On Prayers, Presence, & Protection- Lent 36, 2015

John 17:9 I pray for them. I am not praying for the world, but for those you have given me, for they are yours. 10 All I have is yours, and all you have is mine. And glory has come to me through them. 11 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. 12 While I was with them, I protected them and kept them safe by that name you gave me. None has been lost except the one doomed to destruction so that Scripture would be fulfilled.

In today’s passage With Christ in the Upper Room, Jesus is praying aloud and reveals some beautiful things that are easily missed!

First, He prays for His disciples, those who belonged to Him.  He’s not just giving some generic lick and a prayer for all humanity and toasting to world peace like that scene from the movie Groundhog Day.  Rather, Jesus was specifically praying for those believers in Him.

Next, He’s telling the Father how proud He is of His disciples.  Glory has come to Him through those who believed He is who He says He is.  They brought Him glory by believing.  That’s a very special piece of information for us to cherish, too!

But then, there’s something reassuring about Jesus praying for the disciples and their protection.  While they would no longer know His physical protection, His prayer for their protection is sufficient because He is showing the full extent of His love.  He’s asking the Father and the Father is faithful to protect them.

Fast forward to us: We do not need His actual presence since one Jesus of Nazareth doesn’t stretch very far.  It’d be like a crowd of fans trying to catch a glimpse of a superstar.  Only a few could be near enough to have Him reach out to touch us.  Most of us couldn’t see Jesus for all the crowds.  So Jesus leaves this earth and sends the Holy Spirit whose presence as God is as close as the nearest believer’s heart.

Jesus doesn’t take any of us out of a world of trouble, but He does protect us from becoming part of that troubled world.  That’s what His Name and His prayer does.

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Give it Up for Lent: Feeling alone in this world

Put it On for Lent: Confidence that the Father is protecting us by the power of His Name.

For further thought:

• Does it seem unfair to you that Jesus is not praying for unbelievers here?
• What are some reasons why we might prefer Jesus’ physical presence to His invisible presence?
• Can you remember a time when someone or something sheltered you from everything going on around you (a parent, a sibling, an umbrella, a storm cellar, etc.)?   What were some of your sensations?  What kind of sensations should accompany our being protected by the Name of the Father?

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Holy Week is the final week for 2015 Lenten devotionals which you can receive in your email (Monday through Saturday during Lent) by entering your email address on the SeminaryGal.com home page in the space provided in the sidebar.  There’s still time to meet With Christ in the Upper Room.  After Lent, sermons and additional devotionals will be posted and arrive in your email.  I hope you will continue to be blessed beyond Lent as other devotional series unfold.