Life has its disappointments. I liked Pirate Joe’s. Why? I admire entrepreneurs and enterprising folks. But as we know, even though the pirate met a need here, he irritated the original Joe, and had to close up shop. Not to make light of the struggle or the disappointment, but this is our common experience: everything doesn’t always work out the way we hoped. For praying people, we often pray all the way through such struggles. Which causes us to wonder
about our prayers
and
about our adventures
and
about our Lord.
Will all prayers be answered the way we intend?
Here’s a prayer that will be answered just as it was intended:
“They they may be one just as we are one.” John 17:22
Jesus asked the Father to do it.
In the Scripture when get to listen in on Jesus’ prayers, that’s the conversation of the communion of God. Father, Son and Holy Spirit are aligned with His intentions.
Jesus prayed for us…”That they may be one just as We are one.”
I am challenged by Oswald Chambers as he explores the implications of this prayer. (See below) What is available to God to accomplish Jesus’ request in us? All my struggles! Surrendering to the Lord in the midst of my struggles entails surrendering these struggles to Him and surrendering the “aims” that are frustrated.
“That they may be one just as We are one.”
In oneness with the Father, we can discern what to leave behind, how to persevere and how to love.
God is not concerned about our aims. He does not say, “Do you want to go through this bereavement, this upset?” He allows these things for His own purpose. We may say what we like, but God does allow the devil, He does allow sin, He does allow bad God is not concerned about our aims. He does not say, “Do you want to go through this bereavement, this upset?”
He allows these things for His own purpose. We may say what we like, but God does allow the devil, He does allow sin, He does allow bad mean and intensely selfish. How are we behaving ourselves in our circumstances? Do we understand the purpose of our life as never before?
God does not exist to answer our prayers, but by our prayers we come to discern the mind of God, and that is declared in John 17: 22: “That they may be one just as We are one.” Am I as close to Jesus as that? God will not leave me alone until I am. God has one prayer He must answer, and that is the prayer of Jesus Christ. It does not matter how imperfect or immature a disciple may be, if he will hang in, that prayer will be answered.
Chambers, Oswald. If You Will Ask: Reflections on the Power of Prayer (Kindle Locations 618 -629). Discovery House. Kindle Edition.
Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from the evil one.
AMEN.