Jesus loves me, this I know. For the Bible tells me so…
We all remember that familiar children’s song — and it’s a wonderful message to remind children that Jesus does love them.
But how often as adults do we consider that fact? Jesus loves me!
Did you know that during his last days on earth, before he gave his life as a ransom for ours, Jesus prayed for us. Jesus prayed for me! Jesus prayed for you!
Knowing what I know about the power of prayer and seeing God’s answers to prayers that I’ve prayed, I can hardly imagine the power behind a prayer from the Son to the Father. Talk about praying in God’s will!
It’s a long and powerful prayer that I encourage you to read (John 17), but I wanted to highlight a few of the things he prayed that stand out to me.
His prayer came on the heels of a speech he had given his disciples. He told them of his impending death and tried to comfort them. This news has to be heartbreaking and scary for the disciples. When Jesus lifted his eyes to heaven to pray. the disciples were all there to witness it. (I’m glad they documented it, by the way, so that I could hear it, too.)
Jesus begins by going over the details of his purpose on earth. To give eternal life, which comes only through Him – the one God sent to earth. — v.3 He then asks God to bring him back to the glory they shared before the world began. — v.5
He goes on to pray for all those who belong to God. — v.9
He asks God to protect us by the power of his name (v. 11) and to keep us safe from the evil one. (v. 15) (Jesus prayed for our protection and for our safety from the devil! Does that make you feel safe?)
He asks God to make us holy and teach us his Word. (v. 17)
And in case we were tempted to think that he was just praying for his friends, the disciples that stood with him that day — he makes it clear that he’s praying for “all those who will believe in [him] through their message”. (v. 20) (That would include me, and hopefully you, too.)
He closes his prayer with a reminder of his great love for us (v. 23) and a promise to continue to reveal himself to those of us that believe. (v. 26)
It is always comforting to know someone is praying for you, and God hears the prayers of the righteous. (Proverbs 15:29) But to know that the Lord Jesus himself, in whose name we pray, prayed for us is about as comforting as it gets.