We thought we understood your plan.  We thought we knew your purpose.

But now it seems you’ve altered that plan.  Now it appears you’ve adjusted that purpose.  You’ve pulled us off course.  We’re off the map.

Remove the obstacles you’ve placed before us.  Stick to your plan.  Stay the course.

We trust in you.  We believe in the future you’ve envisioned. 

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Some trust in their degrees.  I trust in you.

Some trust in their skill.  I trust in you.

Some trust in their experience.  I trust in you.

Some trust in their wisdom.  I trust in you.

So please answer when I call.  Send help when I ask. 

For I trust in you.

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Their hearts beat this falsehood, ”There is no God.”  Their lips proclaim this untruth, ”There is no God.” 

Their blogs, billboards, and bookstores are filled with the message of non-deity: “There is no God.”

Yet I see you.  And I believe in you.

I see you in the sky.  You look down over the human race. 

I see you in your people.  You make yourself present through your righteous ones.

I see you in the slums.  You become a refuge for the poor and needy.

And my heart beats this truth, ”There is a God.”

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Here is today’s prayer event: 17 Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth. 18 As you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world. 19And for their sake I consecrate myself, that they also may be sanctified in truth. (John 17:17-19 ESV)

To be “sanctified” is to be set apart.  Set apart for what?  In this prayer–part 3 of a 3 part prayer for his disciples–Jesus links being “sanctified” with being “sent.”  Just as Jesus was set apart for the purpose of being sent into the world, so now he prays for the disciples to be set apart for the purpose of being sent into the world.  Jesus prays about their mission.  He begs the Father to set these men apart for the holy task of continuing Jesus’ mission.  He prays that they might fulfill their true purpose in life.

Consider the people in your life: friends, family members, fellow believers, church/organizational/governmental leaders, etc.  Pray for each today, that God would set him/her apart for His mission to the world.  Pray that each would fulfill his/her true purpose in life.

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Here is today’s prayer event:  1When Jesus had spoken these words, he lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, “Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you, 2since you have given him authority over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him. 3 And this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. 4I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work that you gave me to do. 5And now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed.  6 “I have manifested your name to the people whom you gave me out of the world. Yours they were, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word. 7Now they know that everything that you have given me is from you. 8For I have given them the words that you gave me, and they have received them and have come to know in truth that I came from you; and they have believed that you sent me. (John 17:1-8 ESV)

Here, Jesus prays, “The hour has come.”  In other words, “It’s time to die.”  It is the darkest moment of Jesus’ life to-date.  “It’s time to die.”

Yet rather than pray a lament or complaint, which would be well-deserved, Jesus offers a prayer of confidence: “Glorify me with glory.”

“Glory” and “glorify” are important words in John.  They are found 14 times in the first 11 chapters and 19 more times in the Gospel’s concluding chapters.  They are used 10 times in this prayer.

Here, the words carry two possibilities.  First, Jesus may be praying for God to exalt him.  Just as his death on the cross will be inglorious, so he prays for God to follow that death with a glorious resurrection.  He prays for God to exalt him

Second, Jesus may be praying for God to reveal himself through the death.  In the Old Testament, God’s glory is his visible manifestation (e.g., Ex. 16:7,10).  Jesus may be praying that through the crucifixion and resurrection, God will reveal himself.

Both possibilities point in the same direction: Jesus prays that through this painful time, God will bring the best from the bad; God will bring triumph from tragedy; God will let the Story end spectacularly.

The word “glory” carried then as it does now the hint of light.  Something that is glorious is something that is full of light.  Jesus prays that out of this darkness, God will bring light.

Consider a painful time in your life.  Pray for God to bring triumph where you see only tragedy.  Pray for God to bring the best from the bad.  Pray for the Story to end spectacularly.  Pray for God to bring light from the darkness.

SHARE A TIME IN WHICH GOD BROUGHT LIGHT FROM DARKNESS, TRIUMPH FROM TRAGEDY…

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Here is today’s prayer event: 27 “Now is my soul troubled. And what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? But for this purpose I have come to this hour. 28Father, glorify your name.” Then a voice came from heaven: “I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again.” (John 12:27-28 ESV).

As with all of the prayers for which we have Jesus’ actual words, this one is prayed in the cold shadow of the cross.  Here, Jesus lays out the two options we have when faced with pain and suffering: “Father, save me.” or “Father, use me.”  The prayer, “Father, glorify your name,” is a plea for God to use the cross and Jesus’ suffering for His purposes, to reveal something about Himself.

Save me.  Use me.

Take a few moments right now to identify a circumstance in your life that brings you pain or suffering.  Rather than asking God to save you from that circumstance, ask Him right now to use you in the midst of that circumstance.

SHARE WITH READERS BELOW A DIFFICULT TIME WHEN GOD USED YOU  OR THE CIRCUMSTANCE FOR GOOD.

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Here is today’s prayer event: I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children; yes, Father, for such was your gracious will. (Matt. 11:25-26 ESV).

Matthew 11 finds Jesus in what could be one of the most discouraging seasons of his life.  First, John the Baptist, one of Jesus’ most trusted partners, appears to doubt: “Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?” (Matt. 11:4 ESV).  Second, the crowds, who have been so enthusiastic, now appear disappointed with Jesus: “We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we sang a dirge, and you did not mourn (Matt. 11:17 ESV).”  Third, entire cities in which Jesus has done “most of his mighty works” still appear to be places of spiritual desolation (Matt.11:20) .

It seems that God is no longer in charge.  It seems that God is no longer at work.  It seems God no longer rules.

I would have responded to this with complaint.  Jesus responds with confidence.  Through prayer, Jesus remembers who God is.  God is still “Lord of heaven and earth.”  God is still in charge, in spite of recent events.  And through prayer, Jesus remembers what God is doing.  God is “hiding” and “revealing.”  That is, God is still at work, in spite of recent events.  Even in a difficult time, Jesus prayerfully remembers that God still rules–he’s still in charge and he’s still at work.

Take a moment to think of a circumstance in your life which has filled you with disappointment.  Things haven’t worked out as you wished.  Now pray to God as “Lord of heaven and earth” and confess that He’s still in charge of that circumstance.  And, confess in prayer that God’s still working in that situation, despite all appearances.

SHARE WITH OTHER READERS BELOW HOW YOU CONNECT WITH THIS PRAYER OF JESUS.

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Here is today’s prayer event: 25And when Jesus saw that a crowd came running together, he rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, “You mute and deaf spirit, I command you, come out of him and never enter him again.” 26And after crying out and convulsing him terribly, it came out, and the boy was like a corpse, so that most of them said, “He is dead.” 27But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up, and he arose. 28And when he had entered the house, his disciples asked him privately, “Why could we not cast it out?” 29And he said to them, “This kind cannot be driven out by anything but prayer.” (Mark 9:25-29 ESV)

This incident is preceded by the Transfiguration–a moment at which Jesus’ deity is clearly revealed.  Never has Jesus appeared stronger.  Never has he seemed mightier.

Yet here we find Jesus dependent and needful.  “This kind cannot be driven out by anything but prayer.”  The statement describes why the disciples could not drive out the boy’s demon.  They relied on their own power.  They did not ask for help from above.   Yet it also appears to describe why Jesus could drive out the boy’s demon.  Though not explicitly stated here, it seems Jesus did not rely on his own power.  He did ask for help from above.  At some point “in between the lines” of this text, Jesus prayed.  Not even the Transfigured Messiah could do this alone. 

“This…cannot be [accomplished] by anything but prayer.”  Are you willing to believe that there are some things that cannot be accomplished except through prayer?  If you took that line seriously, how would it impact your life?  If more churches took that line seriously, how would it change them?

What is something you’ve been trying to do on your own power?  In what area of your life are you more like the disciples (I can do this) and less like Jesus (God can do this)?  Pray today as if nothing will happen unless you pray.

SHARE WITH OTHER READERS BELOW WHY WE TEND TO STILL BE MORE LIKE THE DISCIPLES (I CAN DO THIS) AND LESS LIKE JESUS (GOD CAN DO THIS).

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Here is today’s prayer event: 28 Now about eight days after these sayings he took with him Peter and John and James and went up on the mountain to pray. 29And as he was praying, the appearance of his face was altered, and his clothing became dazzling white. 30And behold, two men were talking with him, Moses and Elijah, 31who appeared in glory and spoke of his departure, which he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem. 32Now Peter and those who were with him were heavy with sleep, but when they became fully awake they saw his glory and the two men who stood with him. 33And as the men were parting from him, Peter said to Jesus, “Master, it is good that we are here. Let us make three tents, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah”— not knowing what he said. 34As he was saying these things, a cloud came and overshadowed them, and they were afraid as they entered the cloud. 35And a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is my Son, my Chosen One; listen to him!”(Luke 9:28-35 ESV)

This is the second time in Luke 9 where perception follows prayer.  Jesus prays and is literally transformed before Peter, John, and James.  A veil is lifted and the three are permitted to see Jesus’ glory and hear the divine affirmation: “This is my Son.”  Jesus’ prayer leads to them seeing and hearing what they had never heard nor seen before.

I often lament that God does not audibly speak today as he did during the days of the events of the Bible.  I often complain that God does not visibly appear today as he did during the days of the events of the Bible.  But could it be that God is speaking–I just am not listening?  Could it be that God is appearing–I am just not watching?  Could it be that through a deeper practice of prayer, I too might see and hear what I have never heard nor seen before?

Pray throughout this day this simple prayer: “Open the eyes of my heart, Lord.  I want to see you.”

SHARE WITH OTHER READERS BELOW ONE PRACTICE/HABIT WHICH HAS ENABLED YOU TO DEEPEN YOUR PRAYER LIFE…

(Note: this series pauses each Sunday, with new material arriving on Monday)

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