John 17:1—After Jesus said this, he looked toward heaven and prayed. Read todays devotion, Your High Priest is on Your Side, from Meditations, an inspiring, personal devotional booklet offering daily Scripture-based, soul-searching studies of Gods word. There is a beautiful phrase that Christians often use when one or the other of us is struggling through tough times. “I’ll keep you in my prayers,” we say. To know that fellow Christians are praying for you is real comfort. Not only are they thinking about you. They’re bringing your troubles and concerns before the Father’s throne in heaven, and you know that he hears and answers those concerns for Jesus’ sake. This practice of praying for someone else is so important that God made it one of the key duties of his Old Testament high priests. The high priest’s job was twofold: to offer sacrifices and to offer prayers on behalf of God’s people. God’s people needed those prayers then, and we still need them today. The time for Old Testament high priests has come and gone, but God has appointed one person who will always pray for you and will never forget. He happens to be your closest friend. He knows even better than you do what you need. Jesus is your High Priest. He sacrificed himself once for the sins of all, and he has risen from the dead and ascended into heaven. He prays for you and all believers at the right hand of his Father. It’s wonderful enough to know that Jesus is praying for us. In this week’s Scripture lesson, we get to hear what he says. It was the eve of Jesus’ crucifixion. Jesus had just told his disciples that although they would have trouble in this world, they could take heart because Jesus had overcome the world (John 16:33). Then, starting with today’s verse, Jesus prayed for his disciples everywhere. In so doing, he gives us an idea of what he is always praying for when he prays for us. Among other things, he prays for our forgiveness, for protection from spiritual danger, for the strengthening of our faith, for unity with our fellow believers, and for our eternal life with him in heaven. Even in our earthly lives, it’s nice to be noticed by someone important, but there’s no honor in this world that can compare to the honor of knowing that your name is in the heart and on the lips of Jesus, your risen Savior. He will continue to pray for you. Jesus is your High Priest, and he will always keep you in his prayers. Prayer: Dear Jesus, my risen and ascended Savior, give me confidence in knowing that you have forgiven all my sins and that you pray for me every day. Amen. From Meditations: Vol. 57, No. 3, Edited by Curtis A. Jahn © 2014 Northwestern Publishing House. All rights reserved.
Posted on: Mon, 02 Jun 2014 00:30:00 +0000
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