Sitting here with Jesus this morning, He shares with me one of His ‘ending prayers’.
The Gospel of John captures Jesus’ prayers for His beloved disciples and for the world. Shortly following the Last Supper, where He gave us one of the top gifts of all time (arguably only behind the gift of His Spirit) in the Eucharist. Jesus prays. First for His disciples then for the Church which will build from the foundation of Peter. It is this prayer for the Church that Jesus shares in a different view this morning.
The prayer is long for this post but here’s the link – John 17:4-26
Jesus puts on my heart this morning as I read His words how wonderful it would be to someday stand before the Father as He did and offer these words to God.
“My time is approaching to come to Your side, Father…”
“I have manifested Your Name to the world and those you gave to me…” (v. 6)
“Now they know everything I have is from You…” (v. 7)
“Now I am to be no more in the world, I pray for them – Holy Father, keep them in Your Name” (v.11)
“While I was with them, I kept them in Your Name, I have guarded them” (v. 12)
“Now I am coming to You, keep them that they may my joy fulfilled in them” (v. 13)
“I have given them Your Word…Sanctify them in the truth, Your Word is truth” (v. 14, 17)
“The glory that you have given me
I have given to them” (v. 22)
“Righteous Father, the world has not known you; I have known you, and they have known that you have sent me I have made your name known to them, and I will make it known, so that the love with which you loved me may be in them, and I in them.” (v. 25-26
We do have the power of Jesus to give eternal life to those whom God has given us. Our life, our prayers, our love and example are the light which will lead the ones we love to God. Our eternal prayers from God’s Kingdom, we continue to protect and guide.
Imagine this being your final prayer, final offering, and eternal prayer for those you love most in the world. Let this prayer be your life’s mantra. Go ahead, plagiarize Jesus in your actions from this prayer – I’m sure He won’t mind. What a testament this would be to a life well lived.