Jesus is praying for you!

I don't know about you, but when I am walking through the "deep waters" of life, I take great comfort from knowing that people who genuinely care about me are holding me up in prayer. Prayer has the ability to buoy my spirit.

I have also noted that when I have a particular need in my life I am more likely to receive the satisfaction of that need when somebody prays for me. Obviously, God stands ready to give good gifts to His children. It's nice to know that when someone asks God to give me what I need, God stands ready to send the Holy Spirit to provide exactly what I need.

It's even more comforting to know that Jesus, the very Son of God, is praying for me, too.

In that great portion of scripture found in John 17, the portion Bible scholars call "Jesus' High Priestly Prayer," our Savior prays specifically for you and for me. Take note of these words from John 17:20-21:

²⁰ "My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, ²¹ that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me."

What an amazing gift to us. The very Son of God—the one who died on the cruel cross of Calvary that His blood might cleanse us from our sins and who rose in victory from the grave—is praying for us.

The next time you feel weighted down with care, ask those who love you to pray for you. And, as they do, remember that Jesus is praying for you, too. May the Light of His Presence shine into the dark corners of your life and give you a song of victory in your heart.

The fourth verse of an old gospel song, Wounded for Me, by William G. J. Ovens and Gladys W. Roberts captures the peace that comes from knowing that Jesus cares enough for you and me that He prays for us continually:

Living for me, living for me,
Up in the skies He is living for me;
Daily He’s pleading and praying for me,
All because Jesus is living for me.

I urge you to place your trust fully in the One Who Loves You Most, the blessed Lord Jesus Christ. And, remember that He is praying for you!

_{Copyright © 2010 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}

 

Others

Childhood memories have such an amazing impact on our lives. The things we were taught as children, coupled with the things we experienced as children, set a lifelong pathway before us.

In my own life, hymns and songs of the church have always played an enormously important part. That, of course, means that those hymns and songs did exactly what they were intended to do. They helped me remember key biblical truths.

Every human has the opportunity to choose whether or not he or she will live a life selflessly or selfishly. Said another way, "Who do you put first in your life?"

As a believer in the life-transforming power of the Lord Jesus Christ, I am drawn irresistably into God's grace. As such, I have a desire, deep within my heart, to put Jesus first in my life. So, He has the first place.

But, who comes next in line? Jesus gave instruction when asked the question, "What is the greatest comandment?" We find His answer in Mark 12:28-34, as follows:

²⁸ One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, "Of all the commandments, which is the most important?"

²⁹ "The most important one," answered Jesus, "is this: 'Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. ³⁰ Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.' ³¹ The second is this: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no commandment greater than these." ³² "Well said, teacher," the man replied. "You are right in saying that God is one and there is no other but him. ³³ To love him with all your heart, with all your understanding and with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices."

³⁴ When Jesus saw that he had answered wisely, he said to him, "You are not far from the kingdom of God." And from then on no one dared ask him any more questions.

Jesus tells us to love our neighbor with the same passion, same attention, same deliberation that we love ourselves. Quite a tall order, isn't it?

As a youngster, my mother had a record of Tennessee Ernie Ford singing the song, Others. The lyrics of this song paint a picture that explains exactly what it means to love your neighbor as yourself.

After a great deal of research, I have not been able to locate the person who penned the words or wrote the music to this song. But, here are the lyrics as posted on one website:

Lord, help me live from day to day
In such a self-forgetful way
That even when I kneel to pray
My prayer shall be for—Others.

Others, Lord, yes others,
Let this my motto be,
Help me to live for others,
That I may live like Thee.

Help me in all the work I do
To ever be sincere and true
And know that all I’d do for You
Must needs be done for—Others.

Others, Lord, yes others,
Let this my motto be,
Help me to live for others,
That I may live like Thee.

Let “Self” be crucified and slain
And buried deep: and all in vain
May efforts be to rise again,
Unless to live for—Others.

Others, Lord, yes others,
Let this my motto be,
Help me to live for others,
That I may live like Thee.

And when my work on earth is done,
And my new work in Heav’n’s begun,
May I forget the crown I’ve won,
While thinking still of—Others.

Others, Lord, yes others,
Let this my motto be,
Help me to live for others,
That I may live like Thee.

Thanks, Mom. You played that album often. The sound of Ernie Ford's voice singing this song is stamped on the deep recesses of my mind. I only pray that by the power God's unfailing grace, and the enabling of the Holy Spirit, I may continually remember to put others ahead of myself.

_{Copyright © 2010 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}

 

Prayer for a Friend

Has God laid the name of a friend or acquaintance on your heart? A friend or acquaintance who has not yet received the gift of eternal life through the Lord Jesus Christ?

May I suggest that you write that person's name down on a piece of paper and place it inside your wallet. Put it in the same compartment where you keep your paper money.

Everytime you open your wallet to pay with paper money, say a quick, simple prayer for that friend or acquaintance. Ask God to send the Holy Spirit to draw that one irresistably into God's grace.

"But," you respond, "I pay for most bills by credit card."

Okay. Then write the name of your friend or acquaintenance on a credit-card-size piece of paper and place it in your wallet so that when you reach for your credit card you will see the name. Again, every time you see the name, say the quick and simple prayer I suggested above.

God longs to hear such prayers. He longs to work in agreement with His dearly loved children. God cares about the very same people you care about. Just as much as you may want your friend or acquaintance to experience the joy of belonging to God through the life-transforming power of the Lord Jesus Christ, God wants that, too.

If the wallet idea doesn't work for you, then write the name of your friend or acquaintance and tape it to your bathroom mirror. Every time you look in the mirror, say a prayer for that person.

The greatest blessing of heaven will be the fact that we will live for all eternity in God's Presence. But, another really important joy will come from sharing that time with those we love and care about. If you have a friend or acquaintance that you really care about, and that you would enjoy spending eternity sharing the blessings of life everlasting, why not take a very easy step and deliberately and intentionally pray for that one's salvation?

The Apostle Paul wrote to the church at Corinth in 2 Corinthians 6:1-2, as follows:

¹ As God's fellow workers we urge you not to receive God's grace in vain. ² For he says, "In the time of my favor I heard you, and in the day of salvation I helped you." I tell you, now is the time of God's favor, now is the day of salvation.

God will truly respond to your continuing, effectual, fervent prayers for those you love.

_{Copyright © 2010 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}