TODAY IS…

an awesome day to thank Jesus for His prayers.

“I pray that they will be one, just as You and I are One – as You are in Me, Father, and I am in You. And may they be in Us so that the world will believe You sent Me.”  John 17:21 NLT

The Bible encourages us to pray for one another as a part of God’s requirement that we love one another and look out for one another.

James, Jesus’ brother, made this clear when he wrote, “Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results.” (James 5:16 NLT).

Praying for someone who is hurt or hurting; has experienced pain or has a painful experience; has lost a job or found trouble of one kind or another is a wonderful way to demonstrate our love and concern for each other.

Paul prayed that the hearts of the Ephesians would be flooded with light and in his letter to them, he said, “I also pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God’s power for us who believe Him.” (Ephesians 1:19a NLT).

The power of prayer is at the center of Christian life.

Bringing our hopes and fears to God is one of the things we are encouraged to do without any embarrassment or reservation. Our ability to seek grace, mercy, and forgiveness, through prayer, for our sins and our mistakes is a gift from God that is beyond measure.

Yes, prayer is a wonderful blessing and we should spend more time making use of it, not only for ourselves, but for the benefit of others. When we do that, we are doing nothing less than following the example of our Lord, Jesus Christ who prayed for us.

How unbelievably special is that? Jesus Christ prayed for you. He prayed for all who believe, and what did He pray for? He prayed, “Father, I want these whom You have given Me to be with Me where I am. Then they can see all the glory You gave Me because You loved Me even before the world began!” (John 17:24 NLT).

Jesus Christ knew that He was going to die, but He knew that His death would mean everlasting life with Him in Heaven for all who believe in Him. He prayed to the Father His desire to share the glory given Him with us.

He prayed for us to join Him in Heaven.

Can any of us think of a more powerful person to pray for us than Jesus? And can anyone think of any request that can be made of God that is filled with more love?

Take time today and thank Jesus for His prayers.

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Taken from “TODAY IS….A Gift From God”, (C) 2013 Tony Casson