READING: Daniel 1-3, Psalm 88, John 17
I think often about my responsibility to speak to Christ through prayer, but I don’t think enough about His speaking to the Father on my behalf. In fact, I’m sometimes stunned when I think about Jesus praying for me – not only because it’s amazing that He does so, but also because I don’t meditate on its truth enough. These words, though, are powerful and encouraging:
- “Christ Jesus is the one who died, but even more, has been raised; he also is at the right hand of God and intercedes for us.” (Rom 8:24)
- “Therefore, he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, since he always lives to intercede for them.” (Heb 7:25)
These verses are not the only ones that speak of Jesus praying for us, however. In today’s New Testament reading, Jesus prays for His disciples and for those who would believe after them (see John 17:20). His prayer is a reminder that He would call His disciples to make disciples themselves; at the same time, it’s an apparent assurance that their efforts in His power would, in fact, produce more followers. Jesus would indeed build His church, and hell would not win. And, we who are believers today are part of this story.
All of us, in response to His prayers, would also be connected as one. Through the presence of the Spirit, we would be supernaturally united. We are truly brothers and sisters with those believers around us, but we are also brothers and sisters with all believers who’ve lived before us—and those who will come after us. From varied backgrounds and living in different eras, we’re united under the prayers of our Savior.
PRAYER: “Jesus, thank You for praying for me. I lean on that truth today.”
TOMORROW’S READING: Daniel 4-6, John 18
