THE LORD'S HEARTFELT PRAYER - PART 5
WEDNESDAY 05 JULY 2023
God is the Author of the great plan of salvation. And having faith in the true God is essential to our salvation because no one can be saved, who has no faith and confidence in God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Having prayed for us, God answered the Lord Jesus Christ and by Him, God made it possible for us to come to Him and become His very own precious possession. To that effect, 2nd Corinthians 5:21 says, "God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God" (NIV).
Reference: John 17:14-15 New International Version (NIV) 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. My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one.
The prayer was answered. Hallelujah! To confirm this truth, the Bible says, "During the days of Jesus' life on earth, He offered up prayers and petitions with fervent cries and tears to the one who could save Him from death, and He was heard because of His reverent submission" (Hebrews 5:7 NIV). Beloved, God answered all of His prayers on our behalf. Firstly, all of us who have received Christ have a new intimate relationship with the one and only true God, meaning that we are graciously unified with the Godhead, and will experience everlasting life, after this present world is over. This is an answer to Jesus' prayer in John 17:20-23 stated below:
"I am not asking on behalf of these alone, but also for those who believe in Me through their word, that they may all be one; just as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me. The glory which You have given Me I also have given to them, so that they may be one, just as We are one; I in them and You in Me, that they may be perfected in unity, so that the world may know that You sent Me, and You loved them, just as You loved Me" (NASB).
Secondly, God raised us up with Christ and positioned us together with Him, where He is seated at His right hand in the heavenly realms. To instantiate this truth, Ephesians 2:6 noted, "And God raised us up together with Him [when we believed], and seated us with Him in the heavenly places, [because we are] in Christ Jesus" (AMP). This is also an accurate response and answer to Jesus' prayer in John 17:24 stated below:
"Father, I desire that they also, whom You have given Me, be with Me where I am, so that they may see My glory which You have given Me, for You loved Me before the foundation of the world" (NASB).
For the time being, we are still in the world physically; however, from the spiritual standpoint, we are currently seated with Christ in the heavenly places by virtue of new birth, and we function from that realm in this present world.
More so, our future glory will be consummated, when Jesus comes back with the clouds of heaven, to take us with Him to where He is (see Revelation 1:7 NIV). Shalom!
Scripture Reading - John 11:40-42; Psalm 65:2; John 15:16; Hebrews 13:20-21.
Exuberant Declaration: Without doubt, Christ, the supreme Master-builder of my faith, is alive in me forevermore, and I'm completely immersed in an inexorable intimacy with His presence. He is the Rock of my salvation; the tried solid foundation of the church, and the assurance of my eternalised future glory with God the Father. Indeed, I testify that it is an inestimable privilege to be in Christ. Glory to God!
