Is He Praying for Us or Are We Praying to Him - Part 2

Pray that your children would get along and have bright futures you could relate to how Jesus is praying for you today on Turning Point.

The David Jeremiah continues his look at Christ into Sicily rolled about half of believers and some of the specific areas of bread he takes to the family is stated to introduce the conclusion of this message is right for us.

Praying to him while I told you on Friday that one of the most amazing little scriptures that I've read is this little phrase where Jesus is speaking to Peter and he says to Peter, Peter, I have prayed for you and that opens up an entire list of understanding of what happens in heaven where the Lord Jesus Christ is seated at the right hand of the father. The Bible says he's making intercession for us is praying for us and would you like to hear him pray. Would you like to know what he is praying about when he prays for you. While we don't know the specific things but we know the general things he prays about for all of us and would like to learn about that today, as we open our Bibles together. What an incredible thing to know at this particular time in our life in the situations were facing as a nation and as families as churches. What an incredible thing to know that we have one in heaven who cares. And he's praying for us. He's praying for you and for me for wisdom and for the other things I don't want to get ahead of myself and tell you everything ahead of time. I want you to listen and will study this together. Let's finish up our discussion of this question. Is he praying for us, or are we praying to him. You know that Satan is our accuser.

He's called the accuser of the brethren.

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 the verse of Scripture concerning Peter chapter 22 verse 31.

Jesus is talking to Peter and this is what he says. Simon, Simon, and being, 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 and 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 an assignment to strengthen 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 sale of Peter fell his faith not fail one 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 has Jesus prayed for Peter during his three-point denial of Jesus.

Jesus prays for us. We think well. When we succeed. It's Jesus praying for snow when were failing.

Jesus is praying for us and 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 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 is praying for our protection.

He's praying for our security to Jesus cares about our sufficiency 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 has might be fulfilled in us, he wasn't talking about just joy but fulfilled joy overrunning joy, abundant joy, sufficient joy was talking about Jesus joy.

Let me tell you, as you know is not talking about happiness that depends on the happenings is 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 means a sense of well-being within a person joy of Jesus is that since you have no matter what's going on around you. But most important thing is okay and in your heart, there's this feeling this since 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 inward Jesus 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 out of feast. It was at the feast of Cana of Galilee was a marriage. Jesus was involved in joy perform miracles set people on Torah rejoicing throughout the New Testament. He generously imparted his joy to other people when they hear the 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 and got up and went into the temple. Listen to this. He was walking and leaping and praising God.

There's 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, said our lives ought to be characterized by righteousness and peace and so most joyous people in the world we come to church and we can help and we rejoice, we sing 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. One of 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. Also over 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 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 you sure you're going to make it or not, every day is a gift from God isn't an everyday is a day to rejoice in every day is a day to say today's God's gift to rejoice in this day 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. When I was a child growing up in my father's church. We used to have Wednesday night prayer meetings and Sunday night church services, and quite often both on Wednesday night and Sunday night they would take time out of the early part of the service for what they called testimony meeting. We would have open testimonies. We do that now funerals were used to church open customer open mic.

It was always interesting when I noticed was it was always about three people every week they would be the first ones up and I say this, but it was three ladies and they always said the same thing they would get up and say just so thankful that I saved sanctify and save rose but I wasn't sure what sanctified was I was pretty sure I didn't want it because I didn't want her not like them. I didn't know what sanctified was until many years later, and I found out it's not a bad word is a good word sanctified means to be made holy 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 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 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 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 in the rain sin.

I want you to go there and seek and save that which is lost from your 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. When 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 your private. I will print so long.

I understand that I don't think Jesus is praying that I think you all are planning about. 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 is praying for you when you drive, the shuttle is praying for you and you serve on the board if you're in the ministry of Jesus, you can count on you are on his prayer list is praying for you that you will carry out the ministry in a way that brings fruit to the kingdom is praying for you ministry is over 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 you 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 can ask you raise your hands because a lot of you would 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 write a church that was in a big fight. I remember reading about Ray Steadman. He said that Christians can be like a group of porcupines on a cold winters night. They need to be close to another so they can reflect the heat from their bodies. But as soon as they get close enough to get they print each other with their quills and then spread apart again.

When I first got to Fort Wayne I used to go to the YMCA every day for lunch and played basketball for an hour and there was a whole group of us that played in over the arch of the white ceiling walked in with these words from John 17 that they may one we walked to the arch and go down in the pit and kill each other for an hour. Such a rough experience.

Believe it or not.

I broke both of my ankles in one year playing basketball at the Y but over the arch was that they may be one, like many churches, you know, 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 that is something we have to protect and right now up in heaven.

Jesus is praying for our unity is 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 destiny.

Listen to this verse 24 chapter 17.

Father, I desire that they also, whom you gave me. Maybe with me where I can.

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 looked out 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 is 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 were not so I would've told you. I go to prepare a place. 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 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 are 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 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 and Psalms prayer list that one day we will be with him with some friends.

Jesus is praying for us. Praying for you been watching the news lately, you've probably noticed that Chicago is being mentioned a lot about things happening in Chicago. Many people being murdered there every year, every year exceeding one or two in the number of murders, gang warfare. Chicago is a rough place. It's always been known for its mobs. Right now it seems likely gone back to the 20s gang warfare is just awful right in the middle of Chicago is a place called the Pacific Garden Mission when I was a student in college, I worked at a Christian radio station and one of my tasks was to put the programs on the air that we aired on that station was called unshackled unshackled was a program about all the miracles that happened out of the Pacific garden Mission people it would come there it's right down in the heart of the roughest part of Chicago and people would come there with no options left long before the street people became what they were Pacific garden Mission was the place where you went. If you have anything couldn't eat, they would give you food give you a bed to sleep in and part of the deal was you had to go to chapel and they had preachers in there all the time preaching the gospel hundreds of thousands of people say that the Pacific garden Mission and went out to tell her story that she had the program unshackled in Pacific garden Mission became the prototype for all the missions and all of the cities was a mission in LA it's a prototype of the Pacific garden Mission and it was kind of like the last resort if you went there you just be overwhelmed at the condition of the people filed in the door they knew they could get something to eat, they knew to be a place to sleep over the door of that mission. Were these words. Words that make you almost cry when you hear them. Here's what's over the door of that mission. Your mother's prayers have followed you when you walk in the mission.

That's what it says your mother's prayers have followed a subtle reminder to many of them that they have mothers who prayed for them and those prayers follow them all the way to the mission in Chicago until finally they were arrested by the spirit of God and brought to a place of redemption. I discovered in my own life as a parent that there are certain things that we can do to influence our children when they're small, we can guide them. We can make sure they go on the right. That would put them in Christian schools and we built some barriers around the edges of their life. But as they get older. There comes a time in our life when we have to turn them over to the heavenly father to pray that he would care for them to pray that he would keep them pray that he would watch over them. I've gone through that with all my children and some of my grandchildren Lord nothing more I can do and I pray that you will guide them present amazing thing in 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's prayers that you might come to him.

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 crazy.

I don't know what you're going through this week but let me try something Jesus is praying for you to pray to Jesus, but Jesus is praying for you is praying for all B6 things and 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.

Thank you Jesus for what you do for us. I am so grateful for the intercession that goes on from the Scripture that Jesus is praying for you tomorrow going to ask this question.

Is he doing greater works or are we in the course the answer is yes, we'll talk about that right here tomorrow on this good station.

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Jeremiah study Bible and the English as well as the new international standard will not help but I don't David Jeremiah dog/right of join us tomorrow as we continue the series Jesus not David Jeremiah will