I Am-Part 2featured
If you haven’t been able to read I Am Part One, you can find it here to get the fuller picture of what I’m referencing.
| I Am-Part 1INTRO: Over these next few installments, I’d love to give you a picture of the I Am- the God who was and is and … |
As life has progressively gotten busier, I’ve found the best way I can dig into Scripture is to listen to the bible being read to me while I’m getting ready for the day. It’s a sweet time to absorb the Word of God in a new way and allows me to hear new things each time. I love how God’s word is living and active, and how the Holy Spirit works within us to give us encouragement or conviction every time we encounter Scripture.
As I listened through the gospels a few weeks ago, the entirety of John 17 grabbed my attention in a fresh way, particularly because Jesus repeated “I Am” statements throughout his High Priestly Prayer.
Verse 9 says, “I am praying for them. I am not praying for the world but for those whom you have given me, for they are yours.”
WOW. Jesus Himself is praying for us, even in this moment. What peace and comfort that gives- our Savior, the Creator of our souls, is appealing to our Father on our behalf. If we are in Him- if we are His children- Jesus is interceding for us. Imagine what the throne room of the Father is like, with Jesus laying our most heartfelt, intimate prayers at our Father’s feet. Rest in this sweet fact today, friend. When you feel as if there are no more words left, when your soul feels parched, Jesus is meeting you in that place and agreeing with your cries.
Romans 8:26-27 expounds on this, as well: “In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God.”
So, not only is Jesus pleading our case to the Father, but the Spirit gives us our prayers and then relays those same prayers to the Father. The One who searches and knows our hearts is the same Spirit who prays for us as God’s children in the will of the Father. It’s honestly mind-blowing to try to understand this.
In John 17:10, Jesus says, “All mine are yours, and yours are mine, and I am glorified in them.” These are encouraging, yet weighty words for us as believers. If we belong to Christ, we MUST be glorifying Him above all else.
Take stock today – where are you glorifying Jesus? What circumstances or situations allow you to worship fully? What do you need to lay down in order to glorify Him in ways that you currently aren’t? What idols stand in your way of fully embracing ALL that it means to follow Jesus? Could it be comfort? Money? Time? Identity? Ask the Spirit to convict, and then truly repent of anything that impedes your worship and glorification of what the Lord is doing in and through you.
We serve a faithful and good God. Look to Him today to fill you with exactly what you need in each moment.
