Is He Praying for Us or Are We Praying to Him - 23

Christian woke to the point with you the dish no matter what you going from you. Have a good this is listing you (24 July.

Jeremiah examines this often overlooked role with Jesus Provence from heaven is David's introduce is he praying for us what we bring to him and here we are on the weekend edition of Turning Point and I'm David Jeremiah 1 of the most remarkable statements in the Bible is this one from the lips of Jesus, Peter, I have prayed for you and you everything about the fact that Jesus is praying for you if you could have anybody in all of the universe. Pray for you, who would be what I wanted to be Jesus and the Bible says he is praying for you more about this next week I want to talk about this question is Jesus just a liar or does he really care is Jesus just there watching us, or is involved with us in some way that would show us that he has compassion for us and our needs.

Sometimes we know he's there. But we don't know that he cares we don't know for sure that he cares people sometimes tell us that he does, but it's hard for us to believe that he can really mean so many of us, how could he care for us. Yet when you survey the life of Jesus you find a man who cared for the people around him in surprising ways to touch lepers secured the sick. He befriended social pariahs. He cherished children. His last acts were to pray for the forgiveness of his murderers and then to look beside him and feel compassion for a dying thief, whom he encouraged and assured of salvation, the more difficult Jesus life became more people crowded around him with demands and the closer he moved to a torturous death, the more loving and caring and forgiving.

He became when Jesus saw broken humanity.

He reached out to care for them and I don't about you, but one of the first verses I learned as a little child was first Peter 57 cast all your care upon him, for he cares for you.

Although Jesus is no longer walking beside us in the physical realm. His concern for us is no less real and the Bible tells us that one of the ways he chooses to care for us is through prayer. I mentioned this to you earlier in the series that Jesus is praying for us. But I want to unpack and explore that a little bit further today. After Jesus accomplished all that was necessary for our redemption and salvation at the cross. He took his place at the right hand of the father and from there for the last 2000+ years. He has continued his ministry to us through prayer. We all know that we pray to Jesus, but we may not know that Jesus prays for us.

The Bible speaks about this in several places in generality, for instance. Romans eight says it this way, who shall bring a charge against God's elect is God who justifies.

Who is he who condemns it is Christ who died and furthermore also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us. He's interceding for us St. Paul to the Romans.

The writer of Hebrews echoes these words because he continues forever.

He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through him, since he always makes intercession for them market down in your notes that Jesus is praying for us. Have you ever had the experience of knowing that someone was praying for you.

I mean that there is not anything like that in the world to know that people are praying for you so many times you guys send me notes or personally. Tell me passively pray for you every day and you have no idea what that means to me to know that you pray for me and I pray for you. I remember reading about John Patton of Scotland who grew up in a small Scottish cottage where he could hear his father praying for him in the next room and the sound of his father's voice in prayer follow him throughout all of his life even after his father's death. He said he could still hear his father praying for him as he would think about him and Worthington is a lifelong Christian worker who now is retired in North Carolina. She recalls her parents rising every morning for devotion. She said when my father was working he would get up at 430 and study and play as long as I live I will remember hearing him in the bathroom praying out loud over his prayer list.

I remember hearing my mother pray for me I would come home from a game or from some outing and oftentimes I will walk in and out here. My mother praying for me out loud anything better than the know that people pray for you to know that they care enough to pray, perhaps you're thinking is you elicited that you know a Dr. Jeremiah.

I don't think anybody's ever told me that there praying for me. I'm sure to somebody her like that. Well you could have that joy right now because on the final night of his normal earthly life.

Jesus gives us a glimpse of his pro-life how he prays for us is recorded for us in the 17th chapter of the Gospel of John.

This passage is normally referred to as Christ's high priestly prayer. It's the longest section of the words of Jesus in the Bible and some of the great past teachers on the Bible have said this is such a special passage that they don't dare preach on it so when their preaching to the book of John. They preached to the 16th chapter men they preach from 18 on and they just read John 17.

Some people say John 17 is holy ground. Take your shoes off when you come to John 17 this is Jesus praying and we have the words of his prayer of the chapter is organized so that the first five verses record Jesus prayer for himself and verses 6 to 26 record him, praying for his disciples, and in that section where he prays for his disciples. He's praying for us, and there we can learn several things about what Jesus prays when he prays for you and me very interesting that his prayers are quite different than ours, although in some ways that the safe. What's the one thing we pray about most often when we pray for our children, especially if they're not around us. We pray for their protection and their safety. And I want you to know, first of all, today that Jesus cares about your security read with me. John 17 verses 11 and 15. This is what it says. Holy father keep through your name those whom you have given me.

I do not pray that you should take them out of the world, but that you should keep them from the evil one in these verses Jesus is praying that the father would keep us secure in the world has there ever been a time in your history, your mind when we needed that more to know that the father is hearing prayers from the sun for our protection. We are living in a dangerous world and a frightening world in many respects, but Jesus is praying for us. He's asking the father to keep us safe, as he himself had kept his disciples safe.

He was on this earth would keep is a wonderful word. It means to guard or watch over and you know the picture I did in my mind when I see that bird I think of Jesus. On one occasion in the Gospels in the sixth of John is the story you know the story when I tell you which one it is. The disciples are out in the middle of the sea of Galilee in the boat and there in deep trouble. There's a big storm water out in the boat.

Jesus is up in the mountain. The Bible tells us he went up to the mountains to pray and when they got to the moment of their greatest trial. Jesus comes to them in the midst of the storm because he'd been watching over them from the mountains and when he wasn't in the boat with them. He was watching over them in prayer and that's what he prays for us. Father in the midst of their storm in the midst of their difficulty in this world watch over them, protect them and keep them. He's praying for your security for your safety and for mine. I look back over my life and I'm sure you could do this as well and I realize that there were many times when I was at a crossroads where I had a decision to make and I didn't know what to do and if I had made the wrong decision, it would've changed everything about my life. I surely wouldn't be here today.

I could've gone the wrong way.

It was the indwelling Holy Spirit… Conviction to my heart kept me from doing the wrong thing and often times when I was at a point of decision. I would be reading the word of God and a portion of God's word would jump off the page into my heart. It was like God was speaking out loud and I would know this is the way walk in this way, and I would do the right thing where it had been left myself, I would've probably done the other. Think how many of you know, as you look back over your life. You did a lot of things you didn't want to do, but they turned out to be the right things. The one thing I'll never understand till I get to heaven is this when the Holy Spirit has done all he can do to keep me out of trouble and the word of God is that all it can do to keep me out of trouble there still more for up in heaven. Next to the father is my Savior and he's praying for me. He's praying. Take care Jeremiah down there in El Cajon to let him do something foolish. Keep them from the evil one. Don't let him get caught up in something that could ruin his life. The word of God in the spirit of God and the prayer of the Lord at the right hand of the father. I found these words again from the Old Testament.

Psalms they fit right here. Let me read them to you. Some hundred and 21 verses three through eight. He will not allow your foot to be moved. He who keeps you will not slumber. Behold him who keeps Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep.

The Lord is your keeper.

The Lord is your shade at your right hand.

The sun shall not strike you by day, nor the moon by night.

The Lord shall preserve you from all evil shall preserve your soul. The Lord shall preserve your going out and you're coming in from this time forth, even for evermore. The Lord is our keeper and he is praying for us at the right hand of the father. Then in the next verse, Jesus asks his father to protect us from the evil one.

How many of you know that Satan is our accuser. He's called the accuser of the brethren.

The Bible says he goes around like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. What is he trying to give our he's trying to devour our influence is trying to devour our testimony for Jesus Devour our salvation because he has no right to take that from us but he can destroy our reputation and destroy our influence for God. He's always about that testing us in trying to get us to make the wrong decision but did you know that the Lord Jesus is praying for us that we will not be overcome by Satan.

The best illustration of that is in a verse of Scripture concerning Peter chapter 22 verse 31. Jesus is talking to Peter and this is what he says. Simon, Simon, indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you that your faith should not fail. And when you have returned to me, strengthen your brethren. When Satan singled out Peter, Jesus assured Peter that he would not face the evil one alone. He told Peter that he was praying for his faith not to fail. Now we know. Hours later, it appeared as if Peter did fail to deny the Lord Jesus Christ. Three times, but how many of you know that wasn't the end of the story you have to read all the way through the book of John to the 21st chapter and after Jesus resurrection Peter returns to Jesus and Jesus gives him the assignment to strengthen the brothers. In other words, in response to Jesus prayer God allowed Satan to sift Peter but he did not allow Peter to fall through the sieve and although Peter fell his faith not fail a reminder to us men and women that Jesus cares enough to play us through our failures. All of us are men and women who have failed were not failures because we fail.

But we have all failed in some way and when we fail, the Bible gives us this encouragement that, as Jesus prayed for Peter during his three-point denial of Jesus. Jesus prays for us know we think well. When we succeed. It's Jesus praying for snow when were failing. Jesus is praying for us and he praises through our failures so that we get back to the place of fellowship with him, we don't fully understand the spiritual warfare that we face every day. We do not know all the ways in which the devil accuses us before God. But we have the blood of Jesus Christ pleading for us and we have the one whose blood is pleading for us. Jesus protects us from the evil one. He shields us by his prayers and by the power of his blood. His prayers are a protective force around us. Jesus is praying for us. What is he praying he's praying for our protection.

He's praying for our security number two Jesus cares about our sufficiency.

Verse 13 of chapter 17 says, now I come to you and these things I speak in the world that they may have my joy fulfilled in themselves.

In verse 13 Jesus prayed that the joy he has might be fulfilled in us, he wasn't talking about just joy but fulfilled joy overrunning joy, abundant joy, sufficient joy. He was talking about Jesus joy. Let me tell you, as you know is not talking about happiness that depends on the happenings he's talking about joy that depends on Jesus and Jesus joy is so amazing Jesus joy is the answer to the Hebrew greeting shalom may tell us that the word shalom means more than peace. It means a sense of well-being within a person with joy of Jesus is that since you have but no matter what's going on around you.

The most important thing is okay and in your heart. There is this feeling this sense of the sufficiency of the joy of Jesus. I've seen this illustrated in so many believers and I've even experienced it. Sometimes in my own life that during very troubling times and times that would normally take a smile off of your face the inward.

Jesus puts joy in your heart that's beyond anything you can explain your Jesus was a joyous person.

I've always been amazed that when Jesus came on the scene. His first miracle was in at a funeral, but at a feast.

It was at the feast of Cana of Galilee was a marriage everywhere you look. Jesus was involved in joy. He performed miracles set people on a tour of rejoicing throughout the New Testament. He generously imparted his joy to other people. One day, he healed a crippled woman.

She stood right up and began praising God the Samaritan leper healed by Jesus return to Jesus and the Scripture said he was praising God in a loud voice, and when the lame man at the gate beautiful was healed. He got up and went into the temple. Listen to this. He was walking and leaping and praising God and others.

A man is happy describing these moments in the life of Jesus. Paul put it this way.

He said the kingdom of God's righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit all said our lives ought to be characterized by righteousness and peace and joy to be the most joyous people in the world.

That's what we have we come to church and we can help and we rejoice, we see upbeat music we sing happy music we sing joyous music.

I know some people think you worship with a dirge but I can put that together. In the New Testament Scripture, we are to be people of joy. We should never apologize for being joyous. The great lessons I learned what I studied the book of Ecclesiastes, which is a rather dark book because it records the writings of Solomon when he was away from God is trying to reason life out as if there were no God, but even in the midst of all of that eight times in Ecclesiastes.

We are told to rejoice in the life that God has given us men and women we should not go around all sober look like life is over.

Even in the most difficult things we have on earth. We have so much to be joyous about Lewis means was one of my favorite writers.

He's in heaven now, but his books remain is what he said you and I were created for joy. And if we miss it, we miss the reason for our existence. Jesus experience of joy in his life and now he's praying that we do the same when I wake up in the morning.

I often say this part is I might be in as much as I don't want to get up. This is the day the Lord has made I will rejoice and be glad in it. You know if you've ever been through a serious illness. Maybe one were you when sure you're going to make it or not, every day is a gift from God isn't an every day is a day to rejoice in every day is a day to say today is God's gift to me him to rejoice in this day I may not know the answers all my problems but I will not be defined by the difficulties of my life. I will be defined by the joy of Jesus in my heart. Jesus gives us that opportunity now listen all men just let me remind you again, this is what Jesus is praying for us is not only praying for our securities praying for our sufficiency. He wants us to have joy Jesus joy fulfilled joy.

Shalom in our hearts is the third one Jesus cares about your maturity. This is found in John 17 verse 17 this is what it says Jesus is praying he is praying. Sanctify them by your truth.

Your word is truth up in heaven.

Jesus is praying that you and I will be good people, holy people he's praying for our sanctification. The Bible is God's chief means of bringing doubt about and so we are surprised to read that his prayer goes like this sanctify them by your truth. Your word is truth. What is praying is that when we open this book. We don't just learn more of the Bible, but the Bible gets into our lives and changes who we are. So sanctify them make them holy by your truth.

Your word is truth. He's praying for us right now that the word of God that were studying from John 17 will not just pass through our minds and out the other side, but they will find a place of residence in our hearts and we will listen to the words and those words will change us from the inside out. That's what Jesus is praying he is praying for our sanctification is praying for our maturity is the fourth one. Jesus is praying about our security about our sufficiency is praying about her maturity is praying about our ministry in John 1718. He says this is you sent me into the world. I also have sent them into the world.

Millimeters break that down for you. Jesus was the first missionary to the world in which you and I live one day in heaven. God called his son to the throne and said I need you to go to the earth where the people are struggling and don't know what to do and there in sin. I want you to go there and seek and to save that which is lost pay the penalty for their sin on the cross. Now Jesus is saying to his father. Just as one day you sent me into the world. I am sending all of your disciples including us into the world with the same message to seek and save the lost. What I realize when I read this is that Jesus is praying for us when we carry out the mission for which he was sent whenever we go out to do the ministry God has given us.

We can be assured that up in heaven. Jesus is praying for us is praying for me when I preaches all of you do some of you pray that I will put so long.

I understand that I don't think Jesus is praying that I think you all a plan involving Jesus. He's praying for you when you are sure he's praying for you when you teach children he's praying for you when you work in the parking lot he's praying for you when you drive the shuttle he's praying for you when you serve on the board if you're in the ministry of Jesus, you can count on it. You are on his prayer list needs praying for you that you will carry out the ministry in a way that brings fruit to the kingdom he's praying for you ministry is number five is praying for your unity. John 1721 says this I pray Jesus is praying now. I pray father that they all may be one as you are in me and I in you, that they also may be one in us that the world may believe that you sent me numerous Jesus is praying for our unity. He's praying that we have unity in our church God microvascular. Raise your hands because a lot of you would many of you have come out of situations where you been in a church where unity wasn't anywhere to be seen. Maybe went to a church split or maybe Richardson was in a big fight we speak it but we don't live it. Thank God that we have this wonderful unity that God is given us don't take it for granted. It is something we have to protect and right now up in heaven. Jesus is praying for our unity.

He's praying for our oneness that we would reflect according to the Bible the same spirit that he has with the father he wants us to be one in our unity and then finally Jesus is praying for our destiny. Listen to this verse 24 chapter 17. Father, I desire that they also, whom you gave me. Maybe with me where I am.

The folks here's another one of those little kind of upside down truths we all know that we want to be with Jesus. I mean all of us. We talk about that as we get older we have so many people that we've invested in heaven already. We look forward to the day when were with Jesus and were united with the people that we love. But here's what we may not know about Jesus. Listen to this.

Jesus wants to be with us.

It's not just that we want to be with Jesus. Listen to this. It says that they may be with me where I Jesus wants us to be with him over in John chapter 14, he says, in my father's house are many mansions if it were not so I would've told you.

I go to prepare a place for it and if I go to prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you and myself. The listeners that where I am, you may be also.

Jesus wants us to be with him. We want to be with him. We know that, but did you know that Jesus wants you to be with him way more than you want to be with its his desire for you to someday be with him if you put your trust in Jesus Christ there is any doubt about the fact that that will happen. The Bible says when you're a Christian. If you trust the Lord absent from the body is present with the Lord soon as you take your last breath down here you take the first one up there and you're absent from your body but you present with the Lord and the Lord Jesus is so looking forward to that that he prays about it in his prayers. It's on his prayer list that one day we will be with him some friends. Jesus is praying for us. Praying for you and the father in heaven is hearing the prayers of his son Jesus for you right now when he prays for us.

We draw near to him.

He draws near to us and he's praying for you right now if you don't know him as your personal savior is prayers that you might come to him and open your heart and receive him. And if you're a Christian, I want you to hear the words of the Savior right from John 17. Here's what he saying to you and to me, to be praying for you is going to be praying for. I don't know what you go through this week but let me try something Jesus is praying for you. You pray, Jesus, but Jesus is praying for you is praying for all the six things in others. I didn't have time to get to. He knows you better than you know yourself.

He knows what you need is right now in heaven before God's throne. He's interceding for you and for me hallelujah thank you Jesus for what you do for us. We hope you enjoyed today's Turning Point, weekend edition with Dr. David Jeremiah hear this and other programs and get more information about how ministry by downloading the free Turning Point mobile and fuel's nonfinal tablet by visiting our website at David Jeremiah don't/when you and David Jeremiah.G/you can also view point television channel 72 Sunday mornings at night and on a nice ECT thing Sundays at 6:30 AM and Fridays at one. We invite you to join us again next week is Dr. David Jeremiah and she is another powerful message from God's word right here on tuning point weekend taking time to listen to find a friend. He's increased in size and all