(Devotions this week based on Sunday’s Message: Pray Like Jesus! Pray for Spiritual Protection! – CLICK HERE)
Good morning devotions readers!
First an apology for not getting the readings posted for last week while we were on vacation.
Second, thank you to Pastor Dan Laitinen, missionary of the TELL Network which brings Jesus to the world through digital means, for filling in the last two weeks and continuing the series “Pray Like Jesus.”
Jesus’ prayer in John 17 is a powerful prayer which communicates what is on Jesus’ mind the night before he went to the cross. Fully understanding the impact of this moment in time, Jesus prays for those that would be carrying the importance of this message to the world.
Even in Jesus’ day there were those that would want to “cancel” the disciples and “censor” anything that spoke of Jesus as the Savior. In fact, behind the effort was Satan himself. If demise could come to the disciples, the movement and message would die. One of the twelve was already “doomed to destruction” because Satan had changed his heart from following Jesus to filling his pockets.
Jesus didn’t want to lose any more.
So he prays: (John 17:11-12)
11 I will remain in the world no longer, but they are still in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them by the power of your name, the name you gave me, so that they may be one as we are one. 12 While I was with them, I protected them and kept them safe by that name you gave me.
The name of the Lord is more powerful than any entity in heaven or on earth.
Luke 10:17 The seventy-two returned with joy and said, “Lord, even the demons submit to us in your name.”
Satan has to submit to the name of the Lord.
So the ultimate protection from spiritual demise is to stay connected to the Lord.
Attaching ourselves to anything but the Lord leaves us open to spiritual attack. Satan loves to tempt our loyalty. He puts threats in front of us because we are connected to Jesus. He loves to get us to think that friendships, relationships, or life itself is more important than connection to the Lord. The temptations can come in the form of a promotion at work that takes us away from gathering in worship with the Lord and other believers. Satan can put in front of us a fear that a relationship will fail if we fully live our calling as a follower of Christ. The material things of this world call for our time and attention to use or to collect. As a result our connection to the Lord is strained or disconnected.
If Satan can get us away from the Lord, he can diminish those that will witness to and follow the Lord.
That can be you and me.
Jesus knows this and so he prays for his disciples and at the same time prays for us.
We need spiritual protection.
So as Jesus prays, he invites us to pray for the very same thing:
Father, protect us by your name. Protect those we love by the power of your name.
Apply: What temptations does Satan use to separate you from your connection to the Lord?
Prayer: Holy Father, protect us by the power of your name, the name you gave us, so that they may be one as we are one. Keep us safe from the temptations Satan brings so we may never be separated from your love. AMEN.