Month: May 2020

Our scripture this week is John 17:1-11.

All I have is yours, and all you have is mine. And glory has come to me through them. I will remain in the world no longer, but they are still in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them by the power of your name, the name you gave me, so that they may be one as we are one.
John 17:10-11

Jesus speaks of so close a relationship with God that “all I have is Yours and all You have is mine” (v. 10). He is connected to the Father and returning to Him, but still He prays for those He leaves behind to be protected. Even in His final hours, Jesus shows love and concern for His followers.

He prays that we may all be one with God and each other, just as He has. More than anything He has taught, loving God and one another is most important. This connection protects and nourishes our faith, enabling us to continue the ministry of love Jesus leaves to us.

In this action, Jesus both intercedes on our behalf and shows us the best way to remain connected – through prayer. He calls us to the same relationship He has with God, one of trust and obedience. God is constant in His love and care for us, wanting us to turn to Him in every situation, and to know the joy Jesus felt in that eternal connection.

Gracious God, we are amazed by the love You send us, and that You ask us to share it with the world. Help us to be Your representatives in the world, continuing the work Jesus began. Amen.

Our scripture this week is John 17:1-11.

For I gave them the words you gave me and they accepted them. They knew with certainty that I came from you, and they believed that you sent me. I pray for them. I am not praying for the world, but for those you have given me, for they are yours.

John 17:8-9

Jesus continues His prayer for His followers, verifying their acceptance and understanding. He says “I am not praying for the world, but for those You have given Me, for they are Yours” (v.9). At the very end of His earthly ministry, Jesus focused on those closest to Him because they would be the ones to carry on His work.

Jesus prayed for them because they would bring His message to all the earth, through their witness and the spreading faith of generations to come, all the way down to us. He specifically said “I’m not praying for the world” because that wasn’t God’s plan – at least not that way. Jesus calls us to do what He has done in order that the world might be saved.

Make no mistake, Jesus doesn’t need our help but He asks us to be part of His message of love to all people. The world still comes to the Father through Him, but we have been called to bring the world to Him through our sharing of His story. We are His disciples today, charged with the work of His kingdom.

Loving Lord, thank You for trusting us with the message of hope You bring. Make us effective communicators of the Good News to everyone. Amen.

Our scripture this week is John 17:1-11.

“I have revealed you to those whom you gave me out of the world. They were yours; you gave them to me and they have obeyed your word. Now they know that everything you have given me comes from you.”

John 17:6-7

Jesus continues the prayer for His disciples, remembering that we were all God’s from the beginning and were given to Jesus to tend and teach. He says that those who follow Him know that everything comes from God and have been obedient to His word. As with our prayers, He is not saying anything God does not already know, but is sharing His experience with God.

We are called by His words and example to have this prayer life relationship with God just as He does. Jesus wants everyone to know the Father and to feel the love and power that flows from that connection. This encourages and enables us to be obedient even when we would rather go our own way, even when times are hard.

How does your prayer life connect you with the Father? The apostle Paul writes in 1 Thessalonians 5:17 “Pray without ceasing”. God wants to hear from us all the time, not just when we are in trouble or need something. Share your life with God and He will share life with you.

Heavenly Father, we are glad to be able to come to You in prayer. Help us to speak and listen earnestly, hearing Your word for us and going to fulfill Your call in the world. Amen.

Our scripture this week is John 17:1-11.

Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent. I have brought you glory on earth by finishing the work you gave me to do. And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began.
John 17:3-5

Jesus continues His prayer speaking of eternal life by knowing Him and God who sent Him. This relationship, while mysterious to us as humans, is how we were created – in the image of God and intended to be connected to Him forever. We have followed our own desires and forgotten this great truth.

Jesus prays that He might be worthy to return to God and resume His place. He has nearly finished His task here and He asks God to help Him see it through. Jesus knew what was asked of Him and because of His unspoiled relationship with God is able to accomplish it.

God waits for us to remember our relationship and the task He asks of us. He is ready to forgive us, renew us, and send us into the world to the purpose for which we were intended. God wants us to be Christlike, that we may share His love with everyone.

Gracious God, we are sorry for our lack of obedience and love. Help us to be strong in You, understanding our place in creation and doing the work You intend for us. Amen.

Our scripture this week is John 17:1-11.

After Jesus said this, he looked toward heaven and prayed: “Father, the hour has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you. For you granted him authority over all people that he might give eternal life to all those you have given him.
John 17:1-2

Jesus asks to be blessed to be a blessing for the glory of God. He doesn’t ask to be made rich or powerful, He really isn’t asking anything for himself. Instead He asks to glorify God and bring eternal life “to all those You have given Him” (v. 2) – that would be all of us.

Jesus has always been the model for our lives and He shows that He obeys His own commandment in this. He loves God first and all of us as Himself. In everything He did, Jesus was consistent, leading us to salvation in Him.

We must be consistent in our love for God and each other as well. Jesus told us “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another” (John 13:35). It’s not always easy, but Jesus said it is the only way we will truly follow Him.

Loving Lord, we hear the commandment to love one another but we have trouble keeping it. Help us to be less prone to shout and more eager to love. May we become the children You intend us to be. Amen.

Our scripture this week is John 17:1-11.

After Jesus said this, he looked toward heaven and prayed: “Father, the hour has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you. For you granted him authority over all people that he might give eternal life to all those you have given him. Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent. I have brought you glory on earth by finishing the work you gave me to do. And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began. I have revealed you to those whom you gave me out of the world. They were yours; you gave them to me and they have obeyed your word. Now they know that everything you have given me comes from you. For I gave them the words you gave me and they accepted them. They knew with certainty that I came from you, and they believed that you sent me. I pray for them. I am not praying for the world, but for those you have given me, for they are yours. All I have is yours, and all you have is mine. And glory has come to me through them. I will remain in the world no longer, but they are still in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them by the power of your name, the name you gave me, so that they may be one as we are one.”
John 17:1-11

Jesus prayed for His disciples and followers often, but on this night He made a special request, asking God that they might all be one in Him. Jesus knew that it would be difficult for them after His return to heaven, that they would need strength and hope to continue His work. Jesus is also preparing Himself in prayer for the ordeal that awaits Him.

His prayer is an acknowledgment that everything He has been given and has done comes from God. Do we go to God with thanks for the blessing of success, or do we only come with requests? Jesus taught us that prayer is to share everything with God, not just to ask for what we want.

God is the source of all things and every good gift is from Him. Jesus was well aware of all He had been given and the responsibility God had laid on Him. We too must go to God with gratitude for what we have received and what we can accomplish.

Gracious God, we are humbled by the generosity of Your blessings to us. May we be grateful for our gifts and use them as You intend in our world. Amen.

Our scripture this week is John 14:15-21.

“If you love me, keep my commands. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you. Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them.

Jesus tells us if we love Him, we will keep His commands. Our obedience is the way to show we love Jesus because we do what He has taught us. Humans have a pretty poor record of obeying, so we will need all the help we can get!

He tells us that even though He will be returning to the Father, there will be support for us always. The Holy Spirit will be His presence with us and in us to remind, teach and guide, just as He has. However, it is now up to each of us to share His love and His spirit with the rest of the world.

Jesus leaves us an awesome responsibility, but He promises we will not be alone. God will send “another advocate” to be with us. With each other’s help and the Holy Spirit present in us, we can keep His commands and do His will.

Loving Lord, we are weak, but with Your Spirit in us we are enabled and encouraged to do the work You give. Bless us to be the strong witnesses needed in Your world. Amen.

Our scripture this week is John 14:15-21.

Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them.”
John 14:21

Jesus teaches that our obedience is key to God’s plan for us. We have His commands, we know what is expected of us and we show our love for God by keeping (obeying) them. We have received His instructions from the very beginning, and sadly, we have a poor record of following them.

Genesis 1:28 gives us our first commandment to manage God’s creation, Genesis 2:17 warns us not to eat the forbidden fruit. Later on, God gave laws to the Hebrews to help guide them as His people, to worship Him alone and live together in peace (Exodus 20). God has always told us what He wanted for us and from us.

During Jesus time on Earth the religious leaders had put together numerous complicated and largely unfair rules to attempt to cover every possible situation. Jesus cut through all that with the simple instruction “Love the Lord with all your heart and your neighbor as yourself “. This is the greatest commandment, the one He says we will keep if we love Him.

Gracious God, we are thankful for Jesus coming to love and save and free us. Help us to be Your people, aware of Your call on our lives and obedient to Your will. Amen.

Our scripture this week is John 14:15-21.

On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you. John 14:20

Jesus continues to teach us how we are connected to the Father through Him and to each other. When asked what was the greatest commandment, He answered “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 22:37-39). He tells us that our relationship with God and our brothers and sisters is the most important thing of all.

When we ignore or forget this association we “disconnect” from the way God would have us go. Only by loving God and our neighbor are we able to accomplish our purpose. We are not living fully without this relationship.

Jesus wants the disciples (and us) to understand how vital this is to our salvation and being able to continue His work. Some have compared it to being plugged in to a power source – if we are connected, God’s grace and love flow through us to be shared with the world. We are called to pass on what God has given us to everyone.

Loving Lord, we are amazed and humbled that You choose us for your work here on earth. Help us to be enthusiastic workers, powered by our relationship with You. Amen.