Prayer To Find Support From The Best Friend Ever

 Supportive Prayers From A Loving Friend

We focused our prayers yesterday on how Jesus prayed – how He approached His Father and longed to live in a way that would please Him and give honour to Him.

Jesus took a lot of time to pray for us – those who would believe in Him and choose to follow Him.  I thought today we could pray in response to this generous prayer of Jesus on our behalf.  I think there are lots of ways that the things Jesus prays for us apply to us in these difficult days of cooling weather, more activities moving indoors, rising COVID-19 infections, potential new restrictions to our activities going forward, and just the emotional toll all this takes on us from one day to the next. 

Let’s pray and let God’s heart for us encourage us and lift our spirits today:

Now they know that everything you have given me comes from you. For I gave them the words you gave me and they accepted them. They knew with certainty that I came from you, and they believed that you sent me.

John 17:7-8

Heavenly Father, once again we want to begin at the beginning.  Thank You for Jesus who has done everything necessary for us to know You and know Your will for our lives today.  You told us more than once that the work that matters today is what helps us believe in who You are and what Jesus has done for us.  That seems strange given the responsibilities we have that are complicated by this pandemic but we know that when we focus first with You and on Your care for us that then all the other pressures and needs come into better focus and we live less pressured with more serenity, and our own activities are more effective in doing what needs doing.

I pray for them. I am not praying for the world, but for those you have given me, for they are yours. All I have is yours, and all you have is mine. And glory has come to me through them.

John 17:9-10

It’s pretty amazing that we don’t just pray about these things ourselves but whenever we start to pray we are actually joining what You are already praying for us, Lord Jesus because the Bible tells us that:

Therefore he is able, once and forever, to save those who come to God through him. He lives forever to intercede with God on their behalf.

Hebrews 7:25

We look around us to our families and the wider community and the needs and the complications seem pretty overwhelming so it’s great news that You are already in the know, already praying for us for the things that we need and organizing things so we can complete the good and satisfying agenda that You have for us today.

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.

Romans 8:26-27

It’s pretty amazing that not only are You praying for us but You are praying through us.  We find such comfort in knowing that we don’t even have to know what we need to pray for but if we will open our hearts to You, trusting that You are listening, that You are good, that You are willing and able to work on our behalf, that You will search our hearts and pray just the right prayer that lines up with Your will for this day in this very strange season of both the pandemic and the other challenges we face.  Sometimes the frustration and pain and confusion takes us beyond the place of even being able to put words to our thoughts but even that’s not an obstacle to You.  All we need to do is turn to You and invite You to pray Your heart in us, and You do it. 

Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.

Hebrews 4:16

So one more time on one more day, here we are before You, confident that You hear us and will answer us because You love us.  All through this day we’re going to talk to You about what’s going on and invite You to show us what we should do and what we should leave with You.  Fill us with peace and confidence as we walk together in this day.  Amen