ANSWERING JESUS’ PRAYER
How many times in our lives have we prayed to God asking for something? Can we even count that high?!? How many of us have had prayers answered the way we hoped? Aren’t we thrilled when God answers our prayers that way? Isn’t it even more magnificent when the prayer is answered in a way that is far better than that for which we actually prayed? That happens a lot of times, too. It’s great to know that not only are our wills & God’s will in line, but also all the more impressive when God surprises us by going one better than ever we imagined. It’s truly wonderful.
In today’s lesson, Jesus is the one praying. He prays to God for us. Will God answer his prayer, as he requests? Here’s the big question, though: Will we answer Jesus’ prayer the way he wants? We want Jesus to act positively on our requests. Are we willing to respond to his request?
I love listening to people pray. My all-time favorite pray-er is Ray Stark, a retired pastor on staff at
I don’t always hear people’s prayers, of course, & I often wonder what everyone prays about & prays for.
There is an intimacy to hearing others’ prayers & letting them hear yours. For most of us, outside of a mealtime prayer or a recitation of the Lord’s Prayer at church, praying is something that we do alone with God. Praying with others, though, such as one’s spouse, children, parents, & close friends, opens up new vistas in those relationships. (Talk to Karen Fallows about the prayer group she’s organized.) We give these loved ones a glimpse into our souls. They share that same blessing with us. Praying with others & hearing their prayers is an honor & privilege.
Today, we hear Jesus’ prayer. We don’t have to wonder what he’s thinking or praying for. We know. He prays for us.
In the prayer that John records, we learn that there is a unity between Jesus & his followers. What he asks for himself in prayer, he asks for us, too. It’s a dual-purpose prayer without repeating those requests.
We also see in this prayer that Jesus prays for us, not for the entire world. In this final prayer before he takes leave, he trusts that the best way to care for the world is by praying for his disciples (the 12, as well as others then & in the future). If we, his disciples, love one another in the faith community, our oneness in him primes us to go into the world to care for others. In a sense, charity & love begin at home, but they do not selfishly end there. We bear Christian responsibility for our world.
Jesus’ prayer has three petitions. He prays that he might bring glory to God (1) & share the gift of eternal life with us (2). By accomplishing those items, he endeavors to bring us to know God (3).
As I said, what Jesus prays for himself, though, becomes his prayer for his followers, too. He, therefore, prays that we will glorify God in our lives & share with others the gift of eternal life, so that they would come to know God, too.
Exactly, how do we do this? He doesn’t say. Jesus does not specify how we are to answer his prayer. He simply expects that it will be answered. He does add one caveat in verse eleven: “That they would all be one.”
Do you need me to tell you that there is a lot on which Christians are not one, on which we disagree? Some persons prefer to worship with a “high” liturgy & lots of chanting & rituals. Some want things simpler. Some want the old hymns sung & hold to a doctrine which prohibits them from singing with instrumental accompaniment; everything is a capella. Some only want the organ or piano to accompany them. Some want a praise band. Some want paid soloists. Some want a choir. Some only want the congregation.
At holy communion, United Methodists welcome all believers & everyone who desires to become a Christian believer. Other denominations only want their kind to be served. Still others don’t even want “non-members” to be in the room during the part of worship when communion begins. Persons not baptized in their church are instructed to leave after the sermon.
Some persons will only pray with others who believe as they do, eschewing community prayer services. Some congregations will not even affiliate socially with persons who are not members of their church.
Sadly, there’s plenty about which we can disagree, & I didn’t even get into social or political issues.
So, on what can we agree? And, on what can we agree as Christians, that will have a positive effect on the world? How can we answer Jesus’ prayer?
The weekly Tuesday morning men’s group has found a way. We just finished a bestseller by former
Don’t you know, the men who gathered each Tuesday represented a breadth of opinions, not unlike much of the country. We could disagree about the topics & were honest, & vocal, in our disagreement. No shrinking violets here!
How could we, then, answer Jesus’ prayer? We found two similarities: 1) our faith in Christ that allowed us to love one another as Jesus loves us; & 2) our common desire to serve him by serving others in need. That’s why the next book we chose, & will soon begin, is entitled, Compassion, Justice, & the Christian Life: Rethinking Ministry to the Poor.
I believe, we believe, that caring for others in need is not only doing what Jesus calls us to do, but bridges the wide gaps in relationships that are so rending the social fabric of our society. Here’s something on which persons of all stripes can agree. Like many of you, we don’t like what we see going on in our culture. We firmly believe, though, that we can address the problems & do something about them. We want to care for the widows & orphans in our midst, as the Bible expects, as well as serving beyond our church membership. Love & charity may begin at home, but don’t end there. The media & religious extremists work to give Jesus’ followers a bad name, but we can counter them & show forth Christ in vital, caring, faith-sharing ministries.
Please understand that we engage in this ministry because we are disciples of Jesus, who serve others because that’s what he came to do. This is not just being a good citizen or do-gooder. We’re motivated by Jesus’ example & respond to his call. Christian persons of integrity can state our convictions with “gentleness & reverence,” without beating persons over the head with the Bible. Jesus is important to us. We’re not pushy about that, but we can’t, in good conscience, be silent about where our inspiration comes from, either. May we never deny or hide the One who loves us so much.
These men, then, have made some new commitments. Some of them were already leading Christ-centered lives at work & community & home. A few of them decided to do some new things. This month’s
Christ & these brothers in Christ have spurred me on, too. I enjoy participating in the tasks that Manna on Main Street needs, or walking with so many of you at the CROP Walk, or staying overnight with a homeless family in June. Since I left the volunteer fire service, though, I’ve not found a replacement for that larger block of time & energies, until recently.
I’m starting to serve (as a volunteer with) a sister congregation in the city, the Mid-town Parish. Remarkably, it is a church without a church. Their building was demolished three years ago & they are valiantly trying to carry on ministry without it. Can you imagine! We’re working to improve our ministry by restoring our interior walls. They don’t even have exterior walls. I’ll share more of their story with you in the future.
For now, I want to help. I can help. They need the prayers & hands-on involvement from a whole lot of brothers & sisters as they minister in the 7th & Norris neighborhood of
The Tuesday morning men, like many of us here, can give praise-filled testimony to the way Jesus answers prayer. The men, in their new endeavors, believe they’ve found a way to answer Jesus’ prayer.
How & when can each of us answer Jesus’ prayer?
In the Name…. Copyright 2008 by G.D.Knerr in
Like a lot of parents, Deb & I taught the girls to pray at mealtime & at bedtime. They started by learning one prayer before meals, then a small collection of prayers which they learned by heart, then reading prayers as they became readers, & of course, eventually speaking their own prayers.
When they went to bed as infants, Deb or I prayed that classic, “Now I lay me down to sleep,” had our daughters join in when they were able to speak, & eventually came to say that prayer on their own. Slowly, but surely, Kira & Krista became more independent. Most times now, they say those bedtime prayers on their own. At times we join them or listen alongside the bed. With that independence come some beautiful prayers.