Today is the 18th day of Lent, a 40 day season of spiritual reflection, repentance, and renewal. During these 40 days we’ll explore the prayer life of Jesus, walking chronologically through every mention of Jesus’ prayer life and prayers in the Gospels.
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.
[image: http://www.flickr.com/photos/grujbarova/3323702112/]
This is a great topic, but one I will have to think about for a bit…
Perhaps the one circumstance that stands out in my mind happened about 12 years ago. I had just reluctantly resigned from a youth minister’s job in California. I was not happy about it and I felt persecuted that it had come to that. I had an interview with a great church in North Carolina. EVERYTHING went well. I had an outstanding interview. Ten of the twelve search committee members were 100% sold that I was the one. Most everybody, including the elders of the church, knew it was just a formality to hire me. But one of the two objecting committee members (who was a lawyer that had become a millionaire at age 40 and then retired) resigned in protest from the committee that I would be hired. He did not like the fact that I was 3 hours short of my youth ministry degree. (Never mind that fact that I had 10 years of experience at the time). As it turned out the elders voted 5 to 4 NOT to hire me for they did not want to split the church in any way shape or form with this new hire. I always felt wronged by the influence of this one wealthy man. But in reality it was the catalyst to get me to finish my degree and go on to get my Master of Divinity degree. As I look back on it now, I can see it was a time when God used a negative in my life to bring about the greater good.
i struggle with pride in those situations. my prayer is often selfishly to let ME be the one to solve the problem/help the person/save the day. although i pray for a good outcome for the person for whom i am praying, i want to be the one glorified for doing it. i may act humble about it, but inside i like praise. i need to pray “Lord, glorify YOUR name” not mine.
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