemed it unworthy to live because it had no fruit on it. His disciples were amazed when they saw the fig tree wither and die. Then the Lord talked to them about prayer and belief. He told them that whatever they asked for, if they had the faith and belief, they would receive it. I remember the day I started hearing music and lyrics. I had just bowed my head at the piano and asked if the Lord would bless praise and worship music. As soon as I prayed that prayer, the Lord bestowed the gift of song writing upon me.