DRAWING NEAR
March 9
Praying for Others
"We have sinned, committed iniquity, acted wickedly, and
rebelled, even turning aside from Thy commandments and
ordinances. . . . We have not listened to Thy servants the
prophets. . . . Open shame belongs to us, O Lord . . . because
we have sinned against Thee. . . . Indeed all Israel has
transgressed Thy law and turned aside, not obeying Thy voice. .
. . Thy people have become a reproach to all those around us"
(Dan. 9:5-16).
Others should be the primary focus of your prayers.
In verses 5-16 Daniel identifies with his people and intercedes on
their behalf. That's a common practice in Scripture. For example,
Moses interceded for the Israelites after they sinned by worshiping
the golden calf (Ex. 32:11-13).
All Paul's recorded prayers are intercessions. In Ephesians 6:18 he
instructs us to "be on the alert with all perseverance and petition
for all the saints." In 1 Timothy 2:1-4 he says, "I urge that
entreaties and prayers, petitions and thanksgivings, be made on
behalf of all men, for kings and all who are in authority, in order
that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and
dignity. This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior,
who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the
truth."
Similarly, the Lord's prayers are replete with intercessions. Even
when hanging in agony on the cross, He prayed for His persecutors:
"Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing"
(Luke 23:34).
When God placed us into the Body of Christ, He made us dependent on
one another. When one member suffers, all suffer with it. When one is
honored, all rejoice with it (1 Cor. 12:26). That's why Jesus
instructed us to pray, "Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive
us our debts. . . . And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver
us from evil" (Matt. 6:11-13).
Let your prayers reflect a corporate and selfless mentality that
embraces the needs of others.
Suggestions for Prayer:
Thank God for the people who have prayed for you over the years. Be
aware of those for whom you should be praying. Sometimes the demands
of prayer can seem overwhelming because there's so much to pray for,
but be faithful, knowing that your prayers are a delight to the Lord
(Prov. 15:8).
For Further Study:
Read John 17, noting how Jesus interceded for His disciples.
Drawing Near, Copyright c 1993 John F. MacArthur, Jr.
All rights reserved. Used by permission.
http://www.gty.org
~~~
Exodus 32:11-13 (NKJV)
11 Then Moses pleaded with the LORD his God, and said: "LORD, why
does Your wrath burn hot against Your people whom You have brought
out of the land of Egypt with great power and with a mighty hand?
12 "Why should the Egyptians speak, and say, 'He brought them out to
harm them, to kill them in the mountains, and to consume them from
the face of the earth'? Turn from Your fierce wrath, and relent from
this harm to Your people.
13 "Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, Your servants, to whom You
swore by Your own self, and said to them, 'I will multiply your
descendants as the stars of heaven; and all this land that I have
spoken of I give to your descendants, and they shall inherit it
forever.'"
1 Corinthians 12:26
And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; or if one
member is honored, all the members rejoice with it.
Proverbs 15:8
The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the LORD, But the
prayer of the upright is His delight.
John 17
1 Jesus spoke these words, lifted up His eyes to heaven, and said:
"Father, the hour has come. Glorify Your Son, that Your Son also may
glorify You,
2 "as You have given Him authority over all flesh, that He should
give eternal life to as many as You have given Him.
3 "And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true
God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.
4 "I have glorified You on the earth. I have finished the work which
You have given Me to do.
5 "And now, O Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the
glory which I had with You before the world was.
6 "I have manifested Your name to the men whom You have given Me out
of the world. They were Yours, You gave them to Me, and they have
kept Your word.
7 "Now they have known that all things which You have given Me are
from You.
8 "For I have given to them the words which You have given Me; and
they have received them, and have known surely that I came forth from
You; and they have believed that You sent Me.
9 "I pray for them. I do not pray for the world but for those whom
You have given Me, for they are Yours.
10 "And all Mine are Yours, and Yours are Mine, and I am glorified
in them.
11 "Now I am no longer in the world, but these are in the world, and
I come to You. Holy Father, keep through Your name those whom You
have given Me, that they may be one as We are.
12 "While I was with them in the world, I kept them in Your name.
Those whom You gave Me I have kept; and none of them is lost except
the son of perdition, that the Scripture might be fulfilled.
13 "But now I come to You, and these things I speak in the world,
that they may have My joy fulfilled in themselves.
14 "I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them
because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.
15 "I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but
that You should keep them from the evil one.
16 "They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.
17 "Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth.
18 "As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the
world.
19 "And for their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they also may be
sanctified by the truth.
20 "I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will
believe in Me through their word;
21 "that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in
You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that
You sent Me.
22 "And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may
be one just as We are one:
23 "I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one,
and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved
them as You have loved Me.
24 "Father, I desire that they also whom You gave Me may be with Me
where I am, that they may behold My glory which You have given Me;
for You loved Me before the foundation of the world.
25 "O righteous Father! The world has not known You, but I have
known You; and these have known that You sent Me.
26 "And I have declared to them Your name, and will declare it, that
the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them."
~~~
These devotions are posted with permission from John MacArthur's
first (1993) devotional work, _Drawing Near_, and they are also sent
out daily for free to several folks via e-mail.
In addition, John's second (1997) devotional, _Strength for Today_,
is also available free via e-mail only. _Strength for Today_ follows
the same format as what you have seen here from _Drawing Near_, but
with different monthly themes.
If you would like to receive daily devotions via e-mail from either
of these series, just let me know (via e-mail), and I will gladly add
you to the list(s) of your choice.
You can hear John MacArthur daily via the Internet by visiting:
http://www2.oneplace.com/Ministries/Grace_to_You/
and
http://www.gty.org.uk/
You may email John MacArthur in care of Grace to You at:
letters@gty.org
NOTE for those of you reading via newsgroups: If you wish to reach
me, please contact me via e-mail for quickest results.
In Christ,
Peter
Peter G. Chase :: Columbus, Ohio, USA
pchase1@wideopenwest.com
STOP! Who do you think Jesus is?
http://www.gty.org/Gospel
http://www.gty.org/
http://www.nwbible.org/
To forgive is to set a prisoner free, and to discover that the prisoner was you. -Alistair Begg
.
|
