Day 15

Week 3: The Greatest Prayer Ever Prayed

THE LORD"S PRAYER

SCRIPTUREJohn 17:13-19 (NIV) ¹³  "I am coming to you now, but I say these things while I am still in the world, so that they may have the full measure of my joy within them. ¹⁴  I have given them your word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world. ¹⁵  My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. ¹⁶  They are not of the world, even as I am not of it. ¹⁷  Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth. ¹⁸  As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world. ¹⁹

 For them I sanctify myself, that they too may be truly sanctified.

 OBSERVATIONJesus in His prayer tells us that the Word of God is essential for us if we want to live victorious Christian lives. UNDERSTANDINGJesus prays that the disciples would have joy and then says that the joy comes from the words He spoke. (v 13)The Word of God gives us joy to live overcoming lives in this world.  The Bible tells us that the joy of the Lord is our strength and we gain a perspective of joy as we read God’s Word to understand His character and revel in His promises. God’s Word also assures us of His love for us.  (v14)The world may hate those who are children of God but we are able to stand strong because of the assurance that God loves us.  We experience this love through the Holy Spirit but we know of this love because of God’s Word.Jesus also tells us in His prayer that God’s Word gives us the power we need to live holy lives.  We live in an unholy world but we are called to live holy lives and that can feel insurmountable at times as we are bombarded with the things that lead us to unholiness.  This is why the Word of God is so important – we must daily wash our minds in the Word. LIFE APPLICATIONJesus prays that we will overcome the world and He tells us that the Word of God is one of the tools necessary to be able to accomplish that.D.L. Moody wrote in the front of his Bible, "This book will keep you from sin or sin will keep you from this book."Are we taking advantage of this tool?  Are we learning to wield it properly, learning how to be proficient with it?  Are we practicing with the Biblical sword or do we wield it once or twice a week hoping that somehow we will be experts at it?